Bulldog noses in Australia

42, 421, A, B, CLF, CLP, GM and S Class

Click on a picture to enlarge

Technical information about the current Australian bulldog nose locomotive classes

42 Class: 6 Co'Co', 16-567C engine equiped, 1,750 hp, max. 143 km/h, Clyde Engineering built (1955, 1956), single cab, standard gauge locomotives (4201 - 4206);

421 Class: 10 Co'Co', 16-567C engine equiped, 1,800 hp, max. 113 km/h, Clyde Engineering built (1965), double cab (a flat fronted cab on the No. 2 end), standard gauge locomotives (42101 - 42110);

A Class: Clyde Engineering rebuilt (1984, 1985) B Class locos: 11 Co'Co', 12-645E3B engine equiped, 2,475 hp, max. 133 km/h, double cab, broad gauge locomotives (A60, 62, 66, 70, 71, 73, 77 - 79, 81, 85);

B Class: 26 Co'Co', 16-567BC engine equiped, 1,600 hp, max. 133 km/h, Clyde Engineering built (1952 - 1954), double cab, (now all) broad gauge locomotives (B60 - B85);

CLF Class: Clyde Engineering 1993 rebuilt CL Class locos (original built 1970): 7 Co'Co', 16-645E3C engine equiped, 3,300 hp, max. 130 km/h, single cab, standard gauge locomotives (CLF1 - CLF7);

CLP Class: Clyde Engineering 1993 rebuilt CL Class locos (original built 1970): 10 Co'Co', 16-645E3C engine equiped, 3,300 hp, max. 140 km/h, single cab, standard gauge locomotives (CLP8 - CLF17);

GM 1 - GM 11 GM1 Class: 11 A1A'A1A', 16-567B engine equiped, 1,500 hp, max. 143 km/h, Clyde Engineering built (1951, 1952), single cab, standard gauge locomotives;

GM 12 - GM 47 GM12 Class: 36 Co'Co', 16-567C engine equiped, 1,750 hp, max. 143 km/h, Clyde Engineering built (1955 - 1957, 1962 - 1967), single cab, standard gauge locomotives;

S Class: 18 Co'Co', 16-567C engine equiped, 1,800 hp, max. 133 km/h, Clyde Engineering built (1957, 1958, 1960, 1961), double cab (a flat fronted cab on the No. 2 end), all set for broad gauge at the moment (S300 - S317).

ARG a QR Company (Queensland Railways) (CLF Class, CLP Class and GM Class)

With the take-over of some ARG business in 2006, Queensland Railways got hold of the bulldog noses CFL1 - CLF4, CLF7, CLP9 - CLP13 and GM30. The 'new ARG' CLF/CLP classes will have the letter prefixes of CL or CLZ placed in front of the new number (3001 - 3004, 3007, 3009 - 3013), depending on the type of traction control equipment fitted. GM30 was a spare parts donor in Dry Creek (Adelaide) until May 2005 when it was brought to EDI Rail's Forrestfield (Perth) for refurbishment into a 2,235 kW Type AT26C-3 unit (completion was envisaged by late 2006, but has now been cancelled). It would have been renumbered in GN3401 after it would have received a EMD 645 E3B 16 cylinder prime mover.

Until the end of 2009 the new ARG used its roundnoses as traction for its Melbourne - Brisbane BM7/MB7 freight trains. The MB7 runs around 22:25 through Albury on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The next day these trains stop from 05:24 to 06:05 hours in Goulburn (on Saturdays run through at 05:23 hours), pass through Macarthur at 08:23 hours, North Strathfield at 09:38 hours (at 09:04 hours on Saturdays) and have a stop at Broadmeadow (Newcastle) from 12:04 to 12:42 hours (Saturdays from 11:32 to 12:32 hours).
The BM7 trains schedule on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays is:
Broadmeadow 05:52/07:05 hours (Sundays 02:48/53 hours);
North Strathfield 10:52 hours (Sundays 05:52 hours);
Macarthur 13:22 hours (Sundays 07:00 hours);
Goulburn 15:47 hours (Sundays 09:32 hours);
Albury 21:26 hours (Sundays 16:35 hours).

