Downer EDI Rail GT46C ACe

The GT46C-ACe is a model of Australian diesel-electric locomotive designed and built between 2007–present by Downer Rail at its Cardiff Locomotive Workshops using Electro-Motive Diesel components until 2014, later units were built in Muncie, Indiana.

Downer EDI Rail GT46C-ACe
SCT Logistics SCT006, SCT008 and SCT002 lead a Brisbane freighter through Roxburgh Park
Type and origin
Power typeDiesel-electric
BuilderEDI Rail, Cardiff, Progress Rail, Muncie, Indiana
ModelElectro-Motive Diesel GT46C-ACe
Build date2007–present
Total produced82
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • UICCo-Co
Gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Length21.2 m (69 ft 7 in)
Loco weight134 t (132 long tons; 148 short tons)
139 t (137 long tons; 153 short tons)
Fuel typeDiesel
Prime moverEMD 16-710G3C-ES
AlternatorEMD TA17-CA9E
Traction motorsSiemens 1TB 2630
Performance figures
Maximum speed115 km/h (71 mph)
Power outputGross(BHP): 4,500 hp (3,356 kW)
Net(THP): 4,300 hp (3,207 kW)
Tractive effortStarting: 600 kN (134,885 lbf)
Continuous: 520 kN (116,901 lbf)
Career
OperatorsAurizon
Pacific National
SCT Logistics
Whitehaven Coal
Southern Shorthaul Railroad
Qube Holdings
Number in class82
First run2007
Current ownerAurizon
Pacific National
SCT Logistics
Whitehaven Coal
Southern Shorthaul Railroad
Manildra Group
Disposition82 in service.

The first units were built as the SCT class for freight operator SCT Logistics from 2007 followed by the LDP class and TT class for Pacific National, the GWA class and GWB class for Aurizon,[note 1] the WH class for Whitehaven Coal, the SSR class for Southern Shorthaul Railroad and the QH class for Qube Holdings.

Design

The class was a new design for Australian conditions based on other locomotives produced by Downer EDI Rail, such as the narrow gauge GT42CU AC purchased by Queensland Rail and Pacific National and the GT46C purchased by Westrail, Freight Australia and FreightLink. The GT42CU AC used a 12-cylinder EMD 710 engine, based on the US-built SD70MAC with scaled-down traction motors, while the GT46C used a 16-cylinder EMD 710 engine with DC traction systems. The American SD70ACe was EMD's second-generation AC loco with IGBT inverters, but was too large and heavy for the Australian interstate standard gauge network, weighing in at 188 tonnes when the limit was 134 tonnes. In addition, the GT46C design was already at the 134 tonne limit, even before adding inverters, heavier traction motors and more cooling capacity for the higher power engine, and there was a requirement that fuel capacity could not be sacrificed.[1]

The locomotive has AC traction equipment, with a Mitsubishi Electric package also used on the SD70ACe, including a TA17 traction alternator, CA9E companion alternator and six ITB 2630 traction motors, along with solid state IGBT inverters.[2] The prime mover is a turbocharged 16-cylinder EMD 710. New technology used included passive steer bogies, to reduce flange wear on curves.[3] Until local production ceased in 2014, the class were built at Cardiff except for frames constructed at Port Augusta and bogie frames at Kelso.[3] Locomotives were built in the US after 2014.

Variations by class

SCT class

The SCT class are used by SCT Logistics on their freight services from Adelaide to Melbourne, Parkes and Perth. Locomotive SCT007 is named Geoff (James Bond) Smith after the CEO of the company.[4][5] The benefits of AC traction has enabled a fleet of 15 locomotives to do the work of 20 DC traction equipped locomotives, three AC vs four DC units being needed on the Melbourne to Adelaide journey, and two AC vs three DC units between Adelaide to Perth. An on-train refuelling system carries 50,000 litres (13,000 US gallons) of diesel fuel in a tank car behind the locomotives, eliminating the need to refuel en route.[1]

TT class and LDP class
TT104 trailing on a Pacific National minerals train in Sefton, NSW
LDP005 wearing it's one-off livery.

With the ageing of the 48 and PL-class fleets, Pacific National purchased 31 TT class locomotives for Hunter Valley traffic. They are equipped with ECP brakes and are used with NHDH, NHEH and NHYH hoppers. They are different in some respects from SCT and LDP category units because they can run at two different weights. The first locomotives were originally intended to be built as LDP010-LDP018 and leased to other railway operators, until Downer EDI and Pacific National reached an agreement to sell directly. TT130, TT131 and TT132 are owned by Pacific National.

Downer built nine locomotives, LDP001 to LDP009, for their subsidiary company, Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd, to lease them to other freight operators.[6] In 2018, Pacific National acquired them for interstate intermodal freight services.[7] Repaints of the LDP's into PN livery commenced in 2022.

WH class

Three WH class locomotives were ordered by Whitehaven Coal. Operated by Pacific National, they are used to haul coal trains from Whitehaven's mines in the Gunnedah Basin.[8]

Locomotive GWA009 on a GWA grain train from Dry Creek North to Tailem Bend.

