The E class has the distinction of being among the very first electric locomotives to run in Australia. Built in the Victorian Railways’ own Newport and Jolimont Workshops, these compact machines helped prove that electric traction had a real future on Melbourne’s growing suburban network.
Pioneers of Australian electric traction
Australia was an early adopter of railway electrification. By the 1920s, Melbourne could lay claim to one of the largest suburban electric networks anywhere in the world. The E class was part of that story. The first two units, built in a steeple cab style in 1923, were followed by ten box cab locomotives in 1928 and 1929, all running on the 1,500 volt DC overhead system that still powers Melbourne’s trains today.
These were not large locomotives, producing 620 horsepower each, but they were perfectly suited to their job. The E class spent its working life shunting and hauling freight around the electrified Melbourne suburban area, quietly going about its duties for more than sixty years.
A remarkable working life
Few Australian locomotives can claim such longevity. The E class served the Victorian Railways from 1923 right through until 1984, an extraordinary span for any locomotive. The ten box cab units, numbered 1102 to 1111, were the mainstay of the class. During the 1960s they were repainted into a version of the smart blue and gold livery worn by the Victorian Railways diesel fleet, giving these veteran electrics a fresh and modern look.
By the time they were finally retired, the E class had outlasted generations of steam and diesel locomotives, a quiet testament to the soundness of the original Newport design.
About this model
This Precision Scale Models HO scale release presents the E class box cab in its handsome Victorian Railways Blue and Gold livery. The model is offered across road numbers E1102 through to E1111, so you can capture any member of this historic fleet or build a small group of these pioneering Australian electrics for your layout.
