The GT46C is a Co-Co diesel electric locomotive design that was ordered by various Australian freight railways and given different classifications by their operators. The Westrail units were known as the Q Class, the Freight Australia unit was known as the V Class and the FreightLink units were known as the FQ Class
Operators[]
Westrail[]
In 1996, Westrail ordered 15 units known as the Q Class as part of an order that included 9 narrow gauge S Class Co-Co units. When the Q Class entered service they replaced the aging L Class on heavy freight trains, relegating them to trailing status
All were sold off to Australian Railroad Group when Westrail was privatised in 2000 and then sold off to QR National (now Aurizon) in 2006.
Freight Australia[]
With the destruction of two V/Line G Classes in 1999, Freight Australia ordered a single unit, known as the V Class, more specifically V544 and named after the former Deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer. It was used on interstate workings, mainly SCT Melbourne-Perth trains. It was included in the sale of Freight Australia to Pacific National. When SCT got their own fleet of locomotives, V544 was relegated to hauling coal trains between Port Augusta and Leigh Creek
Now faces an uncertain future with the Leigh Creek coal mine and Port Augusta power stations to close, and the closure of the Leigh Creek line. Being deemed a non standard unit doing it little favors too
FreightLink[]
In 2003 FreightLink purchased four units known as the FQ Class for use on superfreighters between Adelaide and Darwin, as the Alice Springs to Darwin line was being finished in 2004. All were sold to Genesse and Wyoming Australia when FreightLink went broke and the Alice Springs-Darwin line transferred from FreightLink to G&WA
Preservation[]
As they are all in regular service (again, with the exception of V544), none have been preserved
Specifications[]
The GT46C weighs 134 tonnes has an axle load of 23 tons with a top speed of 115 km/h (71 mph). Their generator is an EMD AR11 PBEH, their prime mover is an EMD 16-710G3B-ES and their traction motors are EMD D87BTRL, giving the engine power outputs of 4,200 horsepower and a tractive effort of 408 kN (91,722 lbf)
Trivia[]
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