Back on the 17th of January 2018 the Roy Hill loaded fuel train with eleven fuel tank waggons was captured running south at the Great Northern Highway crossing behind no fewer than three RHA class ES44ACi units and one CFCLA CD class lease unit CD 4302 'Lord Fury' which was under test during the run.
The locomotives are RHA 1018, RHA 1019, CD 4302 'Lord Fury' and RHA 1013.
Both the FMG CM40-8M units that were sent to Fortescue's FFI (Fortescue Future Industries) in Hazelmere, Perth have been repainted into the FMG blue and white livery and renumbered. CD 4301 has been partially renumbered to 801, while, CD 4302 has been renumbered to 802.
In the first week of November 2022, 802 was trucked back up to Thomas Yard in South Hedland. Then one of FMG's former BNSF / GECX units, 4854, was returned on the same float and has been sent to Gemco in Perth and arrived there on the 10th of November 2022.
801 was former CFCLA CD 4301, and former Robe River 9410 with serial number 2160-03 / 96-202.
802 was former CFCLA CD 4302, and former Robe River 9421 with serial number 8297-02 / 93-137.
4854 was former BNSF / GECX with the same road number, serial number 50708 and built in 8/1998. It should be numbered 022 in the 9-44CW road number range of FMG units.
FMG has three CM40-8M GE rebuild units purchased from CFCLA / Rail First. While two (CD 4301 and CD 4302) went to Perth to Fortescue Future Industries for trialling with alternative fuels, CD 4303 'Warrior' is located at parent FMG's Thomas Yard in South Hedland.
Here is a side view of CD 4303 'Warrior' serial number 8206-04 / 92-126. This unit history is it started with Robe River having been built by Comeng WA as an ALCo M363 in late 1979 with serial number C6116-1 and order WA112 and road number 9423. This was the final ALCo built new for Robe River. It was delivered by road in February 1980. It was purchased as a replacement for 9417 that was scrapped following a head on collision on 2 February 1979.
9423 was rebuilt from an M636 into the GE CM40-8M in 1992 by Goninan in Perth and was recommissioned by Robe in May 1992.
It ended up in CFCLA ownership in 2012 and was rebuilt by Goninan WA and reclassed and numbered as CD 4303 'Warrior' and wearing the CFCLA livery.
9423 has seen lease periods on both FMG and Roy Hill railways in the Pilbara.
Finally, it was sold to FMG and transferred to Thomas yard Port Hedland in late 2021.
The former Robe River CM40-8M units that were last operated under Rio Tinto have been retired and stored on the triangle at the old quarry at Cape Lambert.
The units are all facing west with the line up being from the eastern end;
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.
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.
Loaded Roy Hill train behind General Electric ES44ACi model RHA class unit RHA 1011 with CFCLA lease CM40-8M unit CD 4305 with two ES44ACi units RHA 1014 and RHA 1004 mid train visible around the curve as a loaded FMG train behind a pair of Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe model units.
The Roy Hill configuration is 2 locos, 116 waggons, 2 locos and 116 waggons, while the FMG train employs only two locos on the lead as they still bank their loaded trains away from the some of their mines.
1st of July 2018.
Originally Robe River 9421, a Comeng NSW built ALCo M636 with serial number C6103-1, rebuilt by Goninan in 1993 with serial 8297-2/93-137, then sold to CFCLA in 2012 and was used to build this Roy Hill railway then leased to Rio Tinto for a while before being leased now to Roy Hill. Seen here powering a loaded fuel train with eleven TA class fuel tank waggons as part of the mainline testing of these CFCLA lease CM40-8M units prior to ore train service.
17th January 2018.
Doolan's Heavy Haulage delivered the four stored CM40-8M model locomotives to Roy Hill's Flash Butt yard on the 2nd of December 2017. The units were then tested on the 22nd of December, before CD4302 was used to power the loaded fuel train from Tad Yard (Boodarie) to Roy Hill mine. And the units have been in service ever since.
More images can be found here: Pilbara Railway Pages | Roy Hill Road
