There is very little that can be described as ubiquitous in the modern New South Wales (NSW) rail scene other than the State Rail Authority (SRA) 81 class.
Its rugged design has been matched by its longevity.
In the modern diesel era, New South Wales motive power advancements seem to come in decade waves; in between these waves, it is a case of hold the course and don’t deviate. The peak of these ‘waves’ are followed by a stroke of brilliance and or great technical advancement, only to be sent to a committee that seems to do it’s best to water it all down.
At the time of assessing their future motive power requirements the SRA could be described as an inward-looking organisation – and rightly so – as they only needed to satisfy their unique operational intrastate requirements.
It was clear in the late 1970s that SRA’s reliance on Alco-based locomotives was coming to an end. Accordingly, with the end of this 1970’s decade wave, the ComEng 80 class was introduced with an Alco 12 cylinder 251 engine developing 2000hp for
