#3698

WAGR B class (diesel)

🇦🇺 Australia ·built by Commonwealth Engineering· from 1962· class of 10 Australian diesel-hydraulic locomotives

1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Hugh llewelyn B 1601 (5680878435): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0

what is it?

The B class were a class of diesel locomotives built by Commonwealth Engineering for the Western Australian Government Railways between 1962 and 1965.

who runs it

Western Australian Government Railways

base stats

speed 42 km/htop speed
power 353 kWpower output
built 10made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 64 years ago, in 1962.
353 kW is about 4 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Served for 22 years (1962–1984).

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1962–1965
in service from: 1962
retired: 1984
status: preserved
number built: 10
kind: Diesel-hydraulic
traction: diesel
origin: 🇦🇺 Australia
builders: Commonwealth Engineering
operators: Western Australian Government Railways
top speed: 42 km/h
power: 353 kW
gauge: 1,067 mm Cape gauge
wheel arrangement: C

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q16927532, Wikipedia: WAGR B class (diesel) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.