Since December 2004 the 'old ARG' (GWA) uses some of its roundnoses as traction for extra P&O Ports container trains between Adelaide and Melbourne and back. From both cities the departure is in the late afternoon. Departure from Adelaide is on Mondays through Fridays and departure from Melbourne (as train 9753/MA6) is on the same days around 17:25 hours.

Chicago Freight Car Limited Australia (CFCLA) (B, GM, and S Class)

CFCLA (Australia's leading supplier of leased locomotives and rolling stock to the railway industry) bought GM 10, GM 22 and GM 27 mid 2003 from the bankrupt Great Northern Railway Services (GNR). GM 10, GM 22 are hired to Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) as from January 2004 and later on in 2004 GM 27 was added to the SSR lease. GM 10, GM 22 and GM 27 have got the SSR yellow/black stipe livery.
CFLCLA bought B61, B65, B76, B80, S300 and S311 from the now defunct West Coast Railway on 18 August 2004. The B and S Class locomotives had to be taken out of use on 21 May 2004 due to material fatigue in the frames, of which all the B and S class suffered from. CFCLA had the locomotives refurbished in Bendigo and returned them in works train services in New South Wales and Victoria. The B61 is in SSR yellow/black livery. CFCLA B76, S300 and S311 are in CFCLA's own blue and silver livery. The B80 has a Union Pacific styled yellow/red livery. The B65 got a red with yellow livery with silver lines as advertisement for Auscision Models.

Clyde Engineering (GM Class)

Clyde Engineering Motive Power Division in Kelso (Sydney Road), New South Wales, uses GM3 as shunter at its Bathurst Plant.

El Zorro (S Class)

In September 2006 rail contractor El Zorro of Melbourne bought V/Line S302 to haul works trains with it. The bulldog nose retained the V/Line livery, although the logos have been painted over. B64 (heavily stripped in V/Line orange and grey livery) was bought from Steamrail Victoria in September 2008 and currently stands for assesment at Avteq workshop. El Zorro also hires other bulldog noses from other companies to run grain trains in New South Wales and Victoria and the freight trains between Melbourne and Warrnambool (Victoria).

Freight Australia (Pacific National) (A and S Class)

Freight Australia (FA, former V/Line Freight then Freight Victoria) is owned by Pacific National (PNL). FA owns the following bulldog nose locomotives:

A Class: FA A71, A73, A77, A78, A79, A81 and A85 (all units have the dark green/yellow livery of FA). All A Class locomotives are operational (but A73 is currently in storage), mostly as trailing units.

S Class: FA S301, S306, S307 and S310 (normally operational only as trailing units, but due to frame cracks they are out of service in Melbourne since May 2004 awaiting repair in Bendigo at the SSR workshop); S301 is in service again thereafter in FA green livery on broad gauge FA freight trains. S306, S307 and S310 are in V/Line orange and black livery.

In 2008 the A Class locomotives are in action on the following freight services:

Dynon, Melbourne - Maryvale Paper Mill as containerized paper train 9461 on Mondays through Fridays at night;

Melbourne - Bendigo - Swan Hill (trains 9080 (northbound)/9084 (southbound)/9280 (southbound), southbound departures from Bendigo around 18:45 hours (train 9084) and around 20:00 hours (train 9280); also sometimes with B and/or S Class locomotives;

Dynon (departure around 19:00 hours at Fridays) - Mildura freight trains;

Melbourne - Tocumwal 9353/9354 freight trains. 9354 departs Tocumwal around 18:00 hours on weeknights. This train is often in excess of 3,000 tonnes after loading is attached at Shepparton and Mooroopna. Banker locomotives are normally attached at Seymour around 23:00 hours.

Cement trains 9421/9424 Waurn Ponds cement works (south west of Geelong) to the Blue Circle siding at Lyndhurst (on the Dandenong to Cranbourne branch; arrival at 12:15 hours) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The FA bulldog nose units are to be found everywhere in the grain saison for unscheduled freight trains in Victoria to transport grain to Geelong and Melbourne. The recent workings of the FA A Class and the CLF/CLP Class of Australian Railroad Group which pass Gheringhap Loop, just west of Geelong on the broad gauge line to the Southwest and North as well as the normal gauge line between Adelaide and Melbourne, you will find on the site of Robert who lives near the tracks in Gheringhap Loop.

