Australia - Modern Scene

[DavidB-AU]

The official first train on the Redcliffe line which was opened today. As well as all the politicians and other officials, most of the passengers were locals who went into a ballot to get a ride on the first train. There were free shuttles for the rest of the day. The big test will be the morning peak tomorrow.

 

 

And a timelapse cab view.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf-XlWxlJL0

 

Cheers

David

[faulcon1]

As promised I have dug through the files and retrieved some more images.

 

There are some mighty fine pieces of rail infrastructure to be found and they are not all in our Capital Cities. The Gold Rush brought speculation and, in some cases, considerable wealth to provincial Victoria which was reflected to some degree in its rail network. Here we see the grandiose station building at Ballarat, just over an hour from Melbourne and served usually by Sprinter or higher-speed V/locity railcars.

 

 

The signal gantry at the western end is no less grand even if a considerable reduction in traffic has rendered most of it surplus to requirements. At the time this was taken passenger services did not venture over the crossing and beyond Ballarat though with the line to Beaufort and Ararat reinstated several each day now do so, as well as occasional freights.

 

 

By contrast the signal box is rather humble!

 

 

Moving north to Sydney we see new Millenium M-set M9 (known locally as "Millenium Bugs") emu at the inner-suburban station of Dulwich Hill. This location is a good one for train-watching as it is also on the Metropolitan Goods lines which provide through routes across inner Sydney for freight which is then kept as far as possible off the busy passenger routes.

 

 

Shortly afterwards the soft growl of a diesel announces the approach of one such freight in this case with one of the diminutive PL-class locos leading; another was at the rear working in top and tail mode. This short-lived Port Link service (hence PL-class) shuttled containers from the huge Enfield Yard to and from Port Botany with the location here at DulwichHill about the mid-point of that fairly short trip. These locos have now been found other work including shunting yards as far away as Adelaide!

 

 

All CityRail electric trains serving Sydney are double-deckers. They appear in 2, 4, 6 or 8-car formations and combinations though all recent deliveries are 4-car units operating singly or in pairs. Here one of the older style of C-sets dating from the mid 70's pulls away from Sydney Central station on the high-level through lines towards the harbour bridge and North Sydney. 2-car trains are seldom found in suburban Sydney (though occasionally work on the Olympic Park shuttles), only on the Newcastle - Morriset locals and on Illawarra area local workings such as the Port Kembla branch.

 

 

And a closer view of a similar train, this time at suburban Lidcombe. These sets vary in detail and are identified by letter. C, K, L, R and S-sets have formed the mainstay of the fleet for many years but are rapidly being replaced by more modern M (Millenium) and O (OSCAR, for Outer Suburban CARriage) sets. In between which the slab-fronted T (Tangara) and G (a longer range Tangara with toilets fitted) sets also added large numbers to the fleet. The small "target plate" carried on the buffer beam identifies this unit as an L-set.

 

 

Tangara set T79 is seen in the high-level platforms at Central. Recent developments have seen these given yellow front ends and doors.

 

 

Moving up the Central Coast we reach Newcastle at the end of a near 3-hour journey from Sydney by electric train which includes some superb scenery around Hawkesbury River, the tiny station of Wondabyne which is only accessible by boat or bush trail and the severe gradients of Cowan and Fassifern banks. This is as far as the wires go. Here we see one of the popular and comfortable double-deck V-sets which are used on the Inter City runs from Sydney. These are used on the principal trains between Sydney and Newcastle (north), Lithgow (west, in the Blue Mountains) and Kiama (south, on the Illawarra coast); other trains on these long routes are worked with outer-suburban stock.

 

 

A regular diesel service continues where the electrics end and proceeds up the Hunter Valley main line to Maitland. Here most trips terminate at Telarah one stop around the corner and away from the busy coal lines, while a few continue on the Main North up to Scone or turn onto the "Short North" (which is the only remaining rail route to Brisbane) and run as far as Dungog. Remarkably this service operates just about 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We see a 1940's design / early 1950's build "Hunter Valley" dmu of a type which survived in service until just a couple of years ago pausing for station duties at Maitland. These featured such delights as full-drop windows, open mantle gas burners for heating (!) and embossed leather seats.

