E 1102 at the Newport Railway Museum
Zzrbiker At a time when Melbourne's suburban electrified network was the longest in the world, two steeplecab locomotives were ordered. They were used for shunting and freight trains and had the same traction equipment as the multiple units built at the time. In contrast to other steeplecabs, part of the electrical equipment, including the motor, was located between the cabs. A few years later, ten more were ordered with a boxcab body. They proved their superiority over steam locomotives and remained in service even after the introduction of the more modern class L electric locomotives. After two locomotives were destroyed in an accident in 1954, the remaining ten were scrapped between 1981 and 1984.