GWA and GWB classes

In 2011, One Rail Australia (ORA) ordered seven locomotives (later increased to 10) for the Adelaide–Darwin rail corridor.[9][10][11] The locomotives were used on several grain services throughout South Australia and on Aurizon intermodal services between Adelaide and Darwin.

The GWA class were accompanied by three newly commissioned GWB class (GT46C ACe Gen-II) locomotives (formerly known as EMD class) from storage in the United States. Numbered GWB101 to GWB103, they were deployed on intermodal, grain and ore traffic and were included in the sale of ORA's non-coal haulage assets sold to Aurizon in July 2022. A further three locomotives, numbered GWB104 to GWB106 were ordered by Aurizon for delivery in early 2023. These locomotives arrived on Australian shores on 24 January 2023, and entered service in March of the same year.

On 14 June 2023, GWA003 and ALF21 collided with a truck near Katherine and subsequently caught fire, with both locomotives sustaining extensive damage and were subsequently scrapped.[12]

SSR class

The 2 class members were ordered by Southern Shorthaul Railroad in 2014 to operate its grain services, displacing hired motive power. SSR currently has two more units on order.[13]

SSR101 and SSR102 run a grain from Ardlethan to Melbourne towards McIntyre Loop.

QH Class

In 2022, Qube Holdings announced that it had placed an order for 12 units to be built in the US and used on the company's new interstate intermodal rail services.[14][15]

CBH Group

In December 2022, CBH Group announced that it had ordered seven locomotives from Progress Rail to be delivered by November 2024 to bolster their standard-gauge locomotive fleet. They will be operated by Aurizon under the existing service agreement.[16][17]

Manildra Group

In April 2023, it was announced that Manildra Group had ordered 17 locomotives from Progress Rail. In an agreement similar to CBH Group's contract with Aurizon, beginning from 1 November 2024, Southern Shorthaul Railroad will provide train crews and oversee daily operation of Manildra owned locomotives and wagons. This replaces Manildra Group's existing agreement with Pacific National, who provided their own rolling stock to service Manildra Group's requirements. The locomotives are expected to be delivered by November 2024.[18]

Fleet
Owner Class Number in class Road numbers Built Notes
SCT Logistics SCT class 15 SCT001–SCT015 2007–08
Pacific National TT class
LDP class		 49 TT01–TT08,
TT101–TT132,
LDP001–LDP009		 2009–12 TT02 named Darrell Sherry
Whitehaven Coal WH class 3 WH001–WH003 2011 Operated by Pacific National
Aurizon GWA class
GWB class		 16 GWA001– GWA002, GWA004 - GWA010,
GWB101–GWB106		 2011–19
2022-23		 GWA001 named Phillip J. Ringo, GWA002 named Richard H. Allert

GWA003 written off at Katherine 14/06/2023.

Southern Shorthaul Railroad SSR class 2 SSR101–SSR102 2014 Named Enfield and Bendigo, ex LDP013 and LDP014
Qube Holdings QH class 12 QH001-QH012 2023 On order
CBH Group Unknown 7 2024 On order; to be operated by Aurizon
Manildra Group Unknown 17 2024 On order; to be operated by SSR

Notes
  1. Built for One Rail Australia, whose non-coal haulage business, which included these locomotives, was sold to Aurizon in July 2022.

References
  1. Paul-Hewison. "Introducing the next generation locomotive to the Australian rail network" (PDF). Presentation, Conference on Railway Engineering 2008. core2008.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  2. "Downer EDI factsheet: GT46C ACe" (PDF). downeredi.com. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  3. "The SCT Class - A Brief Look". Motive Power: 56–57. April 2008.
  4. SCT Class Vicsig
  5. "Innovation is the locomotive". The Age. theage.com.au. 6 June 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  6. "LDP Class (GT46C-ACe)".
  7. "Linfox shifts deeper into rail with Aurizon intermodal acquisition". 31 January 2019.
  8. WH Class Vicsig
  9. Genesee & Wyoming Australia commission first of 16 locomotives Adelaide Advertiser 22 November 2011
  10. New locos to upgrade and expand Genesee & Wyoming fleet Rail Express 23 November 2011
  11. GWA Class Vicsig
  12. Hislop, Jack (15 June 2023). "Minimal disruptions expected to Darwin supermarket supplies following freight train derailment". ABC News. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  13. Qube orders GT46 units from Progress Rail. Railpage. Retrieved 26th December 2022. Archived from the original on 26th December 2022.
  14. QUBE orders GT46 locomotives. Railpage. Retrieved 26 December 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022.
  15. Qube press release. Retrieved 26 December 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022.
  16. CBH acquires seven SG locos. Railpage. Retrieved 26 December 2022. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022.
  17. CBH acquires seven SG locomotives, CBH press release. Retrieved 26 December 2022. Archives from the original on 26 December 2022.
  18. Southern Shorthaul wins Manildra NSW operating contract. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023.
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