B75 & CLP13 walk Parkes NSW. Sun 20th July 2025

B75 is now 72 years old and was one of 26 built (B60-B85) for the Victorian Railways by Clyde Engineering at Granville NSW and went into service on the 06th of July 1953. Based on the American EMD ML2 series "F" units, the Americans were fascinated that the Australians should build a double ended loco, something not done in the USA as all were single ended. Both locomotives in the video were not running; the idle noise comes from a couple of ALCO's idling in an adjacent road. Introduced in 1952 the "B" class, as EMD model ML2-16, were the first main line diesel-electric locomotives for the Victorian Railways and by 1954 they were averaging 2,630 miles per month. Until the late 1970's they were the only class used on the Bendigo passenger services, they also operated "Jet" express freight services as well as The Overland passenger service, all were broad gauge. The first "B" class to run on standard gauge was class leader B60 for a few weeks in 1975 celebrating the 100th anniversary of Sir Harold W. Clapp. Following privatisation and the selling off of locomotives some other "B" class can now be found on standard gauge. The Victorian Railways said double ended loco's would cut the time needed to turn loco's at country stations, especially where a turntable was not available. Powered by an EMD 16-567B V16 Roots Blown two stroke which delivered around 1,500hp at a top speed of 133KMh, the B class were used on both freight and primarily, on passenger services. Main generator is a EMD D-12 continuous rating of 2,200amps, auxiliary generator is a EMD A-7159 constant voltage of 74 volts 10Kw. Traction motors are EMD Type D-27 with a gear ratio of 59-18. Fuel capacity is 4,540 litres, lube oil capacity of 750 litres and water coolant capacity of 840 litres. In the early 1980's it was planned to totally overhaul and modernise all 26 "B" class into the new "A" class by Clyde Engineering at Rosewater SA. The programme was halted with only 11 completed due to costs and the fact that the "G" and "N" class were being delivered. The conversion of only 11 "B" class to the "A" class, between 1984 & 1985, included a much larger engine installed, a two-stroke turbo charged V12 EMD 645E3B prime mover (similar, but smaller than the NSW 81 class) delivering 2,480hp. The weight also increased from 111 tonnes to 115.7 tonnes. The conversion was done by Clyde Engineering at Rosewater SA. B62 was the first diesel-electric locomotive in Australia to run one million miles achieved between September 1952 and December 1957. B61 was withdrawn from active service by VLine on the 10th of January 1993, with some 6,293,131kms on the clock and placed into storage. B75, featured in the video, has passed through the ownership of Victorian Railways, West Coast Railway, Great Northern Railroad and Yarra Valley Railway before being purchased by current owners Southern Shorthaul Railroad in 2011. B75 was painted into the bright and attractive Consolidated Rail leasing Livery, an offshoot business unit of SSR. CSR no longer exists, and the locomotives painted into CSR livery remain in the colour scheme but with the CSR branding removed and replaced with "SSR". Where are they now? The following class members have been withdrawn from service and scrapped: B64, B65, B67, B68, B69, B71 (as A71), B73 (as A73), B77 (as A77), B79 (as A79), B81 (as A81), B82 (as A82), B84 and finally B85 (as A85). The remaining are either operating or in preservation. CLP13 was originally built as "CL3" by Clyde Engineering at Granville NSW as part of an order of 17 units built between 1970 & 1972 for the then Commonwealth Railways. CL3 was handed over new on the 20th of April 1970. Powered by a two-stroke turbo charged V16 EMD 16-645E3 prime mover delivering 3,000hp, published track speed is 140KMh. In 1983 Morris Knudsen of Whyalla SA overhauled the 17 locomotives and they emerged as the "CLF" and "CLP" class. The "F" meaning freight and the "P" meaning passenger (head-end power installed). They were sound proofed and had the addition of MK-LOC microprocessor control and the engine and generators were upgraded. The side sand box fill points were closed off and bogie mounted top fill sand boxes installed. Also the loco brake shoes were converted from one shoe per wheel instead of the usual two. The Cummins diesel "head-end" power units, used to supply power to passenger train sets, were also removed, this reduced the weight of the CLP class by three tonnes. In March 2016 CLP13 was sold to Rail Power and placed in storage until 2021 when it was overhauled and returned to service in November 2024. 1140hrs on Sunday 20th of July 2025.