H class diesel electric locomotives
MODEL: G18B
The H class were added onto the last T class order. Changes made from a standard T class included extra weight added to the frame and the fitting of "manual power control" which allowed low speeds to be set very precisely. Their purpose was to push rakes of wagons up to the summit of the Melbourne hump. They were also fitted with hump cab signals and a special, very accurate speedometer.

The H's rarely strayed far from Melbourne and their hump duties, technically there was always one spare as the hump was operated with 2 H's coupled together. Because of their high axle load ( 20.3 tonnes, heavier than an S or X) they were quite restricted as to the lines they could operate over. By the time that the hump closed in the early 1990's most Victorian tracks had been upgraded for G class operation so the H's operated system wide.

The H's were delivered as T 413 - T417 but were quickly reclassified and renumbered to H 1 - H 5. T 413 and T 414 were delivered with T class number plates, T 415 - T417 were delivered only with T class illuminated number boards

All of the H's were built at Clyde's Granville N.S.W. plant


ABOVE: H 1 as delivered as T 413.
BELOW: Just after renumbering.
Both, official VR photos

Until 1983 all of the H's wore the VR blue and gold paint scheme, after this time the H's were painted in several different schemes as outlined below.

Click on the color schemes for a photo.
vrb VR blue and gold
vlo V/Line orange and grey
fv Freight Victoria
fag Freight Australia Green
Road # Serial #
In service
 Withdrawn Service life Disposition Color schemes Notes
H 1 68-629
20/12/1968
 to FV vrb - vlo - fag delivered as T413
H 2 69-630
7/1/1969
 to FV vrb - vlo - fag delivered as T414
H 3 69-631
7/2/1969
 to FV vrb - vlo - fag delivered as T415
H 4 69-632
24/2/1969
 to FV vrb - vlo - fag delivered as T416
H 5 69-633
14/3/1969
 to FV vrb - vlo - fag delivered as T417

Over the years the H's have recieved a few modifications as seen on H 3. The special hump aerials have been removed, extra step and handrail near the handbrake and air conditioning.

Photo at Sth Dynon Dec. 2003.

Above & below, H1 in the PacNat scheme, Sth Dynon March 17 2007
Photo courtesy Daniel McKee

please email me with any corrections,comments or questions

page last modified7/28/12