 

 

Back at Sandgate a Hunter Valley set is dwarfed by a pair of 90-class locos on the point of a coalie. This will cross to the branch on the left and run to the export terminal of Kooragang Island. In the last couple of years a flyover has been built here to eliminate this extremely busy flat crossing move.

 

 

Another "coalie", this time empty, runs through Maitland behind a trio of 82-class locos and heads back to the coalfields around Muswellbrook and Singleton. These trains are very frequent, almost a converyor belt operation, and feature haulage by pairs of 90-class, trios of the less powerful 82-class and occasionally anything else as available. Private enterprise also ensures that other operators get their share of this traffic so a considerable variety of motive power can be seen through Maitland, which also sees all Sydney - Brisbane freights pass through, on any day of the week.

 

 

New South Wales used to operate electric locomotives on its 1500Vdc lines, hauling heavy coal and general freight trains often in lash-ups of up to four locos. The 46-class is long gone except for a preserved example, and more recently the fairly modern 85- and 86-classes of ten and fifty locos have been sidelined. At the time of this photo most of these sixty locos were dumped at or around Lithgow loco high in the Blue Mountains, with most of the rest even farther from home at (unelectrified) Werris Creek loco. Since then nearly all have been dragged out into the desert to rot at Broken Hill when many have been broken up or stripped. Very occasional work is found for a couple of them including on engineers trains recently on the Bondi Junction line, and several are preserved. Here we see some of the line at Lithgow as another coal train rolls past. Note how new the pantographs appear to be for withdrawn locos.

 

 

We move across to the small diesel-operated broad gauge suburban system in Adelaide which is entirely serviced by generally unloved railcars. Known locally as a "Pox Box" we here see one of the more recent 3100-class departing from the main North Terrace terminal. These are either double-ended single cars or twins and operate singly or in formation of up to three cars. Only very rarely is a four-car train operated in Adelaide.

 

 

A 3-car train for the Gawler line (2-car 3100 plus single Pox Box) arrives at the suburban interchange of Salisbury in Adelaide's north in the older orange livery which is now extinct.

 

 

And a view of the distinctive "Jumbo" sets which are the earlier generation of stock featuring a raised driving position and a full engine compartment below rather like the SR "Thumper" dmu types. This one is also seen at North Terrace curving away to the north with the depot yard tracks to the left and the sun setting through a local piece of artwork.

 

 

Returning to Victoria once more we see a pair of EL-class locos cresting the summit on the "new" standard gauge line at Heathcote Junction, north of Melbourne. The broad gauge tracks in the foreground are the Victorian Railways route to Albury and Shepparton. Only one passenger service, the Melbourne - Sydney XPT twice daily, uses the standard gauge while by contrast there is next to no broad gauge freight these days. The route to Albury is two parallel single tracks of differing gauges but is under conversion to become a standard gauge only route within a year. Shepparton trains will continue to run on the broad gauge for now.

 

 

With the camera slightly adjusted the next train south is also captured on film; this is an N-class of the main Victorian passenger loco type hauling an "N-set" of coaches from Albury to Melbourne on the broad gauge lines. This scene has altered beyond recognition since it was burned out by the catastrophic bush fires last February. The green is returning but it will be a few years before the lush growth seen here is back to its finest.

 

 

Finally broad gauge steam on the "main line" as a Steamrail Victoria-owned K class loco hauls vintage stock over the freight lines of Dynon working a public shuttle to Newport. The train is crossing Sims Street and is about to cross the Maribyrnong River (visible in the background) on a large girder bridge and enter Bunbury Street Tunnel beneath the suburb of Footscray. The freight lines here, as in Sydney, give access to the yards and docks on both gauges while keeping freight clear of passenger workings for the most part.

