Social class

Social class (or simply "class"), as in a class society, is a set of concepts in the social sciences and political theory centered on models of social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the upper, middle, and lower classes.

Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, and social historians. However, there is not a consensus on the best definition of the "class," and the term has different contextual meanings. In common parlance, the term "social class" is usually synonymous with "socio-economic class," defined as "people having the same social, economic, or educational status," e.g., "the working class"; "an emerging professional class." However, academics distinguish social class and socioeconomic status, with the former referring to one’s relatively stable sociocultural background and the latter referring to one’s current social and economic situation and, consequently, being more changeable over time.

New South Wales 42 class locomotive

The 42 class were a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Government Railways in 1955/56.

History

The design was based on the Electro-Motive Diesel EMD F7 locomotive and were very similar to the GM 12 class then being built by Clyde Engineering for the Commonwealth Railways.

They initially worked express passenger services including the Brisbane Limited, Intercapital Daylight and Melbourne Limited and later the Southern Aurora and Spirit of Progress. As newer locomotives arrived they were concentrated on the Main South line operating freight services.

By April 1978, the Australian Federated Union of Enginemen had placed a ban on the 42 class operating as lead engines due to cab conditions. In 1980, 4201 had its cab upgraded during overhaul to overcome these issues, but with their replacement imminent it was decided not to treat the rest of the class. All were withdrawn in 1983.

Preservation

Three have been preserved. A fourth was preserved, but this has since been mostly cut up: