BHP AC6000's retired, November 2013 Line Up.

Back in November 2013, the remaining BHP Billiton AC6000 locomotives were all stored within Nelson Point Yard. Following a derailment at Turner Siding in late May 2011 class leader 6070 was written off due to a twisted frame and was scrapped on location.

By August 2013 the units were being stored or confined to yard pilot duties, by September 1, 2013 all were out of service and stored with 6076 being the final unit driven in service on the mainline.

The last day of service / mainline running of the AC6000 units were:

6070 - May 27, 2011 [Turner derailment].

6071 - May 21, 2013.

6072 - September 1, 2013.

6073 - May 2, 2013.

6074 - October 19, 2012.

6075 - August 12, 2013.

6076 - September 1, 2013.

6077 - August 13, 2013.

The line up of units from left to right is [number - serial - name]:

6071 - 51063 - Chichester

6074 - 51066 - Kalgan

6072 - 51064 - Hesta

6075 - 51067 - Newman

6077 - 51069 - Nimingarra

6073 - 51065 - Fortescue

6076 - 51068 - Mt Goldsworthy

BHP's 4464 'Celebrating 50 Years 1969 To 2019'.

I do not see this BHP SD70ACe 4464 'Celebrating 50 Years 1969 To 2019' locomotive leading very often, and less so when I'm in a position to capture an image of it. Well, it finally happened on Thursday, May 1, 2025.

SD70ACe locomotive 4464 'Celebrating 50 Years 1969 To 2019' was built by Progress Rail in 2014 with serial number 20138907-015. Seen here at Nelson Point on a 135 waggon rake with sister locomotive 4340 as they wait their turn to present to the car dumpers for unloading.

Finucane Island, June 18, 2024.

With a couple of visitors in town from the Eastern States and one from the USA we had a quick peek at a loaded waiting to enter the dumpers at Finucane Island and a empty departed for Boodarie Yard around 1300 hrs on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

Above: BHP's SD70ACe locomotive 4356 serial number 20078915-012 from a 2008 delivery leads 4433 'Achiever' serial number 20128866-002 from a 2013 delivery with 135 waggons waiting its turn through the dumpers at Finucane Island. The bridge in the distance is for the Roy Hill conveyor to their shiploader.

Above: BHP's SD70ACe locomotive 4325 'Jimblebar' with serial number 20066862-038 and delivered in March 2008 started life as part of an order for BNSF and was going to be numbered BNSF 9167, however BHP purchased ten of these 'standard US domestic' model SD70ACe units and after a while of being relegated to trailing only, they were all converted to BHP specs for lead operations. Following 4325 is 4456 'Jim Foran' with serial number 20138907-007 from 2014 and 135 waggons destined to form another empty train back to the mines. In the right background is Utah Point which is the common user facility for the smaller miners such as Min Res and Atlas.

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.

BHP AC6000 6074 at Nelson Point.

Back in happier times on the 9th of September 2003 BHP Iron Ore's General Electric AC6000 unit 6074 'Kalgan' with serial number 51066 waits with a loaded rake for Car Dumper 2 at Nelson Point.

The remaining seven AC6000 units were all subsequently scrapped in October 2014. 6070 was scrapped in May 2011 following a derailment at Turner Siding.

West Australian Rails - Extra North 003

The latest issue of West Australian Rail is now online, albeit a special 'Extra North' edition covering some of the sightings myself and Roland Depth have captured in the Pilbara during the month of March 2021.

There will be a follow up edition to cover a few days in the Kalgoorlie region in April and then a third to cover the Pilbara again in May, stay tuned...

It can be found in the usual place or via the link below.

Enjoy!

West Australian Rails - Extra North 003

West Australian Rails - Extra North 001

The latest issue of West Australian Rail is now online, albeit a special 'Extra North' edition covering some of the sightings myself and Roland Depth have captured in the Pilbara during the month of March 2021.

There will be a follow up edition to cover a few days in the Kalgoorlie region in April and then a third to cover the Pilbara again in May, stay tuned...

It can be found in the usual place or via the link below.

Enjoy!

West Australian Rails - Extra North 001

BHP CM40-8M 5662.

BHP has two Dash 8 locomotives that didn't end up getting scrapped when they were retired. One of them is the first unit built new September 1988 in Western Australia as a CM39-8 with serial number 5831-09 / 88-079 and numbered 5630 and names Zeus, this is stored at Nelson Point Port Hedland after having travelled some 4.5 million kilometres.

And the other is a Goninan ALCo to GE rebuild CM40-8M model unit 5662 'Port Kembla' with serial number 8412-07 / 94-153 and rebuilt from Comeng NSW built ALCo M636 model unit 5490.

This unit has been down track parked in the backtrack at Gidgi Siding at the 270 km (from Hedland) with a rumoured traction motor failure. It has been parked there for some years now and we first actually saw it here in July 2015 when it had already been there for some time.

Here it is on the 12th of September 2020.

BHP SD70ACe/Lci unit delivery continues.

Another two new SD70ACe/Lci units were delivered to Nelson Point on Sunday 23rd of August. 4496 and 4494 were walked the 3.5 km distance from the Pilbara Ports Authority complex to the hard stand at BHP Nelson Point yard on Mammoet self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) with 20 lines of 4 wheels for a total of 80 wheel. Once locos are unloaded then the platforms are again walked back to the PPA for another load.

The image shows 4496 under the loco lift gantry while 4494 waits for its turn to unload on its SPMT.

This left units 4495 and 4497 to be delivered on Monday.

