On Track Models HO 8244 Freight Rail 82 Class Locomotive

Early History of the 82 Class

March 23rd, 1994 heralded a new era in freight rail operations in Australia. On this day, Clyde Engineering in association with General Motors EMD released the first of fifty eight ‘82' Class locomotives from Clyde’s Mittagong plant.

These locomotives along with their imported cousins, the EMD Canadian built 90 class, marked a new beginning in the way a locomotive fleet was operated and maintained.

Whilst these locomotives were operated by Freight Rail (a business unit of State Rail), they are actually supplied and serviced by Clyde at their Kooragang Island maintenance facility. This leasing arrangement was known as ‘Ready Power’

Under the terms of this contract, Clyde would be responsible for the overall up keep and maintenance of these units for a period of fifteen years. Although minor servicing and provisioning was undertaken by Freight Rail, major servicing and repairs was completed by Clyde.

With the introduction of these locomotives a wide spread reduction of the NSW locomotive fleet had begun. The first casualties were the veteran fleet of 44 class Alco’s, then the 45 and 442 classes along with the Mark I 48 class. Further reductions to the locomotive occurred with the withdrawals of the 422 and 49 classes.

This overall fleet reduction reduced the average age of Freight Rail’s locomotive fleet from over twenty five year old to approximately ten.

These locomotives have travelled all over NSW and have ventured into Queensland and Victoria on intermodal freight services, and in South Australia on the Leigh Creek coal service. They are currently seen on both coal and wheat services all over the state, through Sydney, and the occasional local trip train around the Sydney metropolitan area.

On Track Models is pleased bring you this highly desired locomotive as a highly detailed model in HO Scale.

82 Class Improvements

• ESU designed PCB with two sugar cube speakers
• Independent working headlights, white and red marker lights (DCC only)
• See through Dynamic blower housing with box
• Improved one-piece MU cables
• Improved air hoses
• Improved axles bushes for better electrical pick up
• Factory Painted & Decorated in new PN livery

82 Class Model Locomotive Standard Features

• Ready-to-Run
• Scale AMRA Profile Metal Wheels
• All wheel drive - All wheel pick up
• 18" Recommended minimum radius
• Highly detailed bogies with separately applied parts
• Easy access to the DCC 21 pin plug
• Easy body removal
• Quality 5 pole skew wound motor
• Die cast metal chassis with recesses for twin speakers
• Twin brass flywheels
• Etched metal detail parts
• Separately applied metal parts
• Genuine Kadee Metal Couplers
• Detailed cab interrior
• Operational headlights, foglights, & marker lights
• Compatible with Code 70, 83, & 100 Rail
• Accurate Paint Schemes & Printing
• Factory Painted & Decorated

Photos shown are representative of the finished model. Numbers and colours may vary on final product.