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Australia's leading manufacturer of HO scale model railway equipment
Page Last Updated: 6-June-2010
CL Class Diesel Loco
After four years of trying we have finally obtained permission from QR National to use their paint scheme and
logo on Austrains models. The first release of models in this livery will be a rerun of the CLP / CLF series in the
first quarter of 2011. This will be followed by a rerun of the X class in second quarter. The quantity of QRN
locos in each run will be very limited and at the moment our permission from QRN extends to one run only.
CL / CLP / CLF: While doing the QRN livery we may also take advantage of the opportunity to rerun some of
the more popular liveries from the first run and to add sound to part of the run. The CL series was originally
built with space for sound speakers and we are discussing this possibility with the factory and QSI. No advance
order deposits will be taken. As usual with reruns it will be orders backed up by a cheques or credit card which
will not be processed until the models arrive. Expected price for the CL series rerun will be $275.00 standard
and $385.00 with sound. We are also contemplating the idea of a twin pack with one sound and one non sound
loco perhaps with a factory fitted DCC chip.
Corporate changes over the next month in QRN will result in new liveries starting to appear next year. We are informed that the CLP’s and X’s will not be priority repaints but that they will be repainted sometime. And before we receive a torrent of mail and phone calls, Yes, we will be doing a QRN livery on the forthcoming G class. This will also be a very limited quantity and priority in orders will be given to those who also order CLP and X class models.
Above: CL 14 in ANR Maroon and Silver, Austrains Collection
Stock Update: CL Class is now Sold out!
The CL Class |
||
Loco Number |
Colour Scheme |
Price |
CL 1 - "John Gorton" |
CR Maroon and Silver |
SOLD OUT |
CL 14 - "Charlie Jones" |
CR Maroon and Silver |
SOLD OUT |
CL 5 |
ANR Maroon and Silver |
SOLD OUT |
CL 13 |
ANR Maroon and Silver |
SOLD OUT |
CL 4 |
AN Green and Gold |
SOLD OUT |
CL 6 |
AN Green and Gold |
SOLD OUT |
Order Form - CL Class
CL Class order form - not available, model is Sold Out!
CL Class Prototype Information
The seventeen CL class locos were introduced into service by the then Commonwealth Railways between 1970 and 1972 and were the first high horsepower units in the CR's fleet.
The high horsepower (3000hp) concept was quite revolutionary for Australian railways of the time and further development led to the VR C class and the SRA 81 class, and led directly to the present time when high horsepower units are the norm.
While nominally confined to the Trans Australian line hauling freight and passenger trains during the 1970s and '80s, they all ran load trials on the NSWR before delivery and participated in early experiments in "through running" to Lithgow in 1974.
CL1 also spent considerable time in NSW in 1975 undergoing trials on the Main South to Albury, an activity that resulted in the ordering of the 81 class.
By the early 1990s they were in need of attention and the entire class was converted to either CLF (for Freight) or CLP (Passenger) configuration, which involved a varying regime of internal and external changes, depending on class.
The CLFs continued to perform long haul freight work on the extended standard gauge network, while the CLPs, fitted with passenger train specific refinements, such as head end power to operate the air-conditioning and other services of the passenger trains, quickly came to dominate the premier Australian National passenger trains, the Indian Pacific, Ghan and the Overland.
As the '90s progressed and the great changes of that decade, such as Privatisation, began to take effect the CLPs lost their premier position as prestige passenger power and can now be found hauling freight for any number of operators in all parts of the Australia wide standard gauge network.