Victorian Railways F class (diesel)

Victorian Railways F class

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Preserved F202 at the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in October 2005

Type and origin
Power type	Diesel-electric
Builder	Dick Kerr Works, Preston, England
Build date	1951-53
Total produced	16

Specifications
UIC class	C
Gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Length	9.34 m (30 ft 8 in)
Fuel type	Diesel
Prime mover	English Electric 6KT
Generator	English Electric 801-66
Traction motors	English Electric 506A

Performance figures
Maximum speed	32 km/h (20 mph)
Power output	260 kW (349 hp)

Career
Operators	Victorian Railways
Number in class	16
Numbers	F201-F216 (renumbered), F310-F319 (original)
First run	1951
Preserved	F202, F204, F208, F211, F212, F216
Disposition	6 preserved, remaining 10 scrapped

The F Class were a class of diesel locomotive shunters built by Dick Kerr Works for the Victorian Railways between 1951 and 1953. They are similar to the British Rail Class 11 and NS Class 600 shunting locomotives also built by English Electric during this period, but modified for use on the VR's 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) broad gauge (also known as Irish Gauge).

History

The F Class were ordered by the Victorian Railways as part of 'Operation Phoenix', a £80 million program to rebuild a network badly run down by years of Depression-era underinvestment and wartime overutilisation.^[1]

The Victorian Railways purchased ten 0-6-0DE diesel shunting locomotives in 1951 from English Electric. The locomotives were built at EE's Preston workshops in the United Kingdom, and entered service from October 1951 onwards. The design is similar to that of the standard-gauge British Rail Class 11 and Nederlandse Spoorwegen 600 class locomotives, which were also being built by EE at this time.

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. Unlike their British and Dutch counterparts, the F class locomotives were also later fitted with sideplates covering the side rods and wheel cranks. This modification was made to prevent staff from getting tangled up in the rods and cranks.

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.

Withdrawal

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.

Preservation

Six of the sixteen F class locomotives were purchased from VR or donated for preservation in the early 1980s. All except F212 are owned by VicTrack Heritage and allocated to various preservation groups:

F202, formerly F311, is allocated to the ARHS and is currently held by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre. It is certified to operate on the main line but is usually used by SRHC as a shunting locomotive around their depot.
F204, formerly F313, is in storage at 707 Operations' operational base at Newport Workshops, as a source of spare parts.
F208, formerly F317, was known unofficially as the Dynon Donk. It is currently operated by 707 Operations and they have renumbered the engine back to F317. It is currently under restoration by the group.
F211, formerly SEC3, is statically displayed at the Australian Railway Historical Society's North Williamstown museum, behind the Newport Workshops. It was informally known as Little Trimmer.
F212, formerly SEC4, was withdrawn in November 1986 and purchased by the Victorian Goldfields Railway It is stored pending restoration.
F216, formerly SEC2, is statically displayed at the Australian Railway Historical Society's North Williamstown museum, behind the Newport Workshops; but unlike F211, this engine has been restored to resemble its original SEC styling.

Locomotives

Key:	Preserved	Scrapped

Number	Name	Original number	In service	Renumbered	Out of service	Current allocation	Status	Notes
F201		F310	000000001951-11-18-000018 November 1951	000000001958-05-26-000026 May 1958	000000001983-12-01-0000December 1983		Scrapped January 1989	South Dynon, April 1983^[5]
F202	Freddy	F311	000000001951-09-06-00006 September 1951	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001987-07-01-0000July 1987	Seymour Railway Heritage Centre	Preserved - operational	Main line registered but use limited to Seymour yard. Naming was unofficial. Newport yard pilot, April 1983^[6]
F203		F312	000000001951-11-23-000023 November 1951	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001981-10-01-0000October 1981		Scrapped January 1987
F204		F313	000000001951-10-31-000031 October 1951	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001981-04-01-0000April 1981	707 Operations	Stored non-operational	Held as a source of spare parts.
F205		F314	000000001951-10-03-00003 October 1951	000000001958-05-25-000025 May 1958	000000001981-12-01-0000December 1981		Scrapped January 1987
F206		F315	000000001951-09-23-000023 September 1951	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001981-01-01-0000January 1981		Scrapped June 1981
F207		F316	000000001951-10-07-00007 October 1951	000000001958-05-16-000016 May 1958	000000001981-12-01-0000December 1981		Scrapped January 1987
F208	Dynon Donk	F317	000000001951-12-02-00002 December 1951	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001987-07-01-0000July 1987	707 Operations	Out of traffic - Overhaul	Naming was unofficial. Renumbered back to F317 in preservation.
F209		F318	000000001951-11-27-000027 November 1951	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001982-03-01-0000March 1982		Scrapped June 000000001987-01-01-00001987
F210		F319	000000001953-02-23-000023 February 1953	000000001958-05-18-000018 May 1958	000000001979-11-01-0000November 1979		Scrapped June 1981
F211	Little Trimmer	SEC3	000000001953-03-23-000023 March 1953	000000001956-06-15-000015 June 1956	000000001986-09-01-0000September 1986	Australian Railway Historical Society	Preserved - static	Renumbering date reflects transfer to VR. Naming was unofficial. Geelong, April 1983^[7]
F212		SEC4	000000001953-04-15-000015 April 1953	000000001959-07-01-0000July 1959	000000001986-11-01-0000November 1986	Victorian Goldfields Railway	Stored	Renumbering date reflects transfer to VR Geelong, April 1983^[8]
F213		SEC5	000000001953-04-12-000012 April 1953	000000001959-07-01-0000July 1959	000000001981-04-01-0000April 1981		Scrapped January 1981	Renumbering date reflects transfer to VR
F214		SEC6	000000001953-04-29-000029 April 1953	000000001959-07-01-0000July 1959	000000001979-10-01-0000October 1979		Scrapped June 1981	Renumbering date reflects transfer to VR
F215		SEC1	000000001952-01-18-000018 January 1952	000000001971-05-29-000029 May 1971	000000001983-04-01-0000April 1983		Scrapped 1983	Renumbering date reflects transfer to VR
F216		SEC2	000000001952-01-29-000029 January 1952	000000001971-05-29-000029 May 1971	000000001987-07-01-0000July 1987	Australian Railway Historical Society	Preserved - static	Renumbering date reflects transfer to VR. Renumbered back to SEC2 in preservation. Newport yard pilot, April 1983^[9]

