When AIS (Australian Iron & Steel), the forerunner to BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary), decided to start dieseling its Port Kembla steelworks locomotive fleet, it chose Commonwealth Engineering to assemble eight Bo - Bo locomotives powered by English Electric diesel engines and traction equipment. The first of these D1 class locomotives powered by English Electric diesel engines and traction equipment. The first of these D1 class locomotives (numbered D1-D8) was delivered in mid 1950, powered by a normally aspirated straight 8 cylinder 730 HP 8SRKT diesel engine.
For lighter duties AIS next ordered seven Bo - Bo locomotives, powered by the straight 6 cylinder normally aspirated 380 HP 6sRKT diesel engine, which became the D9 Class (numbered D9-D15), the first of which was delivered in 1956. These were manufactured in Brisbane in the newly opened English Electric assembly plant and featured unusual bogies which housed only one traction motor, the second axle being driven by connecting rods. In 1960 a further 6 identical units numbered D20-D25 were added. Between the two batches of D9 Class, a further 12 units, very similar to the D1 Class and known as D16 Class (numbered D16-D19 and D26-D33) were purchased between 1959 and 1964, and built by English Electric in their Brisbane plant. They were powered by a slightly upgraded version of the 8SRKT diesel engine producing 790HP.
With none of the above locomotives being able to be operated in multiple and coal haulage increasing out of Wongawilli Colliery with its 1 in 50 climb up the bank from Brownsville to Unanderra, AIS invested in an English Electric product similar to that being used in Queensland and Western Australia. Delivered in 1969, Co - Co D34 became the sole member of its class, powered by a turbocharged V12 1800HP 12CSVT diesel engine and featuring dynamic braking. Not entirely a success, shortly after in 1971 AIS took delivery of the first of eleven D35 class 930HP Bo - Bo units powered by a 6 cylinder in line turbocharged 6CSRKT diesel engine. These were equipped for multiple unit operation and eight of them featured dynamic braking capability.
With coal haulage further increasing out of Wongawilli and Kemira Valley and English Electric having left Australia, BHP tried other motive power types. Ex-442 and ex-45 Class Alcos leased from Austrac and then 80 Class leased from Freight Corp (featured in the Trackside Videos presentations ‘BHP’s Alcos’ and ‘Kemira Valley Coal’ respectively) were trialed but finally the solution was found in the transfer of ex-Goldworth Mining (now owned by BHP) English Electric locomotives GML3 and GML5-GML9 which became the D46 Class. These too like D34 were powered by the 12CSVT diesel engine and were Co - Co.
When BHP passed all its rain operations to Pacific National, the writing was on the wall for the English Electric units. Initially 81 and then 82 took over Kemira Valley working, the Wongawilli Mine was sold, 80 Class have been temporarily utilised for transfer work and new PB Class ‘genset’ transfer locomotives are being introduced. We sequentially trace all of the above locomotive types in this presentation.
Approximate run time: 95 minutes.