Rio Tinto takes last Robe River CM40-8M units off active roster.

It was reported to me a few days ago, Wednesday 27th February that Rio Tinto has shut down and stored their remaining CM40-8M or Dash 8 units which have been in operation on the Robe River system since 9417 was rebuilt and entered service with Robe River in June 1989.

9417 was rebuilt from ALCo C636 serial 6010-1 of November 1968 for Spokane Portland & Seattle as #340.

The image shows 9417 working out of Seven Mile towards the dumper as a shunt unit, the Dash 8 units didn't have the ICSS fitted to them so were relegated to trailing units on the Deepdale line or shunt jobs in the yards and working dumper shuttles.

Trip south to Kal, EP and Port Augusta.

Well, it's been a while between posts, a trip to Kalgoorlie, the Eyre Peninsula and Port Augusta was undertaken in January and the videos have now all been sorted and uploaded to ewetube. Link to videos is here!

The image is priority Pacific National intermodal train 2SP7 around the big curve 4km east of Mount Gipps on the Broken Hill line with NR 53 leading NR 118 and 37 vehicles for 1680 metres and 3466 tonnes on the 22nd of January 2019.

Some sightings around SA:

13/1

• 6PM9 LDP 002 CSR 004 Bookaloo

• 6MP9 SCT 013 SCT 009 Bookaloo

22/1

• 2SP7 NR 53 NR 118 Broken Hill
• 1PS6 NR 31 NR 112 Broken Hill
• 3AS8 NR 29 G 530 Broken Hill

• 2NY3 NR 88 Broken Hill

23/1

• 2PS7 NR 70 NR 45 Mannahill
• 4500 NR 98 Mannahill
• 3GX1 SCT 005 CSR 012 Yunta and Ucolta

• SCT 5 ran out as light engine, I think 2SP7 dragged GX1 into Yunta as it was there a long time and reported as shunting around. SCT departed long end lead with the CSR shut down.

24/1

• 4416S EL 63 GL 112 Crystal Brook
• 4SA8 NR 26 G 530 Crystal Brook
• 3PS6 NR 4 NR 23 Crystal Brook
• 3PM7 NR 86 NR 34 Coonamia
• 5455S NR 98 Crystal Brook
• 4M41 CLP 14 FQ 01 Crystal Brook
• 3DA2 GWA 006 ALF 24 Bungama