Friday, 16 May 2025
BHP AC6000's retired, November 2013 Line Up.
Saturday, 10 May 2025
FMG 123 loaded crosses FMG 727 empty 5km.
Friday, 2 May 2025
FMG retires two 9-44CW locomotives.
003 sits on its pilots with the bogies, radiators, air-conditioning unit and other items removed prior to delivery to Sell & Parker.
Friday, 5 July 2024
Loaded at the 28.5 km Cape Lambert line.
Tuesday, 2 July 2024
Ballast train at Green Pool.
Cape Lambert South Yard with Blue Rake
The blue rake heads for Car Dumper 5 along 19 Road going over 144B switch behind 9-44CW locomotive 7070 in original Hamersley Iron livery, ES44DCi 8155 in the Rio Tinto stripe livery and 9-44CW 7069 in original Hamersley Iron livery. In the foreground on 8 Road are triple ES44DCi units 8174, 8140 and 8159 all in the Rio Tinto stripe livery.
Saturday, 29 June 2024
In the early evening of June 20, 2024, I managed to catch this empty Rio Tinto iron ore train heading south at the double bridges located south of Galah at the 85.4 km. This train is in AutoHaul on account the blue lights on the cab roof are on.
The train is powered by General Electric ES44ACi model locomotive 9107 leading a pair of sister GE DC type ES44DCi model locomotives 8139 and 8141 with 120 pairs of waggons for 240 in total for ~5000 tonnes at 1800 hrs on June 20, 2024.
Location of video is here: video location or copy and paste:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Vm2UhU8bgDnBJYmo8
Saturday, 22 June 2024
Rio Tinto's Galah collision wrecks.
From the left, 8183, 8175 and 8188 |
8118 with serial number 59110 is from the second order of these units, with a build date of 04/2008 and is the highest numbered ES44DCi in the plain Rio Tinto silver livery, all the following DCi units being in the 'tiger stripe' red livery.
8118 serial number 59110 from the second order |
8175 with serial number 60773 is from the ninth order of GE ES44DCi units with a build date of 01/2021 and wears the Rio 'tiger stripes'.
8175 serial number 60773 from the ninth order |
8183 with serial number 60781 is also from the ninth order of ES44DCi locomotives with a 02/2021 build date and also wears the Rio 'tiger stripe' livery.
Friday, 7 June 2024
Dual MU Sockets.
I received a comment on one of the earlier posts about the dual MU sockets on the Roy Hill ES44ACi units asking what the story was with them.
Well, the Roy Hill units have dual MU sockets and dual dummy sockets, very much like both Rio Tinto's ES44DCi and ES44ACi locomotives all have the dual MU and dual dummy sockets whilst the Rio Tinto / Hamersley Iron 9-44CW units have dual MU and only a single dummy socket.
I can only think this reduces the need to reach across a coupling to plug in or disconnect the MU.
Roy Hill ES44ACi unit RHA 1012, serial number 62584, built November 2014 at Erie, Pennsylvania USA, shows the dual sockets and dummy sockets during its delivery.
If you know more, please feel free to leave a comment, thank you, Pilbara Railways.
Wednesday, 5 June 2024
A quick arvo on the 4th of June at FMG.
A bit over an hour was spent at my usual hack spot for FMG, between the 5 km curve and the entrance to their port yard, on the afternoon of June 4, 2024 and four trains were observed with a fifth, an empty departing as I was arriving, which happens to me a lot!
This was the first time out for some months due to a number of issues, the car went to Perth to have the roof replaced and some other rust repairs, this was deemed cheaper than a replacement vehicle. I also managed to damage my primary everyday lens, the Canon 28-300 L, and broke the GPS unit on my camera setup. The Canon 5DIII body seems to have survived coming off the car at 60 km/h on Ballast Road at Hampton, Kalgoorlie, but I have noticed some strange exposures when using my other lenes, so a new camera may have to be planned for, testing is continuing. I have only just ordered a new replacement 28-300 mm L series Canon lens, and it seems these may have also now been discontinued by Canon...
However, I digress, back to the rail action, so, four trains were seen in a couple of hours out, two empty departures from the port and two loaded arrivals, one with a quad loco combination which is usually the bank engines being returned for servicing.
Port yard pilot locomotive was aging GE 9-44CW unit 004 shunting the compressor cars from the empty tracks to the rear of the loaded rakes.
The first empty train was SD70ACe-P6 units 729 leading SD70ACe/LCi unit 717 in the standard locomotive pairing that is in use on FMG with 119 waggon pairs for 238 waggons which departed the port at 1529 hrs.
Then at 1538 hrs a loaded train rolled under the Great Northern Highway overpass and into the Port behind the pairing of SD70ACe/LCi unit 713 leading the class leader of the AC44C6M rebuild model locomotives 101. This train also had 119 waggon pairs for 238 empty waggons.
A second loaded followed the first some twenty minutes later at 1608 hrs but this time it had quad locomotive power on the front. This is usually due to mine bank engines being returned to town for servicing requirements and happens on a regular basis.
AC44C6M locomotive 111 led SD70ACe/LCi unit 704 with AC44C6M pair 114 and 103 rounding out the quaddie with yet again 119 waggon pairs for 238 empty waggons. It is nice to see FMG sticking to consistent train lengths as in the past I have counted quite a variance in the number of waggon pairs per service.
