Golden Hour at FMG.

Late in the afternoon of the 2nd of September 2023, during 'golden hour', we captured this empty train departing the Fortescue Metal Group Port Hedland port behind a pair of Wabtec AC44C6M rebuild units. The AC44C6M locomotive is an AC-traction 4,400-horsepower diesel-electric locomotive which have been rebuilt from General Electric 9-44CW (or Dash 9) locomotive models, including new cabs and an ES44ACi type radiator section. In FMG's case, their fleet of twenty-eight AC44C6M units heritage is all former BNSF/GECX lease units.

FMG's AC44C6M locomotive 109 serial number 50652 and rebuilt from BNSF 4798 with an original build date of June 1998 was delivered to Australia in the first tranche in July 2022, it is leading sister AC44C6M locomotive 120 with serial number 50631 and rebuilt from BNSF 4777 with an original build date of also of June 1998. The rebuilds retain their original serial numbers and build dates.

Trailing shot shows the left-hand side of AC44C6M locomotive 120 as the pair lead their empty train powering across the former Boodarie Access Road grade crossing at the 5 km curve.

All the AC44C6M rebuilds were completed by Wabtec at their Fort Worth, Texas plant and the three tranches of locomotives arrived in two deliveries, first in July 2022 (101-112) and the final in February 2023 (113-128). After a quarantine inspection they were road hauled to Thomas Yard for placing onto FMG rails.

Brimble Rail track machines to the Pilbara.

Brimble Rail was mobilised three track machines to the Pilbara to operate on Rio Tinto's relatively new branch line to the Koodaideri (Gudai-Darri) mine. The three machines, being a Plasser PBR 203 ballast regulator numbered TMS 324, a Plasser BDS-100 ballast distributor and profiler and a Plasser 09-3X 3-sleeper tamping machine to supplement the two RailFirst lease EL class locomotives and ballast hopper waggons as the undertake remediation works on the 166-kilometre line which opened in June 2022.

Plasser PBR 203 ballast regulator numbered TMS 324, above, at Auski Roadhouse during delivery.

Auski (or Munjina) Roadhouse, 280 kilometres south of Port Hedland, Brimble Rail's three Plasser track machines, a BDS-100 ballast distributor and profiler, 09-3X track tamper and a PBR 203 ballast regulator numbered TMS 324.

Auski (or Munjina) Roadhouse, 280 kilometres south of Port Hedland, Brimble Rail's Plasser track machines, a BDS-100 ballast distributor and profiler and an 09-3X track tamper.

RailFirst EL class delivered to Rio Tinto's Paperbark Siding.

On Sunday the 25th of June 2023 the RailFirst EL class locomotives EL 51 'Might and Power' and EL 64 'Super Impose' completed their road journey from Parkeston (Kalgoorlie) to the Rio Tinto's Koodaideri (Gudai-Darri) mine railway line via Auski (Munjina) Roadhouse and were placed on Rio rails at the backtrack spur at Paperbark Siding, approx. 300 kilometres south of Port Hedland.

EL 51 'Might and Power' is the class leader, while and EL 64 'Super Impose' is the final member of the fourteen GE model C30-8 locomotives built by Goninan NSW between July 1990 and October 1991 for the then Federal Government operator Australian National.

EL 51 with serial number 8013-07/90-103 was delivered in July 1990 and originally named 'Bob Brown', after the Australian Labor politician who was the Minister for Land Transport at the time of delivery.

EL 64 with serial number 8013-07/90-116 was delivered in October 1991.

The EL class were transferred to National Rail upon start up in 1994 of the new national carrier and later, following delivery of new locomotives were subsequently returned to Australian National and then stored by 1997. In 1998 they were sold to CFCLA and rebuilt by Goninan and entered CFCLA lease service. CFCLA is now known as RailFirst, or Rail First Asset Management.

