Australian National BL class



The BL class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Rosewater, for Australian National between 1983 and 1986. All but BL35 remain in service with Pacific National.

History
In 1982, Australian National placed an order for with Clyde Engineering for 15 Electro-Motive Diesel JT26C-2SS locomotives (an evolution of the New South Wales 81 class locomotive), to be classed BL and numbered 26 through 40. Australian National only took delivery of the first 10, with the other five delivered to V/Line as their G class. The first five were delivered with standard gauge bogies, the last five with broad gauge bogies.

The 10 Australian National locomotives were transferred to National Rail and converted to standard gauge in 1995, following the conversion of the Adelaide to Melbourne line. In December 1996, they began to operate on services to Sydney and Newcastle. In September 1998, after being repainted into SteelLink livery by Rail Services Australia, Chullora, four were transferred back to the broad gauge to haul steel trains for BHP from Long Island to Dynon. For a period in the late 1990s, they were rostered to haul The Overland between Melbourne and Adelaide.

, three were in service on the broad gauge, six on the standard gauge and one is in store.

BL35 suffered a fire which damaged the roof, and is now stored at Werris Creek, awaiting scrapping.