Importation

In 1943, during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, four diesel-electric industrial shunting type locomotives were imported from the General Electric Company, Erie

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

, U.S.A. by the Department of Supply under Lend-Lease

Lend-Lease

Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...

 conditions for use at the munitions factory, Dunheved. It seems that only one unit was used at this facility. Being of the hood type, with a central cab, they could work in either direction without turning. Two 190 h.p. V8 Caterpillar diesel engines provided power for four traction motors.

Operations

In 1945, the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited became interested in the possible dieselisation in the Australian Iron and Steel works at Port Kembla

Port Kembla, New South Wales

Port Kembla is a suburb of Wollongong 8 km south of the CBD and part of the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The suburb comprises a seaport, industrial complex , a small harbour foreshore nature reserve, and a small commercial sector. It is situated on the tip of Red Point, first sighted...

 and one unit was loaned to the company in April. Whilst it proved too light for the tasks of hauling ingots and ladles, it did lead to the commencement of dieselisation five years later.

At the end of that war, they were put into use by the New South Wales Government Railways

New South Wales Government Railways

The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...

 as coaching shunters at Sydney’s Central station and the Eveleigh

Eveleigh, New South Wales

Eveleigh is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eveleigh is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.- History :...

 Carriage Workshops. They were given road numbers 7920 to 7923, these being the numbers allocated by U.S. authorities. . In April, 1948, the Commonwealth Government

Government of Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...

 took 7921 and 7922 for use at Woomera Rocket Range and 7920 and 7923 were purchased by the N.S.W.G.R. in September that year.

In 1950, the two held by the Commonwealth Government were acquired by Commonwealth Railways

Commonwealth Railways

The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1912, as part of a government department, currently called the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by the Government of Australia to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and...

 and used as coaching shunters at Port Augusta

Port Augusta, South Australia

-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...

 and Port Pirie

Port Pirie, South Australia

-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....

.

Disposal and preservation

Following the retirement of the Commonwealth Railways units, 7921 has found its way back to New South Wales rails and is now part of the collection at the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum

New South Wales Rail Transport Museum

The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum located in Thirlmere, New South Wales south-west of Sydney, is a museum dedicated to displaying former locomotives, carriages and goods wagons from the New South Wales Government Railways as well as private operations in NSW. The collection features steam,...

. 7922 is with the National Railway Museum

National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...

 at Port Dock, Adelaide.

The two N.S.W.G.R. units were sold to the British Phosphate Commission

British Phosphate Commission

The British Phosphate Commission was a board of Australian, British and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru and Ocean Island from the 1920s until the 1960s.-Nauru Island Agreement:...

 on 31 October 1974 for use on Christmas Island

Christmas Island

The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....

. This railway closed in 1987. Both are now preserved.