New South Wales 85 class locomotive
Encyclopedia
The New South Wales 85 class were a class of 10 mainline electric locomotive introduced from 1979 in the state of New South Wales
, by the State Rail Authority. They were built by Commonwealth Engineering
of Granville, New South Wales
.
The fleet were based in Lithgow
and served coal haulage across the Blue Mountains. When FreightCorp merged into Pacific National
, it was decided to withdraw the fleet from service owing to a rising cost in electricity. 8501 & 8507 are the survivors of the fleet when they were saved from scrap by the Sydney Electric Traction Society & Dorrigo Steam & Railway Museum respectively.
Rail transport in New South Wales
The Australian state of New South Wales has an extensive network of railways, which were integral to the growth and development of the state. The vast majority of railway lines were government built and operated, but there were also several private railways, some of which operate to this...
, by the State Rail Authority. They were built by Commonwealth Engineering
Commonwealth Engineering
The Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
of Granville, New South Wales
Granville, New South Wales
Granville, is a suburb in western Sydney, Australia. Granville is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. A small part in the north-west is located in the Local Government Area of the City of Holroyd.South Granville is a...
.
The fleet were based in Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
and served coal haulage across the Blue Mountains. When FreightCorp merged into Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
, it was decided to withdraw the fleet from service owing to a rising cost in electricity. 8501 & 8507 are the survivors of the fleet when they were saved from scrap by the Sydney Electric Traction Society & Dorrigo Steam & Railway Museum respectively.