CSR Ziyang CSR Class

The CSRs were the first Chinese-built locos to run in Australia. SCT ordered six SDA1s from CSR Ziyang (now part of CRRC) in September 2010, a deal worth more than 100 million yuan, and added four more in March 2011. The first was unveiled at Ziyang on 22 July 2011, and they passed their introductory tests on 5 March 2012. Like PN's narrow gauge 88s, they've got a 20-cylinder MTU 4000 series engine rather than the usual EMD or GE.

In October 2013 the whole class was pulled out of service and quarantined after white asbestos was found in the engine bay, even though the locos had been certified asbestos free. Remediation work followed, and most of them were back at work by January 2014.

The class grew to twelve when SCT bought Bradken's two SDA1s, which became CSR011 and CSR012. In mid 2021 SCT ordered another twelve from CRRC Ziyang, and they went into service from 2022, taking the class to 24. Qube runs six more SDA1s as its QBX class. Along the way they've picked up a few nicknames, including "Pandaroos", "Sugar Cubes" and "Rice Burners".