 

The photo of the 86 class locos stored at Lithgow shows what appears to be new pantographs. But they're not. They are cleaned pantos as they had to be cleaned by me and two others for fatigue crack testings. The red paint is a hangover from the old SRA candy livery days. More modern pantos were the blue single arm type which were also cleaned for crack testing. Note how the roofs of the 86's are clean too. We used to clean the roofs on the 85 class electrics and the 48 and 80 class blue painted diesels. The method used was Oxalic Acid (which comes from rhubarb leaves which explains why you can eat rhubarb storks but no the leaves) and a powerful alkaline detergent called "Spartacus". We would spray the roof of an 86 or 85 with the Oxalic Acid via a 10 liter garden pump pack and once thoroughly wet we'd use the alkaline detergent to remove the dirt. Both products were used neat. With the blue diesels we'd do it the other way round using the alkaline first and then the acid last.

We also used to wash the Manildra Group bogie flour hoppers the wagon code was MGFH or Manildra Group Flour Hopper. But with those we would use ultra high pressure water blasters to remove the old flour and surface dirt and then soak the stainless steel body and top in acid. The blue painted ends and under frame would be soaked in the alkaline and any flour would turn black and using the ultra high pressure water it would easily remove it. When the wagon was clean then we had to remove the graffiti which if it was acrylic was easy and if oil based it would take copious quantities of graffiti remover to shift the so called art work. Then we'd have to wash the body sides again for removing the graffiti showed the dirt and brake dust stains underneath where the graffiti had been.

All this now longer takes place and the MGFH's are filthy and the loco depot at Lithgow is no more and it's a wagon repair place only. Myself and the two others who did this job are now no longer on the railways     

Edited December 21, 2017 by faulcon1

[DavidB-AU]

As usual for the quad Cs, turn this up loud.

 

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

While many of the 1970s SD40 clones are being retired and even scrapped, these 1950s bulldogs are still going strong.

 

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

The Cs were out again on the Main South.

 

 

Cheers

David

[bingley hall]

A few shots of the quad Bulldog move featured in the video a couple of posts above. Southern Shorthaul Railroad were contracted to move 90 redundant hoppers previously used on Leigh Creek coal traffic from Port Augusta, South Australia 1400km east to Lithgow in New South Wales. Thankfully the weather was a bit more benign in SA.

 

Departing the power station loop. The power station had been the ultimate destination for the Leigh Creek coal since the 1950s, but was shutdown in May this year.

 

Southern Shorthaul's GM10/GM27 at Port Augusta prior to departure.

 

Passing redundant grain silos at Caltowie in the Mid North of SA. 

[bingley hall]

Something I didn't think I'd get to see again. Genesee & Wyoming Australia have reinstated two of their GM class locos. GM37 is 50 years old and GM43 49 years old. After over a year in external storage, yesterday they were given a shakedown on an Adelaide to Port Pirie empty grain train, photographed at Two Wells and Mallala.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2016 by bingley hall

[DavidB-AU]

Some hirelings wearing new clothes.

 

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

Turn this up loud!

 

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

Some narrow gauge action around Townsville, including the new intermodel facility which opened just over a week ago.

 

 

Cheers

David

[dvdlcs]

Seen on LinkedIn earlier - and I've managed to misplace the link - was a post that the 13 DBZ locomotives owned by Aurizon in WA will be sold at auction in the New Year. Pickles Auctions perhaps?

 

They, along with the 7 DFZ locomotives brought over from Queensland, have seen little if any use in the past couple of years being parked up at Forrestfield or Kwinana although all now concentrated at Forrestfield.

 

Presumably the loss of the grain haulage to CBH/Watco - and them having 20 new locomotives built for the purpose - have put a dent in the narrow gauge loco requirements for Aurizon in WA, particularly as the grain trains used to be hauled by two or three locos at a time. A number of the older narrow gauge classes, e.g. AB, DA, DD etc. have been disposed of in the past couple of years.

