Monday 8 January 2024

Ten SD70ACe's and only one 9-44CW seen in a few hours. Pt 2.

Further to the earlier post, on the 27th of December 2023 an arvo out near FMG saw three empty trains all with a pair of SD70ACe variants and two loaded trains with another pair of SD70ACe units and one with an aging 9-44CW leading, and yep, another SD70ACe.

The second queued empty behind 704 and 713 from the below post was sitting at the 27-kilometre post headed up by SD70ACe-P6 unit 727 with serial number 20188761-006, build date of 11/2019 and SD70ACe/LCi unit 703 with serial number 20118611-003, built back in 8/2012.


The FMG SD70ACe-P6 units were an extension of a Norfolk Southern build #20186662 road numbers #1215 to 1224 from November 2018.

The first loaded train appeared at 1648 hrs behind SD70ACe/LCI pair 719 serial number 20118693-011 built back in August 2012 and was the final unit from the second order of SD70 units and class leader 701 "T155 - Glen Davies" with serial number 20118611-001, also from August 2012.


Two hundred and forty loaded waggons in one hundred and twenty pairs are behind 719 and 701 as they head for the dumpers at Port Hedland seen here passing between the two empty trains. 1648 hrs on the 27th December 2023.

Friday 5 January 2024

Well, been a bit slack here, did spend a week in Kalgoorlie in October but then just been working, working, working as I progress the fit out of the train room.

Anyway, got out the other arvo and saw a few empty FMG trains queued on the west track from the end of the port duplication near the 30km, back to the 20 km.

The interesting thing was they were all operated by the SD70ACe variants that FMG operate.


704 with serial number 20118611-004 and 713 with serial number 20118693-005 both from the first and second orders respectively hold the west mainline with ~240 empty waggons.1630 hrs 27th of December 2023.