Victorian Railways B Class (diesel) - Demise, Reactivation and Preservation

Demise, Reactivation and Preservation

As part of the New Deal plan to reinvigorate country passenger services, it was decided to rebuild the B class with new traction equipment as the A class. The rebuild contract was let in January 1983 to Clyde Engineering in Rosewater, South Australia, with the first unit entering service in May 1984. The project was abandoned in mid 1985 after rising costs due to structural fatigue, with the eleventh and final rebuild delivered in August 1985.

At the same time newer high power locomotives had been delivered, including the N class passenger units and the more numerous G class freight locomotives. They were gradually retired by V/Line from 1982 with some scrapped. Six were purchased by West Coast Railway in the early 1990s for use on their Melbourne to Warrnambool passenger service.

In May 2004 the Victorian Department of Infrastructure issued an alert on stress cracks on the underframes of the B class locomotives, including the units owned by West Coast Railway. Following West Coast Railway's demise in August 2004 these were sold to Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia and refurbised with some being resold to Southern Shorthaul Railroad. Southern Shorthaul's B65 is painted in a livery promoting model railway manufacturer Auscision Models. Seymour Railway Heritage Centre have B74 preserved in operating condition and is the only preserved locomotive in operation.