 

The DBZs (originally DBs) date from 1982/1983 so will be approximately 35 years old. If these were to go that would leave the 7 DFZ locos plus the (fully utilised) P and S classes as Aurizons narrow gauge power in WA, along with some ACNs. Plus DAZ 1901 of course.

[DavidB-AU]

Taken with my phone, V/Line VLocity VL08 arriving at Wendouree today.

 

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

5 XRNs and a GWU running parallel at Whittingham.

 

[DavidB-AU]

The first SCT service from Melbourne to Brisbane earlier in the week. The crew car was carrying the SCT bigwigs and was behind the loading added at Barnawartha.

 

 

 

Cheers

David

[The Blue Streak]

Ex NSW GR Class 422's that were purchased by Watco WA for use on Rail and Ballast trains have been turning up on the odd SG Grain train in WA.

HL (42)203 and FL (42)220 were acquired last year from Chicago Freight Leasing.

 

Watco of course are contracted to maintain and operate CBH Grain trains using  CBH's own Motive Power Loco's and Grain wagons.

CBH MP27's have also been seen on narrow gauge work trains so there has been a bit of a cross over.

 

Watco have also purchased a majority share in Intermodal Group which runs container traffic between the Forrestfield container yard and Fremantle port.

https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Watco-buys-WA-freight-business

[dvdlcs]

Watco have also purchased a majority share in Intermodal Group which runs container traffic between the Forrestfield container yard and Fremantle port.

https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Watco-buys-WA-freight-business

 

That explains why Watco have acquired G511 (from Freightliner) and a rake of flats (from CFCLA) and are taking over from SCT. I was surprised to hear that SCT were losing that flow as my understanding was that they acquired it having bought ILS from the previous owners.

[The Blue Streak]

That explains why Watco have acquired G511 (from Freightliner) and a rake of flats (from CFCLA) and are taking over from SCT. I was surprised to hear that SCT were losing that flow as my understanding was that they acquired it having bought ILS from the previous owners.

 

It was my understanding that SCT hadn't bought into Intermodal and were just simply contacted to operate the services between Freo Port and Forrestfield. (Having been another lost contract for Aurizon in WA).

It appears for the short term SCT continued to operate the service after the sale, but obviously Watco were always going to take it over and operate it themselves.

 

Also you have to wonder about the long term future for Aurizon in WA, having lost the Grain contract in 2012, then the Mount Walton Iron ore contract, the Intermodal job and now the contract for Brookfield's ballast and rail trains.

 

Edit. Rumor has it, that Watco have also purchased 3'6'' gauge  2020 and 2021 from Tasmania.

These were originally Built as D1564 and D1565 by the WAGR in 1971 for N/G Bauxite trains,but  they were sold off in 1998 and turned up in New Zealand where they were extensively rebuilt and modified.

They subsequently ended up in Tasmania and were further modified.

It's seems they are now being further rebuilt and made ready to return home to WA after 20 years travelling !!

Edited June 24, 2017 by The Blue Streak

[dvdlcs]

Oh, OK. More than likely that my information was wrong ...

 

SCT will have operated the Freo <-> Forrestfield run for 2 years then. As far as I know, only CSRs have been used on that service along with a mixed rake of 60' flats.

 

I guess Aurizon will have been in a no-win position as prior to 2012 they essentially did all of the intra state WA work so could only ever lose work to others.

 

The grain contract seems to have been a biggie though, with a lot of old stock, particularly NG, stored or cleared out [the fact that CBH bought 25 locos and 574 grain cars gives an idea of the quantity of stock displaced]. Until recently the 13 DBZ locos and 7 DFZ locos were all stored at Forrestfield. At least 1 DFZ has been reactivated and possibly 1 or 2 DBZs as well. I had read that the DBZ locos were going to be offered for sale by auction earlier this year but I'm assuming that that did not happen.

