South Australian Railways 500 class (diesel)

The 500 class were a class of diesel locomotives built by Islington Railway Workshops for the South Australian Railways between 1951 and 1953.

History

The 500 class were diesel shunter locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. Thirty-four were built at Islington Railway Workshops. The first 27 were built with broad gauge bogies and the last seven equipped to operate on the standard gauge. They operated in yards at Gladstone, Murray Bridge, Naracoorte, Peterborough, Port Pirie, Tailem Bend and Wallaroo as well as being extensively used in Adelaide.^[1]

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.^[2]

Most were scrapped in the 1990s, and the remaining locomotives were included in the sale of Australian National's South Australian operations to Australian Southern Railroad in October 1997. Only 533 (now 53) remains in commercial operation.^[3][4][5][6]

Surviving members

• 507 owned by Steamranger, where it is commonly used on Cockle Train duties between Goolwa and Victor Harbor
• 508 owned by Genesee & Wyoming Australia, stored, Port Augusta^[7]
• 515 preserved at the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide as their standard gauge shunter^[8]
• 517 was donated to the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide by Genesee & Wyoming Australia, stored
• 518 owned by Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia, stored
• 527 was donated to Steamranger by Australian Railroad Group in October 2010^[9]
• 532 was donated to Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre by Genesee & Wyoming Australia in June 2012^[10][11]
• 533 (renumbered 53) owned by Bluebird Rail Operations, Islington Railway Workshops, operational

References