Models

Australian model railway manufacturer TrainBuilder released a ready-to-run model of the F class for HO scale in 2011.^[10] European model railway manufacturer Roco announced in early 2014 that it would be releasing a ready-to-run model of the F class, using its existing model of the NS 500/600 class locomotive as its basis.

Broad Gauge Models in Australia have also offered a sheet of etched brass parts for modellers to use in order to modify the NS 500/600 class locomotive to more closely represent the VR F class in the past. Following the announcement of the Roco model, BGM announced it would re-release the etches for modellers wanting to alter the Roco locomotive.

References

↑ "ARHS Railway Museum: History 1950 - 2000". Retrieved 31 December 2006.
↑ F class diesel electric locomotives Mark Bau's VR Website
↑ F Class Railpage
↑ F Class Vicsig
↑ Newsrail June 1983, pg150
↑ Newsrail June 1983, pg150
↑ Newsrail June 1983, pg150
↑ Newsrail June 1983, pg150
↑ Newsrail June 1983, pg150
↑ "Victorian Railways ‘F-class’". TrainBuilder.

Locomotives and rolling stock of the Victorian Railways, predecessors and successors

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay Railway Company	Pile Driver Engine (1854) First Engine - 2-2-2WT (1854) 2-4-0WT (1854) Pier Donkey No.5 - 0-4-0WT (1857) 2-4-0WT (1858), later N Class

Geelong & Melbourne Railway Company	Ariel - 0-4-0T (1855) Titania, Oberon, Typhoon & Sirocco - 2-2-2WT (1855) Hurricane & Cyclone - 2-4-0WT (1857) Goliath, Hercules, Smason & Tubal-Cain - 0-6-0WT (1855)

Melbourne & Suburban Railway Company	Hawthorn & Richmond - 2-4-0T (1860) Kew & BN#1378 - 2-4-0WT (1861)

Melbourne Railway Company	Windsor & Prahran - 2-4-0WT (1863)

Melbourne & Essendon Railway Company	Essendon (BN#458), BN#459 & BN#488 2-4-0T (1861), later SAR E Class

