Commonwealth Railways NC class

NC class
NC1 on a work train near Orroroo in 1996
Type and origin Power type Diesel-hydraulic Builder Clyde Engineering, Granville Serial number 56-94 & 56-95 Model DH1-110 Build date 1956
Specifications Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Length 7.67 m (25 ft 2 in) Fuel type Diesel Prime mover General Motors 6/110 Engine type Two-stroke diesel Cylinders 6
Career Operators Commonwealth Railways Number in class 2 Numbers NC1-NC2 First run 1956

The NC class were a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Lakewood Firewood Company, Kalgoorlie in 1956 and later sold to the Commonwealth Railways.

Clyde Engineering advertised the DH series as a light purpose shunt and mainline locomotive, mainly for light railways and sugar cane service. The design allowed for multiple unit operation, the installation of dynamic brakes and a combination of air and vacuum braking systems. Similar, though smaller versions were being built by Clyde. These were the DH1-71 series and totaled 33.

A single General Motors 6/110 two stroke diesel engine provided power through an Allison CRT5630 hydraulic transmission to mechanically coupled wheels. Cabs consisted of two control consoles, both facing the same direction. Maximum design speed was 60 km/h.

The Lakewood Firewood Company (LFC) provided timber to the various mines in the "Golden Mile" region of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Its operations extended to the south and east of Kalgoorlie. This area covered from Kalgoorlie to Lake Lefroy and the Eyre Highway.

At the time of ordering, the LFC were using an aging fleet of small steam locomotives. But by the time the locomotives were delivered, the company were in the middle of a rapid decline for demand for wood as mines closed or switched power sources.

By the time they were delivered, traffic on the LFC network had fallen from two trains a day, to two trains a week. Their introduction led to the end of steam operations on the railway, although they were unpopular with crews "only because they were die-hard steam men". By 1962, the company employed less than 50 people, a far cry from the 550 employed at its peak. The last train ran on December 1964, to clean up the system. All of its rollingstock, except the two diesels, were scrapped.