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Goninan/GE NR Class

When National Rail was formed in 1993, the company was forced to use vintage locomotives and former Australian National locomotives until a contract was placed for 120 new locomotives based on the American Dash-9 spec General Electric locomotives with Goninan Bassendean and Broadmeadow. Due to the restricted rollingstock outline and weight restrictions along the Eastern seaboard of Australia, the locomotive specifications were heavily modified to suit the existing infrastructure between Brisbane and Perth. Eventually the locomotives started emerging in 1994 as the NR class – named after the parent company

Equipped with a General Electric 7FDL16 powerplant, these locomotives can produce up to 3000kW (4020HP) to the axles – the power available is also variable and can be changed by the driver on the fly, even to other NRs that are MUed behind the command loco.

These locomotives are still the most complex yet versatile locomotive designs operating in Australia, they can be found hauling GSR’s Indian Pacific, Overland and The Ghan trains, along with lengthy superfreighters between all major capital cities in Australia. They can be found in multiple liveries ranging from NR30 and NR52 in the Indigineous liveries; NR53,NR54,NR55 in the Trailerail livery (green instead of grey); NR56,NR57 in the bright blue & white Seatrain livery; NR58,59,60 in the grey and white Steelink livery; NR74, NR75 and NR109 are running around in the bright red ‘Ghan’ Livery; NR29,73 and NR103 are painted in two different variants of the Pacific National Livery (Former – Similar to the standard NR livery, Latter – Similar to the Freightcorp Blue and Yellow livery), while NR25 can be found in the new Indian Pacific livery.

A number of NRs have previously been leased to SCT (Specialised Container Transport) – these being NRs 81, 82 and 83.

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Technical Details
Model NumberCV40-9i
BuilderGoninan Bassendean (NR1-60)
Goninan Broadmeadow (NR61-120)
Locomotive NumbersNR1-121
Number in Class120
Introduced1996
GaugeStandard Gauge (1,435mm or 4' 8½")
AxlesOº-Oº-Oº Oº-Oº-Oº
Co-Co
Length22m
Mass132t
EngineGE 7FDL-16
Generator/AlternatorGE GMG196
Traction MotorsGE 5GE793A1
Power3000kW / 4020HP
(max., variable: 2850/3560/4020HP)
Starting Tractive Effort520kN @ 30% adhesion
Continuous Tractive Effort388kN @ 23km/h
Speed113km/h
Named Locomotives
LocomotiveNamedComments
NR1City of Melbourne
NR2Rawlinna
NR4Hobsons Bay
NR5Shire of Junee
NR6City of Newcastle
NR7City of Brisbane
NR8City of Goulburn
NR12Footscray
NR15Meningie
NR16Forrest
NR17Bathurst
NR19Maitland
NR22Kalgoorlie
NR24City of Wollongong
NR26Hindmarsh
NR28City of Port Augusta
NR29Kwinana
NR30Warmi
NR33City of Grafton
NR34Boulder
NR36City of Sydney
NR37Impadna
NR38Greater Geelong
NR39Gladstone
NR40City of Broken Hill
NR41Tintinara
NR47Fremantle
NR48Northam
NR49Coffs Harbour
NR52Kungara Mankurpa
NR56Port Botany
NR58City of Whyalla
NR61La Trobe
NR62Tarcoola
NR64Zanthus
NR65Horsham
NR66Marrickville
NR67Milawa
NR68Cook
NR69Acacia Ridge
NR71Barton
NR73Maribyrnong
NR74Port Pirie
NR75Steve Irwin
NR79Bassendean
NR80City of Perth
NR83Merredin
NR84Southern Cross
NR86Mt Barker
NR87Loongana
NR88Dimboola
NR89Port Adelaide
NR90Spotswood
NR91Chullora
NR92City of Bankstown
NR94Belair
NR97City of Parramatta
NR101Crystal Brook/Redhill
NR102Wyndham
NR103Pimba
NR104Murray Bridge
NR105Port Wakefield
NR106Casino
NR107Peterborough
NR108Town of Alice
NR109Sandfly 2
NR114Kulgera
NR118Parkes
NR119City of Belmont
NR120Taree
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