Delivery of SD70ACe/Lci units continues.

BHP's new SD70ACe/Lci units are being delivered to Nelson Point by Mammoet on their self-propelled modular transporter or SPMT, then unloaded at the BHP Nelson Point Hard Stand by a 'Loco Lift' or modular gantry system. The locos tip the scales at 180 tonnes devoid of fuel and, water and lube oil.

BHP latest loco delivery.

BHP has had a further six Electro Motive SD70ACe/Lci units delivered via the port of Norfolk, Virginia (USA) on the vessel BBC Sapphire. The six units, 4492 to 4497 were unloaded at the PPA Port Hedland wharf during Tuesday the 18th of August 2020.

Built by Progress Rail at Muncie Indiana in May of 2020 with serial numbers 20198860-001 to 20198860-006.

The units are seen here at the PPA hard stand area awaiting delivery to BHP's Nelson Point yard by heavy lift road floats by Mammoet.

Loram grinder at BHP Nelson Point.

Spotted this arvo inside BHP's Nelson Point yard was this Loram RGS 24 stone rail grinder. 

Link to Loram website.

Speno rail grinder RG5 being tested at Bing.

Between Bing Siding and the Flashbutt Yard, Speno Rail Maintenance Australia appear to be testing / commissioning their new RG5 rail grinder, which is an RR36, meaning 36 grinding wheels with serial M36A. It is between RG3 and RR48 and RG4 another RR36.

BHP Iron Ore use Speno and Loram for rail grinding activities to enhance operational performance of their rail line and wheel wear.

BHP Hospital Train led by 4377.

BHP Iron Ore operated a 'Hospital Train' which arrived back into Nelson Point yard late on the 18th of November 2018. Included in the consist were the last twenty-six waggons from the recent Turner derailment, some ballast waggons, ballast plough, #8500 flat waggon and some ore waggons with flat wheels.

The consist was:

• SD70ACe loco 4377
• Ore waggon 9305 with brake cut out
• Ore waggon 2265 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 9658 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 9219 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10874 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10876 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2456 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 7035 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10111 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4784 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10302 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4938 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4656 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10018 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 9578 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 5914 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2705 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 8017 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 0099 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 3195 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 8083 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 0652 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2461 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2771 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10522 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4075 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 8718 from the Turner derailment
• Ballast waggon 0227
• Ballast waggon 0207
• Ballast waggon 0209
• Ballast waggon 0226
• Ballast waggon 0232
• Ballast waggon 0213
• Ballast waggon 0216
• Ballast waggon 0230
• Ballast plough BP 02
• SD70ACe 4485 'KRSTE APOLESKI'
• Flat waggon 8500
• Ore waggon 7842 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 6768 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 6658 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 5349 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 8454 with wheel flats

A video of the train also filmed by Roland Depth can be found here, or copy and paste this into your browser https://youtu.be/O0c6kzpJI6s

Former BHP SD70ACe units bound for Chemin de fer Arnaud.

The Chemin de fer Arnaud is a private Canadian short line railway owned by Cliffs Natural Resources operating in the province of Quebec, they have picked up four of the original BHP SD70ACe/LC units.

Photos on the link below:

Photo by John Eagan (63), on Flickr, What's Going On In Dyer, IN Today 9-19-2018.

15 years ago, a loaded Yarrie train through Goldsworthy Junction.

Back on the 24th of August 2003 BHP Iron Ore's Goninan WA built GE model CM40-8 unit 5646 'White Springs' serial 8244-11 / 92-135 leads a loaded train from Yarrie off the Goldsworthy line and across the BHP Newman line as it heads for Boodarie and the unloader at Finucane Island.

This scene is much changed today with the former GML line now mothballed and the Goldsworthy Junction double tracked for the mainline and the line the train is on also double track with what is termed the 'avoidance road'.

And the locomotive has since been scrapped, the Tomlinson Steel built waggons on the rear have been sent east and the Goninan Golynx waggons behind the loco converted to rotary dump and are now in mainline service.

BHP 'bits'.

Well, another BHP SD70ACe unit has been named, 4473 serial 20148001-006 named after driver Howie Evans.

Toad has finished the updating and correction for the BHP motive power roster, it now includes all units from the F7A through the ALCo C and M 636 series, C36-7M rebuilds, the CM39-8, CM40-8 and CM40-8M units, the AC6000's and SD40's to finally the entire fleet of SD70ACe unit. The listing is now top down, from current units down to the F7A.

And a shot of SD70ACe units at the Mooka Staging Facility, 4468 with 4487 'Paul Harris' and 4412 and 4329 'Pilbara' with loaded rakes.

Toad likes this spot because the road is sealed, and he can drive his little purple car out to there...

Still more loco names for BHP.

BHP continues to name their SD70ACe locomotives after long serving employees with 30 plus years of service.

Another three have been sighted, plus another two which we couldn't identify the road number:

• 4481 - Jeri Hajis
• 4483 - Alex Sulic
• 4485 - Krste Apoleski
• 4471 - Earl Roberts
• 4484 - Cleto Nordmann

A full listing of BHP locomotive names can be found here.

BHP Steel Train, Goldsworthy line with 4360.

BHP stabled empty steel or rail train sits on the former Goldsworthy Line between Goldsworthy Junction and Node 1 due to rebuilding works at the BHP flash butt yard.

Heading the consist is BHP SD70ACe unit 4360 serial 20098203-005 with sister SD70ACe 4340 shutdown on the rear visible round the curve in the distance.