Genesee Wyoming Australia (GM, CLF and CLP Class)

Australian Railway Group (ARG) was a joint-venture of Genesee and Wyoming Inc, and Clyde Engineering and Transfield. In October 2000, Australian Southern Railroad and Westrail were merged to become Australian Railway Group (ARG), following Genesee and Wyoming's purchase of Westrail upon privatisation. In 2006, ARG sold the above rail assets, customer contracts and some locomotives to Queensland Railways, which part now lives on as 'ARG a QR Company'. Since then, what is left of the original ARG is called Genesee Wyoming Australia (GWA). GWA will retain much of the former South Australia freight operations and the following part of the locomotive fleet stays with the Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary:

CLF Class : ARG CLF5 (in the orange GWA livery);

CLP Class: ARG CLP6, CLP8, CLP14, CLP16 and CLP17 (all 5 locomotives are standard gauge locos and have the orange ASR livery);

GM Class: ARG GM32, GM34, GM37, GM38, GM40, GM42 - GM47 (11 locos; GM37, GM40, GM42, GM43, GM44, GM45 and GM47 have the ARG orange livery, locos GM32, GM34, GM38 and GM46 still have the green AN livery). All these GM Class roundnoses are on standard gauge bogies.

All these locomotives are operational. GWA also takes care of the GM1 for the Federal Government (currently stored in the Dry Creek EDI Rail Motive Power Centre near Adelaide).

Since January 2003 ARG CLF/CLP locomotives are sporadic in use for grain workings between Parkes and Temora (NSW) to connect with the Adelaide - Sydney and return trips. The departure is on Thursday's from Parkes to Temora (as train 8372 Grain, arrival in Temora around 20:00 hours) and on Friday's the return working is done (the loco is stabled overnight at Temora, departs with the empty grain train around 15:00 hours and runs around its train around 17:30 hours at Stockinbingal).

ARG also won some spot contract grain transports from Port Pirie (SA) to Parkes and Junee (NSW). Up to 80 grain wagons are pulled by ARG's bulldogs a few times a month as special train 4AG2 (Adelaide - Parkes) besides the grain wagon transports via trains 4AS3. These workings leave Adelaide for Parkes around 5 hours earlier than the 4AS3.
The ARG bulldog classes are also used for grain haulage to Port Adelaide (mostly from Gladstone, Loxton, Tailem Bend and Pinnaroo) and to Melbourne.

Since the start of the Adelaide - Darwin freight service on 17 Januari 2004 roundnoses CLF6, CLP 11, CLP 16 and GM 45 were on loan to FreightLink supporting it's FQ Class locomotives on this long 2979 km, 42 hours trip through the Australian continent. Since 2006 the roundnose workings to Darwin were becoming quite rare as FQ and ALF Class locomotive could manage, but a surge in traffic means a few bulldog noses are still active as (unfortunately) trailing units on this route. The Adelaide - Darwin freight service is the longest train service a bulldog nose gets around to play with in the world! This service offers now six roundtrips per week:

Northbound AD1 departs Adelaide (Islington Freight Terminal) on Mondays through Saturdays around 15:20 hours to arrive two days later in Darwin around 17:00 hours (Katherine is shunted around 12:00 hours);

Southbound DA2 departs Darwin on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays around 10:00 hours.

Some GM units are used as banking engines for the P&O trains between Adelaide and Melbourne. These trains pass Gheringhap Loop around 06:25 hours to Melbourne (AM6) and around 18:45 hours to Adelaide (MA6), all Monday through Friday, but the banking unit is only shunted in the consist at Tailem Bend for the journey over the Adelaide Hills to Adelaide.

