Australia - Modern Scene

[69843]

An interesting find-a shot of one of the new NREC 2GS16B-AU locomotives being constructed for Port Kembla to replace the last of the 850 and 1000 class Bo-Bos.

http://www.locoslides.com/Coming_soon.php (website)

http://www.locoslides.com/images/bc5c05173814faf78dab25ff5fef1237.jpg (shot of the locomotive itself)

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, all,

 

I was lucky enough to photograph a brand new MerMec Roger 800 track inspection vehicle this week. Here's a couple of links to some info about the vehicle:

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/mermec-inspection-cars-for-new-south-wales.html

http://www.mermecgroup.com/inspection-technology/recording-cars/533/1/roger-800.php

 

Enjoy!

 

Regards,

 

Rob

 

 

[69843]

I actually saw MTPV2 yesterday at Kograh, sadly without my camera.

 

They are a wonderfully sleek machine, and very quiet while under power.

[69843]

A catch from last week I have failed to put up:

Some of the Tangaras/T-sets on the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line have had ads placed on the side of two carriages in a 4-car set (1 and 3) where the TANGARA branding is between the upper and lower decks. T19 has an ad for Devondale, whereas all the others with ads have them for Tic-Tacs.

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, 69843,

 

Tic Tac ads are now on Tangaras on the North Shore line also. I saw one yesterday going through Asquith, but had no chance to photograph it. The ads were placed on coaches in the same pattern you noted.

 

Regards,

 

Rob

[69843]

I have to admit, I do like the ads as they are providing a bit of colour on the railway, without being too obtrusive. I still find it odd that only half the cars in a 4-car set have them.

Edited May 17, 2014 by 69843

[69843]

Well, another unusual run down the Illawarra line this evening.

 

M11 and M14 formed a test train to Sutherland and back, as the T-sets will soon be going in for a major overhaul and need something to deputise for them. Despite being dark, it was only 5:20!

[The Stationmaster]

A catch from last week I have failed to put up:

Some of the Tangaras/T-sets on the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line have had ads placed on the side of two carriages in a 4-car set (1 and 3) where the TANGARA branding is between the upper and lower decks. T19 has an ad for Devondale, whereas all the others with ads have them for Tic-Tacs.

DSCF0849.jpg

Until I saw that I would have considered it near impossible to 'brighten up' a Tangara set  

[69843]

Until I saw that I would have considered it near impossible to 'brighten up' a Tangara set  

If you think that's bright, you should see the Tic-Tac 'tropical' ads.....now that's brightening it up!

[RosiesBoss]

Day Trip to Thornton

 

On 29 May, I spent a couple of hours photographing whatever trains I could find around Thornton and Newcastle areas. Local trains were handled by a roughly equal mix of Hunter and Endeavour railcars. Coal trains were hauled by locos operated by several different companies. Here’s a selection of images from the day.

 

QR National 5000 class No. 5006 and 5020 class No. 5028 heading south with loaded coal train, Thornton:

 

Pacific National 8120, Pt Waratah servicing centre:

 

Pacific National 8255, Pt Waratah servicing centre:

 

Pacific National 9008+9014+9010 snaking a loaded coal train from Thornton Colliery onto the southbound coal road, Thornton:

 

Endeavour railcars 2851+2801, Newcastle Station:

 

Hunter railcars 2702+2752, Thornton Station:

 

Pacific National TT03, TT02 and classmate heading north with coal empties, Thornton:

 

Xplorer railcars speeding north through Thornton Station:

 

Xstrata XRN009+XRN019 & friend with loaded coal train heading south, approaching Thornton:

 

I hope these have been of some interest.

 

Regards,

Rob.

Edited June 2, 2014 by RosiesBoss

[69843]

Lovely photos Rob. The one of the TTs with the Endeavour set in the background is particularly well done.

 

Speaking of which, I finally managed to get some shots of a Tic-Tac Tangara:

[DavidB-AU]

Bradken's Chinese lease units finally getting a workout.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8kcsKXBUhg

 

Cheers

David

[69843]

Some general freight and passenger trains from Wyong back in April

[DavidB-AU]

Yesterday afternoon I got some pics of the Gold Coast light rail at Broadbeach North. Intensive testing is being carried out ahead of the official opening next weekend. They were running the full Saturday timetable all day, without passengers. A couple of trams had people with laptops on board.

 

 

 

 

Note the monorail track in the last one.

 

Cheers

David

[69843]

For those who are interested, the first of the Port Kembla Bo-Bo genset locomotives is due to arrive today.

[DavidB-AU]

Vintage GMs and Alcos on SSR 1877 out West.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTN1u6bTB9g

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

And for those you haven't yet seen it, the 48s in the new John Holland livery.

 

 

Cheers

David

[QRModeller]

Was going through the old computer the other day and came across these.  Taken on the same day as the Kuranda ones I posted a while back.  Dad took them on his phone.

 

Probably Horseshoe Bend

 

Stoney Creek Falls bridge

 

 

Stoney Creek Falls

 

Looking back at the bridge.  This angle is similar to some of the more well-known shots of the bridge and falls

 

Tunnel 14.  I'm guessing that's 24.690km from Cairns Central station, not 24,690km from Central station in Brisbane!

 

Barron Falls, looking rather barren (sorry!)

 

Kuranda

 

 

If you're wondering what I'm doing in the second Kuranda photo, I'm freezing my a*se off and getting my phone out to take this at the same time!

 

The reason the quality of the one I took is much worse than the other ones is because I'm still using a nokia 3200 (yes, really!), whereas Dad gets a new phone regularly from his work.

 

 

 

Matt.

[gazmanjack]

Great pics !  Can you remeber if Karunda station is still adorned with alll the plants ??

