The first 10 F class have the distinction of being VRs first diesel locomotives. They were mainly used in shunting service around Melbourne but were also used at Geelong, Seymour, Wodonga and Bendigo and perhaps other locations. Built by Dick Kerr Works for the Victorian Railways between 1951 and 1953 The Victorian Railways purchased ten 0-6-0DM diesel shunting locomotives in 1951 from English Electric. The locomotives were built at EEs Preston workshops in the United Kingdom, and entered service from October 1951 onwards. As built the locomotives were originally numbered in the 300-series as F310-319, following on from the last of the S class diesel locomotives, S309, which entered service in February 1958, seven years after the arrival of the first F class locomotives. However, VR then placed a second order for another eight S class locomotives for use on the new North East standard gauge line which were delivered starting in November 1960. In order to vacate the 300-series numbers for the new mainline diesels, all F class locomotives were renumbered into the 200-series on in late May 1958 as F201-211. Six identical units were purchased by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1952. The SEC later sold all six units to VR; the first, SEC3 in 1956, three more - SEC4, 5 and 6 - in 1959, and the remaining two, the former SEC1 and SEC2, in May 1971.[2][3][4] These locomotives received numbers in the 21x-series as F212-216 on entry to VR service. The first sold, F211 (formerly SEC3) received its 200-series number on entry to VR service in 1956, some two years before the ten built for VR were similarly treated. Over the years quite a few changes were made: they were delivered in a black paint scheme then went to red with a yellow stripe and finally VRs familiar blue and gold, near the end of their careers at least one was painted V/Line orange/grey. Withdrawal of the F class locomotives began in October 1979 with the withdrawal of F214. The remaining locomotives with withdrawn between November 1979 and July 1987, when the last three locomotives, F202, F208, and F216, were taken out of service. Following withdrawal, the locomotives appear to have been placed in storage although most were later scrapped. Only one locomotive was broken up in the same year it was withdrawn; F215 was withdrawn in April 1983 and scrapped later that year. victorianrailways.net/motive%20power/fdie/fdie.html
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 01:06:11 +0000
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