six companies from around the world lodged bids to manufacture the cbh class. cbh concluded that motivepower's proposed locomotives would be the best option for the task of moving grain on western australian rail lines, as well as having good fuel economy. as australia's railways have different regulations from those of the usa, the cbh class locomotives would be of an entirely new design. motivepower's contract with cbh for the supply of those locomotives was the first of what motivepower hoped would be many international contracts.