Data contributed by michaelgreenhill

  Export to Excel   L Class (VR, Electric) photo map

Description

The L Class were ordered as part of Operation Phoenix, Victorian Railways' £80 million upgrade and renewal programme for their worn-out fleet and infrastructure. They were built for hauling passenger and freight trains along the Gippsland line, including heavy briquette trains. 

The 25 members of the L Class fleet were built by English Electric and were delivered between April 1953 and August 1954, however because the electrification of the Gippsland line wasn't completed until 1956 twelve members of the class were placed directly into storage. 

Ultimately they were an orphan of the VR, and later V/Line, locomotive fleets. The electrification of Victoria's railway network was never extended to other lines, and indeed the Gippsland line was never completely electrified. Both these conditions required Gippsland line trains to change locomotives throughout the journey, which added time and operational cost to the running of trains. As the 1980s drew to a close V/Line withdrew the fleet from service and set about de-wiring the Gippsland line in stages. 

Several members of the class have been preserved, with one in operational condition.

Datasheet

Fleet status

Road number		Gauge	Status	Last owner	Last operator / caretaker
	L1150	Broad1600mm	Preserved - Static	VicTrack Heritage	ARHS Victoria
	L1151	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1152	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1153	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1154	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1155	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1156	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1157	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1158	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1159	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1160	Broad1600mm	Stored	VicTrack Heritage	Steamrail Victoria
	L1161	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1162	Broad1600mm	Preserved - Operational	VicTrack Heritage	Steamrail Victoria
	L1163	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1164	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1165	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1166	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1167	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1168	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1169	Broad1600mm	Stored	VicTrack Heritage	Steamrail Victoria
	L1170	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1171	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1172	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1173	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line
	L1174	Broad1600mm	Scrapped	V/Line	V/Line

Please note - in the case of scrapped, renumbered or rebuilt locomotives, the last operator or owner is listed.