Great Northern Railway Services (B, GM and S Class)

Great Northern Railway Services (GNR) was made up of ex-V/Line employees who use ex-V/Line, ex-Westrail, and ex-Freightcorp locos for shunting operations, mostly in the Melbourne yard area, as well as extra units on Lysaghts steel trains, and for construction trains. GNR also crewed Pacific National trains into Melbourne. This was the first fully-independent railway operator on government tracks in Victoria.

In December 2002 GNR ceased operations, grinding its bulldog noses to a halt. The causes are the extreme drought (almost no grain transports) and the extensive premium which should be paid for the required 250 million AUS Dollar public liability insurance.

In the end of 2001 Australian Southern Railroad sold its operational class GM10, GM12, and GM19 to Greath Northern Railway Services along with spare part donors GM14, GM18, GM25, GM26, GM33, GM35 and GM41. Immediately GNR traded GM 19 for B75 with (also former) West Coast Railway. After that, GNR sold B75 to Westbrook Rail who has sold on the locomotive to Yarra Valley Railway Museum in 2006. S317 was sold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad and is in use by SSR since December 2003. GM10 was sold to CFCLA.

Fate or ownership of the GNR GM12, GM14, GM18, GM25, GM26, GM33, GM35 and GM41 (most of them presently at Dynon/North Melbourne yard) is unknown.

Power Rail (GM and S Class)

In August 2004 Power Rail (Goulburn, NSW) bought GM19 (still in AN green GNR livery) and S312 (now in a black undercoat livery) from the now defunct West Coast Railway. Both locomotives were spare part donors and have been transfered by truck to Goulburn in December 2004. Both are under overhaul at Goulburn at the moment. At Goulburn also privately owned (James Gray) bulldog nose 42101 (in NSWGR livery) is present, which also should receive an overhaul. S312 was planned to be finished first in around March 2007 with 42101 about 2 months later and GM19 around August 2007, but all three locomotives are still inactive. These units are to be leased to other operators. Also the livery chosen for these units is very similar to the original NSW Indian red livery but with more yellow.

QR National (Queensland Railways) (421 Class)

On 11 March 2002 Queensland Railways (QR) bought the freight business of the private Northern Rivers Railroad (NRR) via its subsidiary Queensland National including amongst other loco types the five NRR bulldog noses 42103, 42105, 42106 (just a body shell, stands at Casino), 42107 and 42109. Except for the 42103 and 42106, which are in a green/white livery, the Interail locomotives have a blue, orange and yellow livery (from bottom to top).
The name of the freight section of the Northern Rivers Railroad changed into Interail. Interail stopped its Wyee - Murwillumbah fly ash train service late December 2002 as well as its Ritz Rail luncheon train services between Murwillumbah and Casino on 7 December 2002 (insurance premiums were far too high).
The roundnoses are put on freight and maintenance work trains only.
QR National also runs container trains between Melbourne and Brisbane with amongst other locomotives it's roundnoses (see the ARG section).

Southern Shorthaul Railroad (S Class)

Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) bought S317 from Great Northern Railway Services in December 2003. It has been overhauled at the SSR Bendigo work shop for frame repairs. S317 sports the SSR yellow with black stripe livery. SSR also leases GM10, GM22, GM27 and B61 from CFCLA which all have the SSR house style of yellow with black stripe. S300 is also leased by SSR from CFCLA, but this locomotive sports CFCLA's own blue and silver livery. S311 followed in CFCLA livery in September 2007.

GM10 is currently used to haul work trains in New South Wales.

GM22 and GM27 are currently used for Yenorra - Port Botany container train workings for Patrick Portlink in Sydney: Mondays - Fridays with inbound train T176 from Yenorra to Port Botany (departure from Yennora around 08:45 hours, through Clyde around 09:05 hours, Meeks Road around 10:00 hours) and return as train T177 from Port Botany to Yennora (through Meeks Road around 13:15 hours, around 14:00 hours through Granville).

B61, S300 and S317 are currently used to haul works trains around Sydney.

By the way, SSR has taken over the Bendigo Workshops from GNR.

