Australian Railway History Magazine September 2025 Vorige editie

They are utilitarian, unglamorous and now 40! Many would pick a B or an A Class before an N but V/Line’s N Class diesel-electric locomotives came about as a ‘new build’ adoption of the specifications drawn up for the B-to-A Class rebuilds being undertaken by Clyde Engineering. September is a great time to look back at the V/Line years and yes, the freight working before the freight working that we are now getting comfortably with seeing as the locos create new lives at SSR!
Its also 80 years since the Australian Standard Garratts were banned in Queensland. For readers that enjoyed the special January 2023 issue (80 years since the arrival of the ASG’s) the locos use in Queensland is controversial, so any new research is always extremely appetizing to read!
Much has been written previously regarding the deviations between the base of Lapstone Hill, west
of Emu Plains, and Blaxland, bypassing the Little, or Lapstone Zig Zag, and the subsequent single-line first Glenbrook Tunnel. The current double-track alignment opened in full to Blaxland on 25 September 1913, although separately located Up and Down tracks had been available following the opening of the Down line through Glenbrook Gorge on 11 May 1913. This provided great relief from the first Glenbrook Tunnel on the Down and alleviated the bottleneck for Up movements. A Blue Mountains read is always fascinating.
All this and more in our SEPTEMBER issue!