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Trackside Videos

TRV124

Trackside Videos - TRV124 - NOHAB MZ Class (DVD)

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Between 1972 and 1974 the Danish railway operator DSB took delivery of twenty MZ Mk3 Class locomotives numbered 1427-1446 (assigned Model J30C-2) which were built by NOHAB, the Swedish licensee for EMD. They were powered with a V20 EMD 645E3 diesel engine with 3600HP available for traction, were equipped with a ‘head end power’ alternator and assigned to high speed 165km/h passenger traffic.

In 2006 Lachlan Valley Rail Freight (LVRF) purchased 16 of them from DSB with road numbers 1427 - 1446 (excluding 4 locomotives, 1430, 1436, 1439 and 1442). 1441 and 1444 were damaged beyond repair during shipping to Australia (as was 1438 in an accident at Botany in 2012) and subsequently were scrapped and used for spare parts to support the remainder of the class. Many changes had to be made to make the MZ Class conform to Australian requirements, including re-gearing for freight operations, addition of auto couplers, changes to brake cylinders, fitting independent brake release control and plumbing, installation of new vigilance equipment, modification to radiator fan cowling dimensions and radiator cooling air flow to name just a few of the major items. These modifications were carried out by Bradken Engineering at Braemar NSW. On September 10th 2006 MZ1437 underwent load trials on the Cowan Bank but it was not until December 2007 after further improvements were made did the remaining units start to enter service, then operating as Independent Rail. Probably their biggest shortcoming is the lack of dynamic braking. On June 7th 2012 Qube Logistics purchased Independent Rail.

In this presentation we will take a look at the outside and inside of the MZ Mk3 Class locomotives, affectionately known as ‘Danish Delights’ or ‘Helgas’, and see them in service in Australia. In the addendum we will also see other DSB ME and MZ Class operating on passenger trains in Denmark back in the late 1980s and some of the later Danish rolling stock which caused the MZs to be displaced.

Approximate run time: 75 minutes.