V/Line Passenger (A Class)

V/Line Passenger is owned by the State of Victoria. It owns the following four bulldog nose A Class locomotives: VLP A60, A62, A66 and A70. All four locomotives have been painted in the blue/red V/Line Passenger livery.
These 4 locomotives are used for the folowing passenger services (all Monday to Friday):
- Two early (at least the 07:45 hours departure) AM runs from Bacchus Marsh to melbourne;
- 16:12 hours departure from Melbourne to Bacchus Marsh;
- 16:46 hours departure from Melbourne to Bacchus Marsh;
- 06:55 hours departure from Melbourne to South Geelong;
- 08:45 hours departure from South Geelong to Melbourne;
- 06:33 hours departure from Melbourne to Sunbury and back shortly thereafter;
- 15:30 hours departure from Melbourne to Seymour;
- 18:10 hours departure from Seymour to Melbourne (however sometimes worked as a 2 car V/Locity or N class locomotive).

Former West Coast Railway (B and S Class) pictures

After 10 years of fruitfull operation on 21 May 2004 West Coast Railway ceased it's operations. The traffic was handed over to V/Line, which had not planning to use the WCR bulldogs not in the least due to the fact that all six WCR bulldogs were declared a failure due to stress cracks in the loco underframes by the Public Transport and Safety Office on 21 May 2004. All bulldog noses were sold to other companies (see the sections of other railway companies on this page).

A detailed history of the WCR bulldogs can be found on the site of the South Western Railway Society.

To be nostalgic, here are some pictures of the good old WCR days:

Preserved Australian bulldog nose locomotives

In the state of New South Wales:

New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (Thirlmere): 4201 in a green & yellow 'NSWR 125th Anniversary of the Railways' livery. This locomotive is used for NSW Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) excursion trains which ride under the name of Heritage Express;

4203 is a shortened shell at St. Mary's;

Lachlan Valley Railway Museum (Cowra): 4204 in original Indian red livery and is operational;

Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum Ltd (Dorrigo): 4206 stored in an operational condition in original Indian red livery and 42102 stored at Blue Circle Cements Plant on Kooragang Island. The 42102 had a cosmetic overhaul and was repainted in the SRA Candy stripe livery in the end of 2005.

In the state of Victoria:

Steamrail Victoria: B63 (stored at Newport in V/Line orange and grey livery), B72 (under restoration in Newport, in white undercoat as of October 2006) and S313 (broad gauge; repainted mid February 2008 and renumbered in 758 in a livery based on that of the U.S. Louisville and Nashville for use in filming of the Stephen Spielberg/Tom Hanks produced mini-series 'The Pacific', which is a World War II-set drama). Steamrail Victoria plans to make one locomotive out of B63 and B64;

Seymour Rail Heritage Centre (Seymour): B74 in VR blue/yellow livery (broad gauge), GM36 in CR maroon/silver livery (standard gauge) and S303 in VR blue/yellow livery (broad gauge) as well. GM36 is currently hired to El Zorro for grain trains in the states of New South Wales and Victoria;

Yarra Valley Tourist Railway Society owns B75 (in VR blue/yellow livery). This bulldog nose is currently at Seymour for restoration;

ARHS-North Williamstown Railway Museum (North Williamstown): B83 (in VR blue/yellow livery) and S308 (in V/Line orange/grey livery);

In the state of South Australia:

National Railway Museum (Port Adelaide): GM2 (in CR maroon/silver livery);

Static display in Port Pirie: GM28 (renumbered in GM22; in CR maroon/silver livery).

In the state of West Australia:

PRHS Museum at Seven Mile yard in the Pilbara region: F7A 5450 (in yellow/orange livery). This bulldog nose is actually a roundnose as it was built in the USA in 1951. Previously owned by Western Pacific Railroads Company (USA), 5450 was one of two F7A's purchased by Mt. Newman Mining for construction of their railway. Out of service by late 1971, 5450 was donated to the Museum by Mt. Newman Mining in 1978. In May 1985 the engine of this loco was started for the first time in nearly 14 years, and the loco has since been restored to mainline standard. 5450's first mainline trip was to Camp Curlewis prior to it's closure at the end of November 1987.

The other ex-Western Pacific and ex-Mt. Newman Mining F7A is the 5451 which stands as a static display at Port Hedland.