W class locomotives


W class diesel hydraulic locomotives			MODEL: 0-6-0

W 263 at Seymour, 1978

Even though VR seemed happy with its Clyde/EMD products, in 1958 VR accepted a tender from Tullochs Ltd for the supply of 25 diesel hydraulic shunting locos. Features of the locos were a Mercedes Benz diesel engine and Krupp transmissions. It is believed that all of the W's were delivered with dual controls which were removed after union pressure early in their lives. Up until about 1962 they ran Werribee passenger trains at a maximum speed of 40 MPH, they were also trialled on Bacchus Marsh passenger trains without success. As delivered they made a transition to obtain the higher speed.

The Mercedes Benz engines proved maintenence intensive and at least 10 W's were fitted with GM diesel engines from 1973 until 1977. These locos could be indentified by an extra exhaust stack.

W 266 was built as a demonstrator for NSWGR and numbered 7101, it and W 267 were delivered and operated on the standard gauge. (All other W's were strictly Broad Gauge) They were the first two locomotives of an additional order for 25 more W's.

The W's saw service mainly around Melbourne yard, Tottenham yard, Ballarat, Geelong, Ararat and Seymour yards. They also ran small, local goods trains around the Ballarat area. By the mid 80's they were all out of service.

All of the W's were built at Tulloch's N.S.W. plant

W class diagram

Click on underlined # for photo
Road #	Serial #	In service	Withdrawn	Service life	Disposition	Color schemes	GM engine installed
W 241	006	21-12-1959			707 group	vrb	Feb. 1975
W 242	007	30-01-1960			approved for scrap 4-7-83	vrb
W 243	008	27-02-1960			trans to HVR 15-2-1985	vrb
W 244	009	15-03-1960			*WCR to 707 ops*	vrb - vlo	June 1976
W 245	010	04-04-1960				vrb	yes
W 246	011	27-04-1960				vrb
W 247	012	10-05-1960			Off Reg 10-7-1987	vrb
W 248	013	25-05-1960	Sept. 1982		scrapped Spotswood E 88	vrb
W 249	014	30-05-1960			OR 10-7-87 scrapped 4/1988	vrb	Feb. 1973
W 250	015	11-06-1960			PRESERVED Yarra Valley	vrb	Sept. 1976
W 251	016	20-06-1960	2-4-82		approved for scrapping 28-9-82	vrb
W 252	017	04-07-1960	Jan. 1981		condemned June 1984, scrapped early 1988	vrb	Nov. 1975
W 253	018	18-07-1960	30-07-1982		scrapped early 1988	vrb
W 254	019	25-07-1960			scrapped early 1988	vrb
W 255	020	03-08-1960			PRESERVED ARHS museum	vrb	Aug. 1974
W 256	022	15-08-1960	14-06-1978		scrapped 20-07-1981	vrb
W 257	023	29-08-1960	08-02-1982			vrb	May 1975
W 258	024	07-09-1960				vrb
W 259	025	20-09-1960			scrapped early 1988	vrb	Aug. 1975
W 260	026	04-10-1960			PRESERVED privately	vrb
W 261	027	24-10-1960			scrapped early 1988	vrb
W 262	029	21-11-1960			scrapped?	vrb	Aug 1977
W 263	030	28-11-1960			scrapped?	vrb
W 264	032	10-12-1960	25-02-1982		scrapped?	vrb
W 265	031	22-12-1960	mid 1980		scrapped early 1988	vrb
W 266	028	02-07-1961			scrapped early 1988	vrb
W 267	036	18-12-1961			scrapped?	vrb

ABOVE: W 241 at Geelong loco, 1978.

ABOVE: The classleader, W 241 back in service at North Melbourne, 2005

W 242 at Ballarat, 1981 Photo courtesy James Gordon

ABOVE: 2 year old W 243 at Spencer St, July 16 1962

W 243 at Ballarat, 1978

W 247 at Ballarat, Oct 1981
photo courtesy James Gordon

W 244 at Sth Dynon loco, 1978

W 246 at Seymour loco 1978

W 247 at Geelong loco, 1978

W 248 at Ballarat workshops, 1978

W 249 at Geelong loco 1978 W 249 was the first to be converted to a GM engine, its exhaust arrangement was different to other GM engine conversions

W 250 at Geelong loco, 1978

W 252 at Sth Dynon 1979

ABOVE: W 253 in happier days in between yard pilot duties at Geelong 1978 BELOW: at Ballarat workshops 1979 awaiting its demise.

W 255 at Newport Workshops, 1988

All that was left of W 256 when I caught up to it at Newport. 1979

W's that had GM diesels installed could be identified by the raised long end hood and the conical exhaust stack seen here at the far end of W 257.

Photo at Sth Dynon 1978