Website: Brad Peadon
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December 2025
The Victorian Railways F class were the railway equivalent of a pocket knife: small, sturdy, not very fast, and absolutely indispensable if you were trying to get anything done in a yard. Introduced in the early 1950s, they were Victoria’s first proper step into diesel traction, quietly elbowing steam shunters aside without any of the drama or romance people like to associate with progress. Built by the Dick Kerr Works in the UK, they arrived as squat little 0-6-0 diesel-electrics with about 350 horsepower—hardly headline material, but more than enough to shuffle wagons around depots all day without complaining or stopping for water.
They spent their lives doing the unglamorous jobs: pottering about places like Spencer Street, Geelong and Bendigo, rearranging rollingstock while everyone else got the credit. With a top speed that suggested they were in no hurry whatsoever, they were never meant to escape the yard fence, and frankly looked offended at the idea. Over the years they wore just about every livery Victorian Railways could think of—black, red and yellow, blue and gold, even V/Line orange—like a shunter playing dress-ups while still smelling faintly of oil and brake dust.
Some were later joined by near-identical cousins from the State Electricity Commission, proving that even power stations thought these things were handy. They soldiered on into the 1980s, long after newer locomotives had arrived with more horsepower, better looks and worse attitudes. A few have survived into preservation, still trundling about museums and heritage yards, where they continue to demonstrate that you don’t need speed, glamour or prestige to be useful—just traction, reliability, and a willingness to do the boring work forever.
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| F CLASS | VR |
|---|---|
| Road Numbers | F310 - F319 / F201-F216 |
| Builder | Dick Kerr Works, Preston UK |
| Model | N/A |
| Engine | EE 6KT |
| Gauge | Broad |
| Wheels | C |
| Power | 350HP (260kW) |
| Length | 9340mm |
| Mass | 49t |
| Loco | Build # | Date | W/Drawn | Owner | Staus | Livery | Orig. # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F201 | 1754 | 11/18/1951 | 12/1/1983 | V/Line | Scrapped | VR Blue | F310 |
| F202 | 1755 | 9/6/1951 | VicTrack | Stored | VR Blue | F311 | |
| F203 | 1756 | 11/23/1951 | 00/10/1983 | V/Line | Scrapped | VR Blue | F312 |
| F204 | 1757 | 10/31/1951 | 00/04/1981 | 707 Ops | Stored | VR Blue | F313 |
| F205 | 1758 | 10/3/1951 | 00/06/1981 | V/Line | Scrapped 11/1986 | VR Blue | F314 |
| F206 | 1759 | 9/23/1951 | 00/06/1981 | Vic Rail | Scrapped 6/1981 | VR Blue | F315 |
| F207 | 1760 | 10/7/1951 | 00/12/1981 | V/Line | Scrapped 11/1986 | VR Blue | F316 |
| F208 | 1761 | 12/2/1951 | 707 Ops | Operational | Black | F317 | |
| F209 | 1762 | 11/27/1951 | 00/12/1980 | V/Line | Scrapped 11/1986 | VR Blue | F318 |
| F210 | 1763 | 2/23/1953 | 00/11/1979 | Vic Rail | Scrapped 7/1981 | VR Blue | F319 |
| F211 | 1808 | 3/23/1953 | 00/09/1986 | Newport Museum | Static Display | V/Line | SEC3 |
| F212 | 1915 | 4/15/1953 | 00/11/1986 | CMR | Operational | VR Blue | SEC4 |
| F213 | 1916 | 4/12/1953 | 00/04/1981 | V/Line | Scrapped | VR Blue | SEC5 |
| F214 | 1917 | 4/29/1953 | 00/10/1979 | Vic Rail | Scrapped 6/1981 | VR Blue | SEC6 |
| F215 | 1806 | 1/18/1952 | 00/04/1983 | V/Line | Scrapped | VR Blue | SEC1 |
| F216 | 1807 | 1/29/1952 | Newport Museum | Static Display | Green | SEC2 |
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