The A class is a true Australian rebuild story. These eleven locomotives began life as Victorian Railways B class diesels from the 1950s, then were given a second life by Clyde Engineering in the 1980s. The result was a modernised machine that carried Victoria’s country passengers for another three decades.
A second life under the New Deal
By the early 1980s, Victoria’s country passenger services were tired and losing custom. The state government’s New Deal reforms set out to turn that around, and part of the plan was to rebuild the ageing but well loved B class fleet. The contract went to Clyde Engineering at Rosewater in South Australia, and the first rebuilt A class entered service in May 1984.
The rebuild was thorough. The locomotives received updated EMD power and a fresh, square cab front in place of the old bulldog nose, giving them a clean and modern look while keeping the proven mechanical layout underneath.
Cut short, but not forgotten
The plan had been to rebuild all 26 B class units, but the project was halted in 1985 after just eleven conversions. Structural fatigue in the old frames pushed costs up, and V/Line decided it made more sense to build brand new N class locomotives instead, using the parts already ordered for the A class programme. The eleventh and final A class was delivered in August 1985.
Despite the short production run, the A class went on to give long and reliable service across regional Victoria, with the last examples working through until 2018. Three members, A60, A62 and A78, have been preserved, while others continue in service with Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
About this model
This Precision Scale Models HO scale release presents A66 in the special Olympics for Melbourne 1996 livery, one of the eye catching commemorative schemes these locomotives wore. It makes a distinctive and collectable addition to any HO layout celebrating Australian railways.
