Tulloch Limited

In 1885 Robert Tulloch founded Phoenix Iron Works in Pyrmont. In 1913 the business was incorporated as Tulloch's Phoenix Iron Works and relocated to Rhodes.[1] It primarily built freight wagons for the New South Wales Government Railways[2] but also built single deck electric carriages for the Sydney suburban network from 1926 until the 1957.[3] During World War II a number of boats were built for the Royal Australian Navy including some 120ft Motor Lighters. In April 1948 the first of four seven-carriage HUB sets was delivered.[4][5]

In the 1950s it commenced building locomotives with 27 Victorian Railways W class diesel hydraulic shunters[6][7] and 13 Commonwealth Railways NT class diesel locomotives delivered.[8][9]

In 1964 Tulloch delivered the first double-decker trailer cars for use in Sydney.[10] After the success of the trailers, Tulloch built four experimental double-decker power cars in 1968, each with electrical equipment from four different manufacturers: English Electric, Toshiba, Hitachi and Mitsubishi, the latter being selected as the supplier for the S class double decker power cars.[11] These four motor cars were each paired with modified matching trailers from the original fleet of 120, and ran as an 8-car set with the target plate S10, giving NSW the first fully double deck Electric Multiple Unit passenger train in the world.[12]

In the 1970s it built 10 New South Wales 1200 class railcars[13] and 2 Victorian Railways DRC class railcars.[14] In October 1974 Tullochs ceased trading.[15][16] The Rhodes Corporate Park has been built on the former site.

In 1988 Skitube Alpine Railway acquired a diesel mechanical locomotive built by Tulloch in 1958 for use as a depot shunter. This small locomotive was believed to have been the first to be built at the Tulloch plant at Rhodes.[17]

Vehicles manufactured by Tulloch Limited include:

• 203 Sydney single deck carriages
• 28 New South Wales HUB carriages
• 26 Victorian Railways W class (diesel-hydraulic) & 1 New South Wales 71 class locomotive
• 2-foot gauge diesel shunting locomotives
• 15 Western Australian Government Railways T class shunting locomotives
• 13 Commonwealth Railways NT class
• 120 Sydney double deck trailers
• 4 Sydney double deck power cars
• 10 New South Wales 1200 class railcars & 2 Victorian Railways DRC class railcars
• 3 South Maitland Railway railcars