Australian National DL class

The DL class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Kelso, [New South Wales|Kelso] for Australian [National Railways Commission|Australian National] between 1988 and 1990. All units are stored as of the 1st of September 2023.

History

The first of the 15 commenced trials between Clyde Engineering's, Kelso plant and Lithgow in February 1988. The last was delivered in February 1990. They were used on Australian National's standard gauge network on Freight and Passenger traffic from Broken Hill to Adelaide, Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie. In 1995, all 15 were transferred with Australian National's interstate operations to National Rail.
In January 1996, DL37 was destroyed in the Hines Hill train collision. In June 1999, National Rail began operating blue metal trains in New South Wales from Dunmore to Cooks River and in November 1999, from Marulan to Port Kembla both with DLs.
All were included in the sale of National Rail to Pacific National in February 2002. As of January 2014, operational class members were being used on Pacific National freight services in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and as second locomotives on the Indian Pacific between Sydney to Adelaide. DL36 had been in storage at Port Augusta since at least 2008 and was cut up during 2018.
During May 2016, the class were replaced by New [South Wales 82 class locomotive|82 class] and G class locomotives in the Adelaide hills. During the month DL47 ran as part of light engine movement D171 from Enfield Yard to Lithgow with 8151 leading stored locos X50, DL47, X49 & G519. DL42 & DL45 also ran on light engine D171 on 25 May heading to Lithgow from Enfield Yard with 8162 leading X48, DL42, S306 & DL45. On 1 December 2016, 8129 lead DL45, DL44, DL50 and DL42 on a light engine movement to Port Kembla for reactivation work for grain haulage. The class have since been used in South Australia on grain workings during 2018 and 2019, and since 2021 have been commonly found in the Werris Creek area on grain services from Western and Northwestern NSW to the port of Newcastle. In August 2023 DL41, DL43 and DL44 were placed into storage at Werris Creek,all of the class DL38-47 & DL49-50 are currently stored at both Werris Creek NSW and Lithgow NSW with an unknown future.

Status table

Locomotive	Named	Entered service	Owner	Livery	Withdrawn	Status
DL36	Peter Morris	Feb 1988	Pacific National	Australian National green & yellow	Nov 1997	Scrapped
DL37		May 1988	National Rail	Australian National green & yellow	Jan 1996	Scrapped
DL38		May 1988	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL39		Jul 1988	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL40		Aug 1988	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL41		Sep 1988	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL42		Nov 1988	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL43		Dec 1988	Pacific National	Australian National green & yellow		Stored
DL44		Dec 1988	Pacific National	National Rail orange & grey		Stored
DL45		Mar 1989	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL46		May 1989	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL47		Jul 1989	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored
DL48		Aug 1989	Pacific National	Australian National green & yellow	Feb 2020	Scrapped
DL49		Nov 1989	Pacific National	National Rail orange & grey		Stored
DL50		Feb 1990	Pacific National	Pacific National blue & yellow		Stored