"NR Class - An Early History (NR46-NR60)"
By Ed Tonks
Paperback cover 32 pages black/white photos
INTRODUCTION
This, the fourth book in the NR 'early history' series completes the profile of the Broadmeadow-built NRs, with the exception of NR121 which is NR3 rebuilt.
To complete the primary data on the Broadmeadow-built NRs, NR121 trialled on 23rd March 2000 with NR5. After the trials it returned to Goninan, Broadmeadow. On 14th April NR121 departed the plant of its initial manufacture. It left the Newcastle area on 16th April on 6WB3 as middle unit to NR103 and NR13. Despite the rebuilding of its No. 1 end, NR121 still carries the serial No. 7250-11/96-205, the same as NR3.
Since my first sighting of an unpainted NR on 24th July 1996 much has happened to the external appearance of this class. The appearance of the painted NR has evolved through many stages. No longer can a photographer record an NR without the AWARE communication cooling fan pod on the battery side; smaller style side numbers and original Australian flag types are extremely hard to come by; all but one NR carries a Quality Endorsed Company sticker. Those railway enthusiasts who did not bother to record the NRs early in their operational careers have missed out on details never to be repeated; a lesson to be learnt!