WAGR L class (diesel)

L class No. 268 at Leighton yard, North Fremantle in 1986, hosting an experimental Westrail livery.

The WAGR L class were a total of 27 diesel-electric locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) from 1967 to 2000.

The L class were built from 1967 to 1973 by Clyde Engineering of Granville, Sydney, New South Wales and Eagle Farm, Brisbane, Queensland as well as Commonwealth Engineering of Rocklea, Brisbane, Queensland. They were introduced onto the Eastern Goldfields Railway, and at the time were the largest locomotive operated by a government railway system.

The L class initially served on iron ore traffic from Koolyanobbing to Kwinana. They also ran the Indian Pacific, however after discovering the damage the class posed to the track at higher speeds, they were promptly removed from passenger trains altogether. Withdrawals began in 1997, with multiple being sold off until 2000 when Westrail itself was sold off. 8 L class have been scrapped with 15 withdrawn, and 3 remaining in service.

Gallery

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  No. 270 (later Pacific National Red Dwarf) passing through Avon valley with the Indian Pacific in 1970.
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  No. 252 (later Aurizon LZ3101 Kurra Kurraka) at Forrestfield depot in 1986.
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  No. 251 Thunderbird 1 with more L class passing Picton, New South Wales in 2001.
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  No. LZ3101 Kurra Kurraka (formerly 252) with NSWGR 422 class No. 2202 near Livingstone, Northern Territory in 2003.
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  No. 266 (later L3113) at Kalgoorlie in 2005.
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  No. L3116 (formerly 272) at Kalgoorlie in 2005.
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  L class crossing the Swan river at Guildford in 2006, with a train of Portman iron ore.
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  No. LQ3122 John Douglas Kerr (formerly 271) at Forrestfield in 2007.
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  No. LZ3105 (formerly 255) at Forrestfield in 2007.
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  No. LQ3121 Shoalhaven (formerly 265) passing Thornlie with a cement train in 2009.
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  No. LZ3117 (formerly 274) at Forrestfield depot in 2012.
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  Nos. LZ3106 (formerly 256) and LZ3103 Aboriginal Stockman (formerly 259) at Fremantle in early 2015.