Following the delivery of new 82 and 90 class locomotives most were withdrawn in 1994.
In December 1994, nineteen were sold at auction:
4 to Silverton Rail all returned to traffic,
2 to Austrac Ready Power leased to BHP, Port Kembla
1 to Australian National with the intention of using as a source of spares to repair fire damaged 702 but the plan was cancelled and both scrapped
12 to Morrison Knudsen Australia who intended to rebuild these locomotives to haul roadrailer trains.
It was planned to remove the Alco prime mover and generator, and replace it with a rebuilt EMD 645F 16 cylinder engine mated to an AR10 alternator.
To allow this the locomotive frame would be cut in half and a new section 1.5 metres long welded into the middle to lengthen it, and the number 2 end cab would be blanked off, making the locomotive single ended.
Preliminary work was carried out for the project before it was cancelled in mid 1995 with 10 of the locomotives scrapped at Morrison Knudsen’s Whyalla plant, but some parts were later used in the RL class project.
Two were sold to Silverton Rail and entered service in 1998/99.

A locomotive shortage saw six reinstated by FreightCorp in late 1995.
After being used as shunters in Sydney, the last were withdrawn in March 1998.
One of these (44211) was earmarked for preservation and placed in the care of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum.
Following the delivery of new 82 and 90 class locomotives most were withdrawn in 1994. In December 1994, nineteen were sold at auction:
4 to Silverton Rail all returned to traffic,
2 to Austrac Ready Power leased to BHP, Port Kembla
1 to Australian National with the intention of using as a source of spares to repair fire damaged 702 but the plan was cancelled and both scrapped
12 to Morrison Knudsen Australia who intended to rebuild these locomotives to haul roadrailer trains. It was planned to remove the Alco prime mover and generator, and replace it with a rebuilt EMD 645F 16 cylinder engine mated to an AR10 alternator. To allow this the locomotive frame would be cut in half and a new section 1.5 metres long welded into the middle to lengthen it, and the number 2 end cab would be blanked off, making the locomotive single ended. Preliminary work was carried out for the project before it was cancelled in mid 1995 with 10 of the locomotives scrapped at Morrison Knudsen’s Whyalla plant, but some parts were later used in the RL class project. Two were sold to Silverton Rail and entered service in 1998/99.
A locomotive shortage saw six reinstated by FreightCorp in late 1995. After being used as shunters in Sydney, the last were withdrawn in March 1998. One of these (44211) was earmarked for preservation and placed in the care of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum.
New South Wales 442 class locomotive