The final train for the afternoon was an empty departing at 1634 hrs behind AC44C6M unit 117 leading SD70ACe/LCi locomotive 706 and the now standard 119 waggon pairs for 238 empty waggons.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 28 June 2023
RailFirst EL class delivered to Rio Tinto's Paperbark Siding.
EL 51 'Might and Power' is the class leader, while and EL 64 'Super Impose' is the final member of the fourteen GE model C30-8 locomotives built by Goninan NSW between July 1990 and October 1991 for the then Federal Government operator Australian National.
Thursday, 22 June 2023
EL class locomotives Pilbara bound.
Sunday, 11 June 2023
FMG arvo action 1st June 2023.
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The above image was taken at 60 mm, settings were an ISO of 250 and shutter of 1/640th with an aperture of F9. Slightly brightened and some contrast. |
Second movement of the arvo was the port pilot shunting out and back to allow another empty train to depart the port. The pilot locos were EMD SD70ACe/LCi 711 serial number 20118693-003 and GE rebuild AC44C6M 106 serial number 50634 with compressor car set CC005.
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Taken in the golden hour before sunset, image taken at 50 mm at ISO 250 with a shutter of 1/640th and an aperture of F8. |
Thursday, 11 May 2023
Pilbara Rail's C36-7M units stored at Seven Mile.
Friday, 31 March 2023
Rio Tinto loaded ore train north of Arches, 8135, 8159 and 8177.
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Rio Tinto empty iron ore 'J' Train at Western Creek 9136, 8119 and 9144
Monday, 20 March 2023
FMG AC44C6M units delivered to site by K+S Heavy Haulage.
On the 23rd of February 2023, K+S Heavy Haulage delivered some of FMG's AC44C6M locomotives. A pair of 685 horsepower Mack Titan's towing Drake 11x8 floats (capacity 275 tonnes) with 2x8 dollys delivered the second and third batches of the Wabtec AC44C6M rebuilds. Units 113 to 122 are the second batch, while 123 to 128 are the third batch. With the twelve units delivered in July 2022, this now makes up a roster of 28 AC44C6M locomotives within FMG's motive power fleet.
The AC44C6M units are all rebuilds from ex-lease BNSF 9-44CW units which were returned to GECX and rebuilt at Wabtec's Fort Worth, Texas facility. As part of the rebuild, the units still carry their original build dates and serial numbers. They received a new cab, conversion from DC to AC traction, new hood section and these FMG units also received new radiator sections similar to the export ES44DCi and ES44ACi units.
FMG AC44C6M 113 at Quartz Quarry Rd enroute to FMG's Thomas Yard on a Drake 275 tonne 8x11 float. 113 was rebuilt from BNSF 9-44CW unit 4849 with serial number 50703 and build date of 08/1998.
FMG AC44C6M 122 on Wilson Street, Port Hedland with the Port Authority control tower in the background enroute to FMG's Thomas Yard transported by K+S Heavy Haulage with a Mack 685 HP Titan, an 8x4 dolly and a Drake 275 tonne 8x11 float. 122 was rebuilt from BNSF 9-44CW unit 4774 with serial number 50628 and build date of 06/1998.
FMG AC44C6M 125 leaves the Port Authority as it rounds the corner off Gilbert St onto Wedge St with the Dampier Salt stacker and pile behind it. Transported by K+S Heavy Haulage with a Mack 685 HP Titan, an 8x4 dolly and a Drake 275 tonne 8x11 float. 125 was rebuilt from BNSF 9-44CW unit 4788 with serial number 50642 and build date of 07/1998.
FMG AC44C6M 118 leaves the Port Authority as it rounds the corner off Gilbert St onto Wedge St with the Dampier Salt dozer and salt pile behind it. Transported by K+S Heavy Haulage with a Mack 685 HP Titan, an 8x4 dolly and a Drake 275 tonne 8x11 float. 118 was rebuilt from BNSF 9-44CW unit 4809 with serial number 50663 and build date of 07/1998.
A full roster of FMG's motive power fleet, including these units can be found here.
FMG's 701 and 105 lead a loaded at the 5 km.
EMD SD70ACe/LCi class leader 701 'T155-Glen Davies' serial number 20118611-001 leads AC44C6M unit 105 rebuilt from former BNSF 9-44CW unit 4826 with serial number 50680 at the 5 km post as they arrive at the port for unloading.
701 has the T155 motif on the cab lefthand side, and a plate 'Glen Davies' on the righthand side.
Sunday, 12 March 2023
Comparision between the HO scale, and the real FMG 9-44CW unit 003.
Some images of the real FMG 9-44CW unit 003 as delivered in November 2007 against some images of the same locomotive number 003 from Athearn in HO scale as a part of their Genesis 2 range which also included a number of US class one railroads.
Front on images of the prototype General Electric 9-44CW Fortescue Metals Group 003 on the left, and the Athearn Genesis HO scale model of the same unit on the right.
LHS images with the prototype on the left and the model on the right.
LHS cab view with the prototype on the left and the model on the right.
For a full review of this model, see the February 2023 edition of Australian Model Railway Magazine.
Tuesday, 7 March 2023
Roy Hill fuel train at Great Northern Highway.
Roy Hill's fuel train with four locomotives, three ES44ACi RHA class and one CFCLA CM40-8M
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.