 

Other than the grain to Albany, and now the infrastructure trains, all of the NG chemicals and minerals traffic in the south west of WA is with Aurizon. Seems to be their stronghold for the moment.

 

Slight shame that rail companies are taking work away from each other rather than gaining traffic that is new to rail, but always nice to see new stock appearing in the locality.

[DavidB-AU]

The C class is still alive.

 

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

Streamliners over Ardglen yesterday.

 

 

Cheers

David

[jukebox]

We're doing a bit of trackwork that require closing one of the dual gauge mainlines into Perth for three weekends towards the end of this year. The first of those was the is one just passed.

 

Whilst urban services were cancelled, the transcontinental Indian Pacific needs to come into East Perth to terminate, so it operated wrong line running through the closed section leaving Perth on it's way back to Sydney this morning.

 

Here it is passing Meltham, with the Perth skyline in the background:

 

[grahame]

Here's a few of my Aussie snaps:

 

 

 

 

 

G

 

 

[The Blue Streak]

Rumour throughout the industry is that CBH have purchased 10 DBZ's from Aurizon. These are restricted to 19t lines and can't be used on several of the Grain lines which are 16t axle load. It has been speculated that the Albany area is looking at a bumper grain season which Albany Port cannot handle so the DBZ's will be used to bring grain trains up the GSR to Kwinana port.

 

How many will go into service and How many are to kept for spare parts remain to be seen.

 

I believe Much of the old WAGR /Aurizon Steel bodied Narrow gauge grain rolling stock has already gone for Scrap, with the Aluminium XU fleet being regauged to standard and sent East  (following the handful regauged XW's that went a few years ago) The Ex WAGR standard gauge Grainy's providing the bogies and wheel sets for the conversions - the actual wagons themselves (which would have been out of gauge over East) are sitting at Aurizon's Avon Yard on stands.

 

Speaking of Avon Yard, nearly all of the roads at the East end of the n/g yard have been ripped out, apparently to go sent to Kwinana to extend the roads in the Aurizon yard there.

[dvdlcs]

That would be interesting if the DBZs have changed hands. Wonder if they'll end up in CBH or Watco colours? Or would the Aurizon / QR National / ARG lettering simply be replaced with CBH / Watco.

 

As far as I know, only the XT and XU grain wagons remain, the other types having been dispensed with since the grain contract went to CBH. The XUs, some of which were hired to CBH in (at least) 2015 and 2016 have been fitted with standard gauge bogies, reclassified as AGUY and sent to the East Coast for a contract there. The XTs (76 vehicles) remain in WA and have been hired to CBH in (at least) 2016 and 2017.

 

I hadn't realised that the standard gauge wagons still existed, had assumed that they had been disposed of as well. There is (or was) one, I think AGAY, at Forrestfield that would be visible from time to time depending on where it was positioned, but the identity has long been obscured by graffiti.

 

Also interesting about the potential for extending Kwinana yard. Aurizon do have a chunk of land at the southern and eastern sides that doesn't have rails, but that is mainly used for container stacking and is by the intermodal area, which is all standard gauge. Not quite sure where else they could lay track there.

[The Blue Streak]

Xt's are still sitting in Avon Yard on the last remaining road in the East End NG yard.

 

They were hired out to CBH for a while, but due to a lack of maintenance over the last few years they are more problems than they are worth. They got a run last year due to the size of the harvest statewide, but I doubt if they will get a run this year, being as the Geraldton area and in fact most of the North End of the wheat belt has a smaller tonnage than usual predicted.

 

Plus the fact that the XT's are having cracking issues, mainly in the torsion boxes. But who knows, weirder stuff happens.

 

DBZ's are apparently a CBH purchase so if anything they 'll pop up with CBH signage. The rumour says 2 Million for 10 loco's, as is where is, so a bit of a bargain.