Historical Notes:

Seventy 4-6-4 R Class locomotives were constructed by North British Loco in Glasgow in 1950-51 to the order of the Victorian Railways.  Once in service, they were assigned to the crack interstate and intrastate passenger services.  Unfortunately for the class, the concurrent introduction of the EMD B class (double-ended bulldog 567 diesel) resulted in their demotion to secondary passenger and freight services.  
By the early 60s, most were stored (even though they remained on the register).  A bumper wheat crop in 1964 saw 51 out of 60 remaining R classes returned to service, but after the season was over, withdrawals were accelerated with the final withdrawal of R748 on 10th August 1967.

The scrappers' torch cut a swathe through the class until only R700, R704, R707, R711, R753, R761 and R766 were left, R704 entering the ARHS Museum at Newport, R766 plinthed in a park at Bendigo, R761 assigned to Steamrail for excursion working and the rest left to rust as a source of spare parts.

R711 had been stored at Geelong and Newport before it was sold to a consortium who towed it to Bendigo and exchanged it for R766 in the park in December 1981.  R766 was restored to active service for a private luxury train service which unfortunately failed.  

In 1994, West Coast Railway, who had taken over the operation of the Melbourne - Warrnambool railway service from the government-owned Victorian Railways, purchased the locomotive and transferred it to their depot at Ballarat East.  

Noted South African locomotive designer and engineer Phil Girdlestone,who had worked with both David Wardale and L D Porta, was contracted to provide a design for a much improved R.  A modified front end included double lempor exhaust and heavy valve work, conversion from coal- to oil-firing employing a redesigned firebox with rotary burner and a spectacular ex South Australian Railways chime whistle resulted in the emergence of what many enthusiasts have come to refer to as the "Super R".  

It continues to thrill passengers and observers alike with its regular passenger run to Warrnambool every Saturday through the cooler months of the year, maintaining or bettering the diesel-timetabled schedules. It appears to be 15-20% more powerful than a regular R class with considerable improvements in fuel and water consumption. The double Lempor exhaust has not muted the exhaust: quite the opposite as the super R has a louder, harder beat than a regular R.