Mass movement of Australian electric 46 class locomotives to scrap - July 1998.

[@coolsoap8]

6:36 4630's windscreen wiper hasn't given up yet lol

[@vjet]

A reluctant like. Not because of the content (I’m grateful you were able to film this) but it’s the sad death of one of the finest locos to ever run in NSW. The premature death of the magnificent 86’s was equally hard to take. I heard that when freight was privatised that the government agreed that operators didn’t have to use overhead electric locos. Shortsighted government and now we have diesels being used where there is no need to. Governments in Australia haven’t got the foggiest idea how to run rail. What a waste!

[@michaelhayden725]

As I understand it those 86 class locos were very fuel efficient especially on the Blackheath to Syd sector. They could put power back into the system such that three East bound trains could supply enough power for a west bound train to travel “free”. Of course the 86 Class locos were involved in Australia’s worst rail disaster, the Bowled Street Bridge immediately west of Granville Stn. I think 87 people died in Jan 1977.

[@Ausmerica]

A sad moment. What is even sadder is that that the state never continued with the electric locomotives after scrapping of the 86's. One can only imagine what the replacements could of looked like today.

[@buzzytrains9037]

probably something like what they have in QLD

[@RebeccaGriffin-b8n]

The reason they were scraped was two years later, freight trains were all private, the government didn't own them. And with the price of electricity. Plus diesel can go anywhere there's rails. When I was at DELEC ,people were doing tests with 86 class, during the tests they discovered that they were the most expensive units to run. Personally I much preferred the 81 class locos,whole lot better than 82s.

[@caver38]

How can going from electric locomotives to fuel guzzling ones be in line with the policies of pollution reduction

[@nathandunnn]

Why are the wipers moving on 4630 in the last shot?

[@aidenteszke9000]

Switch would've been on in the cab. They run on main res air.

[@GrumsPlace]

waving good bye ?

[@caver38]

Australia is going the wrong way

[@MrErnieNelson]

Something sad about the death of a loco.

[@markaylott1780]

The result of a short sighted government!