Queensland Railways 2300 class

The 2300 class are former 1550 and 2400, 2450 and 2470 class locomotives that were rebuilt between 1997 and 2002. Nineteen 1550 class locomotives (1550-1561, 1563-1566 and 1568-1570) were rebuilt as 2301-2315 and 2320-2323. Eighteen 2400 class locomotives (2400-2409 and 2416-2423) were rebuilt as 2330-2339 and 2346-2353. All seventeen remaining 2450 class locomotives (2450-2466) were rebuilt as 2355-2366 and 2370-2374. Six 2470 class locomotives (2501-2506) were rebuilt as 2387-2392.[1]  [2] [3]

The rebuilds included new cabs, Dash 2 electronics and the replacement of the roots blower supercharger with a turbocharger. In 2007, seven (2356, 2349, 2361, 2370, 2372, 2373 and 2374) were allocated to Queensland Rail's Australian Railroad Group subsidiary and transferred to Western Australia where they were re-numbered as DFZ2401-DFZ2407. Currently only DFZ2405 is operational with all other class members in storage at Forrestfield in Perth.[4]

Thirty-four 2300 class locomotives have been overhauled for West Moreton coal traffic as the 2300D class. These locomotives, with larger fuel tanks and a toilet at the end of the long hood weigh 96 tonnes and are restricted to operation on the coal routes. They include numbers 2301D-2315D, 2320D-2323D, 2330D-2334D, 2336D-2337D, 2339D, 2346D-2348D, 2350D, 2352D, 2359D, 2364D, 2366D and 2388D. The former 1550 class locomotives in this group (2301, 2304-2307, 2309-2315 and 2320-2322) were upgraded with modular (Dash 2) electronics when they were overhauled.

In 2023, Aurizon moved locomotives 2332D and 2364D from Queensland to its gypsum-hauling line between Lake MacDonnell and Thevenard, South Australia. To minimise axle load, their larger fuel tanks will not carry a full load.[5]

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