Melbourne & Hobson's Bay United Railway Company	Toorak, Victoria, No.16 & No.19 - 2-4-0T (1865) 4-4-0WT (1871), later C Class Pier Donkey No.24 - 0-4-0WT (1875)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, F.C. Christy period (1858-1870)	No.1 (passenger) 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1857) 'Old' V class (goods) 0-6-0 (1857) P class 0-6-0 (1859) J class 2-2-2, later 2-4-0 (1859) B class 2-4-0 (1861) L class 2-4-0ST (1861) O class 0-6-0 (1861) G&MRC engines 19, 21, 34-44 evens only (1960's)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, W. Meikle period (1871-1877)	No.100 2-4-0 (1872) Q class 0-6-0 (1873) No.103, No.105 & U class 0-6-0 (1873) T class 0-6-0 (1874) F class 2-4-0 (1874), later 2-4-2T (1910) K class 2-4-0 (1874) G class 4-4-0 (1877) H class 4-4-0 (1877) No.162 & No.164 4-4-0 (1877)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, S. Mirls period (1878-1890)	M class 4-4-0T (1879), later ME class 4-4-2T (1901) 'Old' R class 0-6-0 (1879) W & S class 4-6-0 (1880) Pier locomotives 0-4-0WT (1880) 'Belgian' R class 0-6-0 (1883) Locomotives for Motor service - Rowan 0-4-0T (1883) 'Old' A class 4-4-0 (1884) X class 0-6-0 (1886) N class 2-4-0WT (1886) C Class 4-4-0WT (1886) D class 4-4-0 (1887) Y class 0-6-0 (1888) 'New' A class 4-4-0 (1889) 'New' R & R^Y class 0-6-0 (1889) E class 2-4-2T (1889)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.D. Smith period (1877, 1890-1893)	E^E class 0-6-2T (1893) Locomotives for Motor service - Z Class 2-4-0T & 0-6-0T (1893)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, T.H. Woodroffe period (1893-1912)	V class 2-8-0 (1899) A^A class 4-4-0 (1889) M class 4-4-0T (1879), later M^E class 4-4-2T (1901) D^D class 4-6-0 (1902), D^D_E later D⁴ class 4-6-2T (1908) A² class 4-6-0 (1907) Modified tank locomotives for Motor service - N class 2-4-0WT (1895), C Class 4-4-0WT (1904), F class 2-4-2T (1910) Modified tender locomotives for Motor service - H150 4-4-0 (1908), J4, J6 2-4-0 (1908)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, W.M. Shannon period (1912-1919)	C class 2-8-0 (1918)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.E. Smith period (1919-1928)	D¹ class 4-6-0 (1922) , D² class 4-6-0 (1922) K class 2-8-0 (1922) N class 2-8-2 (1925) S class 4-6-2 (1928)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, N.C. Harris period (1928-1933)	D³ class 4-6-0 (1929) X class 2-8-2 (1929)

Victorian Railways steam locomotives, A.C. Ahlston period (1933-1955)	H class 4-8-4 (1941) R class 4-6-4 (1951) J class 2-8-0 (1954)

Diesel-electric	A Class Co-Co (1983) B class Co-Co (1952) C class Co-Co (1977) F class 0-6-0 (1951) G class Co-Co (1984) H class Bo-Bo (1968) N class Co-Co (1985) P class Bo-Bo (1984) S class Co-Co (1957) T class Bo-Bo (1955) V class Co-Co (2002) X class Co-Co (1966) XR class Co-Co (2002) XRB class Co-Co (2005) Y class Bo-Bo (1963)

Diesel-hydraulic	M class 0-6-0 (1959) V class 0-4-0 (1959) W class 0-6-0 (1959) CS class CargoSprinter (2002)

Rail tractor	RT class 0-4-0 (1952) LT4 0-4-0

Electric	E class Bo-Bo (1923) L class Co-Co (1953)

Railmotors	Rowan Steam Car McKeen Kerr Stuart AEC Leyland (Double Ended) Brill DERM (PERM) Walker railmotors DRC railcar Sprinter DMU VLocity DMU Trailer cars

Road transferrable locomotives	RTL class

Suburban electric	Tait Swing Door Parcels Harris Hitachi Comeng Refurbished Harris 4D double deck X'Trapolis 100 Siemens Nexas

Passenger carriages	Fixed wheel types Wooden bogie cars Steel bogie carriages 44ft American Saloon types 45ft type 50ft 2in type ABCL cars E type carriages H type carriages G type carriages K type carriages C & L type carriages N type carriages O type carriages P type carriages PL type carriages R type carriages S type carriages V type carriages W & U type carriages Z type carriages Dining & Buffet cars Parlor, Lounge & Club cars Sleeping cars Joint and shared stock (SAR) Joint and shared stock (NSWGR)

Freight vehicles by type	Box vans Flat Wagons Hopper wagons Iced vans Louvre vans Open wagons Tank wagons

Freight vehicles by traffic	Ballast, Sleepers and Spoil Black Coal, Brown Coal & Briquettes Cement Powder Coiled & Slab Steel Corpses Dolomite Explosives Fertiliser Flour, Grain & Rice Gypsum Refrigerated Goods Lime Livestock Mail vans Bitumen, Oil & Petroleum Quarry products Perishables Sand Soda Ash Timber Vehicles & Vehicle Parts Water

Vans	Fixed-Wheel (D, Z vans) Power vans Bogie guards vans Mail vans

2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Narrow gauge	NA class 2-6-2T (1898) G class 2-6-0+0-6-2 (1925) Passenger carriages Freight vehicles Guards vans Other

Other	Rail tractors Crane locomotives Miscellaneous Special loads Way and Works stock Staff Accommodation

Named or significant trains	Albury Express Ambulance Train Better Farming Train The Boat Train Display (Arts) train Funeral Trains Fruit Flyer Geelong Flyer The Gippslander The Great Northern Limited Intercapital Daylight The Jubilee Train Train of Knowledge Melbourne Express The Mildura Sunlight The Northerner The Overland RAAF Recruiting Train Reso Train Rutherglen Red Southern Aurora Spirit of Progress State Cars & Royal Trains Sunraysia Express Sydney Express The Veteran Train The Vinelander The Vintage Train The WestCoaster Wirth's Circus Train

Rail transport in Victoria Railways in Melbourne Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways Victorian Railways V/Line Metro Trains Melbourne

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