The DL531 was Alco’s first low profile, light weight diesel electric locomotive design, powered by a 900HP 6 cylinder InLine 251B diesel engine. Alco built less than 100 of these units in the USA, for export largely to Brazil and to a lesser extent to Pakistan.
By far the largest production numbers were achieved by Alco’s Australian licensee, A.E. Goodwin, who between 1959 and 1970, manufactured 212 units, designated as Model DL531Gs. The first of 165 of the 48 Class for New South Wales Government Railways was delivered in 1959, the first of 44 of the 830 Class for the South Australian Railway appeared in 1960 and 3 for Silverton Tramways arrived in 1961. Whilst intended for light branch line service, DL531Gs saw some heavy main line service in the 1990/2000s, hauling grain, coal, ore and (to a lesser extent) intermodal traffic, usually in multiple unit operation, and it is this type of multiple unit operation that features in this DVD-R. Additionally we look at the cab and internals of a DL531G.
With the privatisation of the railways and the passing of some operators such as ATN Access, Austrac, Australian National, ARG (Australian Railway Group), Silverton/Coote Industrial/GreenTrains etc, DL531Gs can still be found in service with Engenco, Grain Corp, GWA (Genesee Wyoming Australia), Junee Locomotive Works (JLW survivor from Austrac), Pacific National and Rail Corp, but more than half have been scrapped or stored with little chance of returning to active service. A small number of PacNat and GWA units were modified to PL and DA class respectively.
Approximate run time: 105 minutes.