South Australian Railways 500 class (diesel)

The 500 class were a class of South Australian Railways diesel shunter locomotives built at Islington Railway Workshops between 1964 and 1969.

South Australian Railways 500 class
522 at Mount Gambier in South Australian Railways paint scheme to which ANR (Australian National Railways) branding has been added
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Islington Railway Workshops Build date 1964-1969 Total produced 34
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo-Bo Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Wheel diameter 3 ft (914 mm) Minimum curve 264 ft (80.467 m) Wheelbase 28 ft (8.534 m) total, 7 ft 6 in (2.286 m) bogie Length 38 ft 6 in (11.735 m) over headstocks Width 9 ft 4 in (2.845 m) Height 13 ft 3+1⁄2 in (4.051 m) Axle load 14 long tons (14.2 tonnes; 15.7 short tons) Loco weight 56 long tons (56.9 tonnes; 62.7 short tons) Fuel capacity 700 imp gal (3,182 L; 841 US gal) Prime mover English Electric 4SRKT Mk II RPM range 450–850 rpm Engine type four stroke, four valves per cylinder Aspiration turbocharged Generator EE827/4C Traction motors Four EE548/2A Cylinders 4 inline Cylinder size 10 in × 12 in (254 mm × 305 mm) Loco brake Air Train brakes Air
Performance figures Maximum speed 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) Power output 550 hp (410 kW) gross, 500 hp (370 kW) net Tractive effort 30,000 lbf (133.4 kN) at 4 mph (10 km/h)
Career Operators South Australian Railways Number in class 34 Numbers 500-534 First run 25 April 1964 Preserved 507, 515, 517, 532 Current owner Bluebird Rail Operations Disposition 1 in service, 4 preserved, 4 stored, 25 scrapped

History

Thirty-four 500 class locomotives were built, all incorporating English Electric traction and control equipment. The first 27 were built with broad gauge bogies; the last seven with standard gauge bogies. They operated in yards at Gladstone, Murray Bridge, Naracoorte, Peterborough, Port Pirie, Tailem Bend and Wallaroo, and were deployed extensively in Adelaide.

In March 1978 all were included in the transfer of the South Australian Railways to Australian National. Some were transferred to Port Augusta. In 1986, a new computer system required the class leaders of the former South Australian Railways to be renumbered as the last member of the class, with 500 becoming 534.

Most were scrapped in the mid-1990s, and the remaining locomotives were included in the sale of Australian National's South Australian operations to Australian Southern Railroad in October 1997.

Surviving locomotives

• 507 owned by SteamRanger, where it is commonly used on Cockle Train duties between Goolwa and Victor Harbor
• 508 owned by Aurizon, stored at Whyalla, South Australia
• 515 preserved at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide as their standard gauge shunter
• 517 was donated to the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide by Genesee & Wyoming Australia, stored
• 518 is privately owned, stored at the Newport Railway Workshops, Victoria.
• 527 was donated to SteamRanger by Australian Railroad Group in October 2010
• 532 was donated to Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre by Genesee & Wyoming Australia in June 2012
• 533 (renumbered 53) owned by Bluebird Rail Operations, Islington Railway Workshops, stored.