with their light axle load and express passenger speed, the d was also an ideal choice as motive power for the victorian railways commissioner's train (used to carry the vr commissioners on inspection tours to every corner of the vr network). in january 1917, commissioners' locomotive no. 100, a 2-4-0 built in 1872, was scrapped and replaced with the brand new d 980 from thompsons foundry in castlemaine. it was later renumbered d 718, d 600 and d 600, until march 1937 when it was placed into normal service as d 576, operating until 1959. there is photographic evidence of d 600 as commissioners' engine throughout the 1930s in the k.v. scott collection. the new commissioners engine from 1937 was d 683, specially fitted with an electric headlight (mort clark bulletin article) and in august 1950 it was replaced by d 639. 639 herself was withdrawn in july 1956 and replaced with d 658, however 639's numbers were transferred to 658. d 639 (658) was replaced by new 40 m.p.h, clyde emd diesel-electric y 123 in january 1964. in august 1968 new diesel-electric y 175 geared for 60 m.p.h. running took over until the commissioners' train was discontinued about 1979/80. in 1983 new chief general manager mr. john hearsch reinstated the inspection train with clyde diesel-electric t 410. the inspection train was discontinued after hearsch left for queensland rail circa 1991.