The locos and some ballast hoppers, along with some Brimble Rail track machines are expected to be at Rio for up to twelve months at this stage. The initial works are remediating the recently competed Koodaideri line.

EL class locomotives Pilbara bound.

Two RailFirst EL class locomotives were transhipped from rail to road floats at Parkeston WA on the 22nd of June 2023. They arrived in to Parkeston predawn on SCT's interstate service 2MP9.

The two EL class units are Goninan built C30-8 GE models, EL 51 serial number 8013-07 / 90-103, and EL 64 serial number 8013-10 / 91-116.

They will join eight former ARTC ballast waggons, CHRX class, which have also been road hauled to the Pilbara from Port Augusta / Spencer Junction.

The units are to be used for remedial ballast works on Rio Tinto's relatively new Koodaideri line.

A data sheet on the locomotives can be found on the RailFirst website, along with a data sheet for the CHRX ballast waggons.

FMG arvo action 1st June 2023.

Well, finally have my trusty Canon EF28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM back from repair after serval months since failing during September 2022. So, a test arvo out at my favourite FMG hack spot was undertaken.

First train of the arvo was FMG's EMD SD70ACe/P6 unit 725 serial number 20188761-004 leading stablemate SD70ACe/LCi unit 707 serial number 20118611-007 and General Electric 9-44CW unit 002 serial number 58179 as the triple header departs the port with an empty train for the mines. 1600 hrs 1st of June 2023.

The above image was taken at 300 mm, or full zoom, settings were an ISO of 250 and shutter of 1/640th with an aperture of F9 and handheld, pretty happy with the results as it matches the performance I experienced with the lens prior to the failure.

The above image was taken at 60 mm, settings were an ISO of 250 and shutter of 1/640th with an aperture of F9. Slightly brightened and some contrast.

Second movement of the arvo was the port pilot shunting out and back to allow another empty train to depart the port. The pilot locos were EMD SD70ACe/LCi 711 serial number 20118693-003 and GE rebuild AC44C6M 106 serial number 50634 with compressor car set CC005.

I took this shot out wide to show some of the industrial hardware that surrounds the port areas around Port Hedland. The power lines that crisscross the landscape also pass under the rail corridor. Photo detail was 50 mm at ISO 250 with a shutter of 1/800th and an aperture of F7.1.

The final movement for the arvo was a double header with FMG's EMD SD70ACe/P6 class leader locomotive 722 serial number 20188761-001 leading older stablemate SD70ACe/LCi unit 704 with serial number 20118611-004 departing the port with an empty train for the mines at 1638 hrs on the 1st of June 2023.

Taken in the golden hour before sunset, image taken at 50 mm at ISO 250 with a shutter of 1/640th and an aperture of F8.

Pilbara Rail's C36-7M units stored at Seven Mile.

These two C36-7M units are rumoured to be getting scrapped shortly. They have been sitting here on a spur within the Seven Mile complex for many years, since ~2009.

History - 5051 [Bill] started life for Mount Newman Mining as an ALCo C636 model originally numbered 5461 and built by AE Goodwin (NSW) in 1969 with serial number G-6035-2. In 1987, in a world first, eight ALCo C636 locomotives were rebuilt into GE C36-7 units, with everything above the frame new, and the bogies and fuel tanks remaining ALCo. 5461 was rebuilt by Goninan at their Welshpool WA plant into 5507 with new serial number4839-03/87-072. 5507 went on to carry several names, in 1991 the original name was transposed with 5506 following repainting from Mt Newman orange to BHP blue, then other changes took place. When delivered 5507 carried Ethel Creek. Then 5507, once wearing BHP livery carried Mt Whaleback, then Corunna Downs and finally Nimingarra. 5507 along with the entire C36-7M fleet were retired in 1999 after the new AC6000CW locomotives were delivered. After a period of storage at Nelson Point, then the Flashbutt yard, and then back to Nelson Point, they were sold, four units to Goninan and four units to Asset Kinetics.

