Back in 2005 I spent a few days on the Hamersley Iron network, which was then known as Pilbara Rail which was managing the combined assets of Hamersley Iron and Robe River following the Rio Tinto purchase of the North Ltd holding in Robe River.
On my return journey to Port Hedland I managed to catch the C36-7M pair 5052 'Ben' and 5051 'Bill' returning from East Intercourse Island with an empty rake of waggons as it passed over Anchovy Flats and was about to enter Seven Mile Yard.
5051 and 5052 originally started life as a pair of AE Goninan built C636 Alco model locomotives for Mount Newman Mining. 5051 having been built in 1969 with serial number G-6035-2 and numbered 5461, whilst 5052 was built in 1970 with serial number G-6041-2 and numbered 5466. Both units were part of the world first Alco to GE rebuild program undertaken by Goninan in 1987/88 to rebuild eight Alco C636 locomotives into C36-7M models with new car bodies and Pilbara Cabs. In this rebuild process both locos received new builders numbers with 5461 becoming road number 5507 'Ethel Creek' with serial number 4839-03/87-072, and 5466 became 5508 'Fortescue' with serial number 4839-04/87-073. Both units were delivered in Mount Newman Mining orange and white with black swan emblem.
Following the rebranding process of the BHP take over the units received the new BHP blue and white livery in 1991 with 5507 [5461-5507-5051] carrying the Goldsworthy Joint Venture lettering while 5508 [5466-5508-5052] had the Mt Newman Joint Venture lettering. Both units had the marigold and teal coloured version of the BHP stylised Australia logo.
5507 [5461-5507-5051] has the distinction of carrying four names and two liveries for BHP Iron Ore, being delivered with the name 'Ethel Creek', then once repainted into the BHP livery was named 'Mt Whaleback', then 'Corunna Downs' and finally 'Nimingarra'. The two liveries being Mt Newman orange and then the BHP blue and white.
The two locomotives were rebuilt once again in late 2002 by Goninan at Bassendean, Perth and then leased to Pilbara Rail for use at their Dampier Seven Mile operations as shunt engines and received the road numbers 5051 and 5052 along with the striking Pilbara Rail livery with HI markings, and were nicknamed Bill and Ben by the Pilbara Rail crews.
The two units were road transported to Dampier ~January 2003 and survived in shunt service until withdrawn in ~2009 when they were then stored at Seven Mile yard for many years before being finally moved to Two Mile yard in early 2025 where both were subsequently scrapped in August 2025.
This shot is taken from the Dampier Salt road crossing. January 11, 2005 at 0905 hours.
The second shot of the morning was taken just north of Dugite Siding on the Dampier to Tom Price line near the 60 km as an empty train train is powering south behind the standard combination of two General Electric 9-44CW units 7097 'Ken Onley' and 7093.
This shot taken on the cutting near the 60 km on the Tom Price line, January 11, 2005 at 0955 hours.
7097 'Ken Onley' with serial number 54160 is from the fourth order with a build date of April 2003 and wears the Pilbara Rail livery with HI markings whilst 7093 with serial number 47772 was the final member of the original order with Hamersley Iron livery with a build date of November 1994.
7093 was subsequently written off following cab damage after a collision with a loadout chute from March 2019 and was stored at Seven Mile prior to scrapping with 5051 and 5052.
