The NT class were a class of diesel-electric locomotives built between 1965 and 1968 by

Tulloch Limited Tulloch Limited was an Australian engineering and railway rolling stock manufacturer, located at Rhodes, New South Wales. History In 1885 Robert Tulloch founded Phoenix Iron Works in Pyrmont. In 1913 the business was incorporated as Tulloch's ...

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...

for the

Commonwealth Railways The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1917 by the Government of Australia with the Commonwealth Railways Act to administer the Trans-Australia and Port Augusta to Darwin railways. It was absorbed into Australian National in 1975. O ...

. They saw service on the

Central Australia Railway The former Central Australia Railway, which was built between 1878 and 1929 and closed in 1980, was a 1067 mm narrow gauge railway between Port Augusta and Alice Springs. A standard gauge line duplicated the southern section from Port Au ...

and

North Australia Railway The North Australia Railway was a narrow gauge railway in the Northern Territory of Australia which ran from the territory capital of Darwin, once known as Palmerston, to Birdum, just south of Larrimah. Initially its name was the ''Palmerst ...

, and on the Port Lincoln Division of Australian National.

History

In 1964

ordered three locomotives from

based on a Sulzer design that had entered service with the

Nigerian Railway Corporation Nigerian Railway Corporation (commonly abbreviated as NRC) is the state-owned enterprise with exclusive rights to operate railways in Nigeria. History and legislative background The Nigerian Railway Corporation traces its history to the year ...

. The first was handed over on 12 May 1965 and named after Federal Minister for Shipping & Transport

Gordon Freeth Sir Gordon Freeth, KBE (6 August 191427 November 2001) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1969, including as a minister in the Coalition governments from 1958 to 1969. He lat ...

. In 1966 a further three were delivered for the

. A further seven were delivered in 1968: two for the Central Australian Railway and five for the North Australia Railway. Following the delivery of the NJ class in 1971, all the five Central Australian units were transferred north. In November 1972, three were destroyed in a run-away at Frances Bay freight yard. Following the closure of the North Australia Railway in December 1974, the remaining 10 NTs were transferred to the Central Australian Railway. In July 1975, all were included in the transfer of Commonwealth Railways to Australian National. Following the closure of the narrow gauge Central Australian Railway in 1980, three were transferred to the

Eyre Peninsula Railway The Eyre Peninsula Railway is a gauge railway on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. Radiating out from the ports at Port Lincoln and Thevenard, it is isolated from the rest of the South Australian railway network. Peaking at 777 kilometr ...

and the others were withdrawn. The last three were withdrawn in the late 1980s. NTs 69 and 73 literally went out in a blaze of glory when, during their scrapping, they caught fire."Locos catch fire" ''Port Lincoln Times'' 21 August 1990

Preservation

NT76 has been preserved. Owned and operated by

Pichi Richi Railway The Pichi Richi Railway is a narrow-gauge heritage railway in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia between Quorn and Port Augusta. For much of its length the line lies in the picturesque Pichi Richi Pass, where the line was complete ...

Quorn Quorn is a brand of meat substitute products, or the company that makes them. Quorn originated in the UK and is sold primarily in Europe, but is available in 14 countries. The brand is owned by parent company Monde Nissin. Quorn is sold as b ...

, it is commonly used on track maintenance duties, shunt movements and on days when a steam locomotive cannot be operated.Commonwealth Railways NT class locomotives
Pichi Richi Railway

Class workings

*NT65 – Named

; Delivered 24 April 1965; First NT to work over the Quorn line on its delivery 1 May 1965 To Northern Australia Railway (NAR) 13 September 1971: To Central Australia Railway (CAR) 1976; Stored Port Augusta 1981; 575,954 kmSampson R; Fluck R 1982; "Locomotives of Australian National Mainland" Mile End Railway Museum, Cowandilla *NT66 – Delivered 18 June 1965 via Broken Hill and Quorn; to NAR 4 October 1971; to CAR 1976; Stored Port Augusta 1981; 948,205 km *NT67 – Delivered 4 August 1965 via Quorn line (10 August 1965); To NAR 14 February 1968; To CAR 1976 – used as Marree Narrow Gauge Shunter; Stored Port Augusta 1981; To Peterborough 1 February 1983 To Wilmington Line ~August 1984Perrin S; As Editor – "Steamtown Newsletter"; Steamtown, Peterborough Railway Preservation Society (now defunct) various editions – scrapped Gladstone 1989 *NT68 – Delivered 11 November 1966; To NAR 5 December 1966; Involved in major accident Darwin Yard 4 November 1972; To CAR 1975; Withdrawn at Port Augusta 1978. *NT69 – Delivered 28 November 1966 via Quorn Line (3 December 1966); To NAR 20 December 1966; to CAR 1976; Stored Port Augusta 1981; To Peterborough 1 February 1983;Evans, J 2009; Proceed To Quorn; Railmac Publications Last North Australia South and North Bound trains 29/30 June 1976; to Port Lincoln 1984 – First to be repainted AN Corporate green and gold January 1985 following "rough" overhaul; Last mainline train from Rudall 11 April 1988. Last operated 21 June 1988 as Port Lincoln yard shunterLocomotive Registers Port Lincoln Workshops Scrapped Port Lincoln 21 August 1990 *NT70 – Delivered 11 January 1967; to NAR 23 June 1967; Involved in major accident Darwin Yard 4 November 1972; Scrapped 1975 *NT71 – Delivered 1 February 1968 via Quorn Line (10 February 1968) ; To NAR 2 May 1968;Involved in major accident Darwin Yard 4 November 1972; Scrapped 1975 *NT72 – Delivered 21 March 1968 via Quorn Line (28 March 1968); To NAR 1 July 1968; to CAR 1976; Scrapped in 1978 *NT73 – Delivered 18 April 1968; to NAR 1 July 1968; to CAR 1976; To Gladstone 16 October 1981; to Port Lincoln ~February 1985 – repainted AN Corporate green and gold February 1985 following complete engine overhaul; Last mainline train from Rudall 11 April 1988; Last operated Port Lincoln 21 September 1988 as yard shunter Scrapped Port Lincoln 21 August 1990 *NT74 – Delivered 1 June 1968;to NAR 18 January 1971;to CAR 1976;To Peterborough 13 November 1981; Used to recover Quorn Line Assets; To Port Lincoln ?1984. Rewired Port Lincoln Workshops; stored following crankshaft failure at 28 July 1987 Scrapped Port Lincoln November 1989. *NT75 – Delivered 28 June 1969; to NAR 27 August 1968; Involved in major accident Darwin Yard 4 November 1972 to CAR 1975 – Scrapped Port Augusta 1975 *NT76 – Delivered 12 August 1968; To NAR 1 November 1968; to CAR 1976; Last movement on CAR-Marree Yard Shunter 27 March 1980Yates, R 1980 ''Narrow Gauge Movements'' "Steamtown Newsletter" No 9 June 1980 Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society Inc to Gladstone 5 April 1980; First trip to Booleroo Centre with NSU56 9 April 1980; Used as trailing unit pending sound proofing: withdrawn from service 1986 transferred to Wilmington line ~1986 – Operational – Pichi Richi Railway *NT77 – Delivered 25 September 1968; To NAR 5 August 1971; to CAR 1976 Scrapped Port Augusta 1976

References

{{AusLocos, state=collapsed Co-Co locomotives Commonwealth Railways diesel locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1965 Tulloch Limited locomotives 3 ft 6 in gauge locomotives of Australia Diesel-electric locomotives of Australia