5507 has the distinction of carrying four names for Mt Newman / BHP Iron Ore and two liveries, and then a further livery once overhauled and leased to Pilbara Rail as 5051 when used as a yard pilot loco in the striking Pilbara Rail livery operating out of Dampier's Seven Mile yard with sister loco 5052 [Ben] which is an overhauled 5508.

***Postscript, I have been informed, on the 8th of June 2023, that both 5051 and 5052 have now been moved to the 2 Mile yard, no doubt scrapping them is easier there.

New ore waggon deliveries for BHP.

A few of the new deliveries of 88 waggons for BHP from CRRC Qiqihar (China) back in late March.
Capacity 137.7 tonnes
Tare 22.3 tonnes
Volume 63m³

BHP loaded and empty meet at Boodarie.

A BHP empty train led by a pair of EMD SD70ACe locomotives bombs a loaded arrival at Boodarie Yard.

BHP's EMD SD70ACe units 4438 'Rail Runner' serial number 20128866-007 and the current highest numbered unit 4497 serial number 20198860-006 lead their empty rake towards Bing along the west mainline having just passed signal BES5.

Both 4438 'Rail Runner' and 4497 were built by Progress Rail at their Muncie facility with 4438 being delivered in 2013 and 4497 delivered in 2020.

Port Hedland has a lot of road over rail bridges, these photos are taken from one on the realigned Great Northern Highway around the back of Wedgefield located over Boodarie Yard, then the Wallwork Road overbridge is visible in the distance of these photos. There is the overbridge beyond the Wallwork Rd bridge for Buttweld Road which is between Goldsworthy Junction and the rail welding facility on the BHP line, the new bridge being built on the Broome Road to carry the road again over the BHP line at the 12 km, the original Redbank Bridge for Wilson Street over the BHP entry to Hedland Yard, the overbridge on the Great Northern Highway which passes over the top of the FMG lines between their Kanyirri Yard and the port and yet another bridge further out to carry the Great Northern Highway over the Roy Hill line.

BHP SD70ACe units 4414 serial number 20118685-012 was built at Progress Rail's Muncie plant and delivered in 2013, while 4329 'Pilbara' serial number 20066862-058 was originally built in 2008 as part of an order for BNSF and should have been BNSF 9187, one of a batch of ten such units delivered as standard US domestic units in an all orange BNSF base livery. The ten units were later all upgraded to standard BHP specifications for leads units like the rest of the fleet. The load is running the east mainline while another couple of SD70ACe units idle away in the loco spur off No. 1 Road Boodarie.

31st of March 2023.

Rio Tinto loaded ore train north of Arches, 8135, 8159 and 8177.

A loaded Rio Tinto iron ore train running to Cape Lambert near the 22-kilometre post north of Arches on the east mainline of the duplicated original Robe River line. The train is also passing an empty Robe Valley train sitting on the west mainline, another empty is sitting in Arches on the west, with a loaded south of Arches awaiting a path north.

Motive power is triple General Electric ES44DCi locomotives. 8135 serial number 59138, 8159 serial number 60223 and 8117 serial number 59109.

The outside blue lights on the lead locomotive being lit indicate this train is operating in AutoHaul™.

The waggons are from the 'pooled' fleet that runs on the Tom Price line. These waggons are also slowly being introduced to the Robe Valley operations.

Filmed Tuesday 28th of March 2023.

Rio Tinto empty iron ore 'J' Train at Western Creek 9136, 8119 and 9144

An empty Rio Tinto iron ore train at the 71-kilometre, Western Creek on the west mainline, headed up by triple General Electric locomotives being an ES44ACi unit 9136 serial number 64726, ES44DCi unit 8119 serial number 59111 and ES44ACi unit 9144 serial number 64734 with 168 Robe Valley waggons, also known as a J Train. The instrumented waggons were at positions 61 and 140. This train is operating on the original Robe River system.

Tuesday 28th of March 2023.