 

My father tells me that the Storey Falls used to flow like nothing else. When I was there 30 years ago, I was told (by a local in Cairns) that the dam is opened at the top to allow flow to the falls, shortly after the train sounds its horn approximately 1/2 mile back down the line... Don't quote me on this though.

 

Cheers, Gary.

[Gwiwer]

Both waterfalls are often only trickles.  The last time I was up there Barron Falls was less of a trickle than in the pics above.  Quite a let-down when the stop there is marketed as overlooking a large and spectacular waterfall.

 

I also wonder what will eventually replace the 1720s as QR isn't investing in branch-line units these days.  That route requires small, short-wheelbase yet gutsy locos to get those trains up the mountain.  I suspect the larger modern classes would be out of gauge.

[SRman]

1000 hp is gutsy?? The whole Brisbane suburban timetable was hinged on the 1720 class at one time, before electrification. The 60 ton locos like these were almost universally available where the 90 tonners were restricted to the main lines. Then came the 96 tonners for the mineral lines which, when running in Brisbane suburbs had to have their fuel restricted to limit their weight.

Could you imagine BR pinning their timetables on class 20 haulage, although, come to think of it, the class 23, 24 and 26 locomotives operating out of Kings Cross in the early 1960s didn't have much more available power at the rail.

Things have changed and moved on and many of the lightly laid branches have gone, and the suburban line infrastructure has been beefed up a bit. I can't honestly say I'll miss the 1720s with their loud thrash, which was deafening when in an old Evans car in the tunnels around Brisbane Central. That's not to mention the choking two-stroke fumes that permeated everything in the tunnels.

Having said all that, I love the pictures, Matt.

[QRModeller]

Cheers, everyone!

 

Great pics !  Can you remeber if Karunda station is still adorned with alll the plants ??

 

My father tells me that the Storey Falls used to flow like nothing else. When I was there 30 years ago, I was told (by a local in Cairns) that the dam is opened at the top to allow flow to the falls, shortly after the train sounds its horn approximately 1/2 mile back down the line... Don't quote me on this though.

 

Cheers, Gary.

 

Plants? Yes.  Stoney Creek Falls dam story?  Dunno.

 

The plants and gardens at Kuranda station will probably always be there, as they're one of the defining features of the station.

 

As for the story about the dam, I don't recall hearing anything about that, and a quick check on google maps doesn't show any signs of there being a dam above the falls on Stoney Creek.  There is a dam before the Barron Falls however, unless that's the one you were referring to.

 

Both waterfalls are often only trickles.  The last time I was up there Barron Falls was less of a trickle than in the pics above.  Quite a let-down when the stop there is marketed as overlooking a large and spectacular waterfall.

 

I also wonder what will eventually replace the 1720s as QR isn't investing in branch-line units these days.  That route requires small, short-wheelbase yet gutsy locos to get those trains up the mountain.  I suspect the larger modern classes would be out of gauge.

 

I guess that will depend on the time of year you visit.  We were there during the June/July holidays, so in the middle of their dry season.  Although, having said that we were told by some locals in Cairns that while it had been dry in the months leading up to our visit, we must have brought the weather up with us from Brissie because it rained for most of our time there!

 

My best guess is that the 1720's used up there won't be replaced, they'll just use the rest of the remaining fleet for spares/replacements as they get withdrawn (provided they aren't sent to South Africa first!).

 

1000 hp is gutsy?? The whole Brisbane suburban timetable was hinged on the 1720 class at one time, before electrification. The 60 ton locos like these were almost universally available where the 90 tonners were restricted to the main lines. Then came the 96 tonners for the mineral lines which, when running in Brisbane suburbs had to have their fuel restricted to limit their weight.

Could you imagine BR pinning their timetables on class 20 haulage, although, come to think of it, the class 23, 24 and 26 locomotives operating out of Kings Cross in the early 1960s didn't have much more available power at the rail.

Things have changed and moved on and many of the lightly laid branches have gone, and the suburban line infrastructure has been beefed up a bit. I can't honestly say I'll miss the 1720s with their loud thrash, which was deafening when in an old Evans car in the tunnels around Brisbane Central. That's not to mention the choking two-stroke fumes that permeated everything in the tunnels.

Having said all that, I love the pictures, Matt.

 

The 1720's were originally bought to remove steam from the suburban network.  I think that's why they had the 'quick start' feature; to get away from stations faster.

 

 

 

Matt.

[DavidB-AU]

QR has recently bought 1723, 1724, 1725, 1732, 1738, 1744, 1745, 1746, 1754 and 1765 from Aurizon. AIUI one more is going to get a Kuranda livery and the others will mainly operate infrastructure trains plus a bit of shunting at Mayne. There are GM diesels 20 years older than the last 1720s still in service south of the border so they are going to be around for a while yet.

 

I'm told there is also an agreement that 1770 will be sold/transferred from Auziron to QR Heritage when no longer required.

 

As to a possible replacement, something like the new 1600hp gensets bought by Pacific National for Bluescope Steel workings could be a possibility. Especially where they might spend a lot of time waiting around doing nothing and/or moving at low speed.

 

Cheers

David

[DavidB-AU]

Further to this, the Kuranda train is one of the few that actually runs at a profit. QR will have to replace the 1720s eventually. Upgrading the line would be prohibitively expensive, plus the 90t locos are simply too big for some of the tunnels anyway.

 

Cheers

David

[EddieB]

I'm told there is also an agreement that 1770 will be sold/transferred from Auziron to QR Heritage when no longer required.

 

Cheers

David

 

1770 having been named "JAMES COOK" (one of the few QR locomotives to carry a name) presumably conferred something of a "celebrity status". 

 

(1770 being the year in which Captian Cook "discovered" Australia - he named what he saw as "New South Wales" because the oil terminals opposite Botany Bay reminded him of Milford Haven).