RailFirst EL class delivered to Rio Tinto's Paperbark Siding.

On Sunday the 25th of June 2023 the RailFirst EL class locomotives EL 51 'Might and Power' and EL 64 'Super Impose' completed their road journey from Parkeston (Kalgoorlie) to the Rio Tinto's Koodaideri (Gudai-Darri) mine railway line via Auski (Munjina) Roadhouse and were placed on Rio rails at the backtrack spur at Paperbark Siding, approx. 300 kilometres south of Port Hedland.

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.

EL 51 with serial number 8013-07/90-103 was delivered in July 1990 and originally named 'Bob Brown', after the Australian Labor politician who was the Minister for Land Transport at the time of delivery.

EL 64 with serial number 8013-07/90-116 was delivered in October 1991.

The EL class were transferred to National Rail upon start up in 1994 of the new national carrier and later, following delivery of new locomotives were subsequently returned to Australian National and then stored by 1997. In 1998 they were sold to CFCLA and rebuilt by Goninan and entered CFCLA lease service. CFCLA is now known as RailFirst, or Rail First Asset Management.

The locos and some ballast hoppers, along with some Brimble Rail track machines are expected to be at Rio for up to twelve months at this stage. The initial works are remediating the recently competed Koodaideri line.

EL class locomotives Pilbara bound.

Two RailFirst EL class locomotives were transhipped from rail to road floats at Parkeston WA on the 22nd of June 2023. They arrived in to Parkeston predawn on SCT's interstate service 2MP9.

The two EL class units are Goninan built C30-8 GE models, EL 51 serial number 8013-07 / 90-103, and EL 64 serial number 8013-10 / 91-116.

They will join eight former ARTC ballast waggons, CHRX class, which have also been road hauled to the Pilbara from Port Augusta / Spencer Junction.

The units are to be used for remedial ballast works on Rio Tinto's relatively new Koodaideri line.

A data sheet on the locomotives can be found on the RailFirst website, along with a data sheet for the CHRX ballast waggons.

Pilbara Rail's C36-7M units stored at Seven Mile.

These two C36-7M units are rumoured to be getting scrapped shortly. They have been sitting here on a spur within the Seven Mile complex for many years, since ~2009.

History - 5051 [Bill] started life for Mount Newman Mining as an ALCo C636 model originally numbered 5461 and built by AE Goodwin (NSW) in 1969 with serial number G-6035-2. In 1987, in a world first, eight ALCo C636 locomotives were rebuilt into GE C36-7 units, with everything above the frame new, and the bogies and fuel tanks remaining ALCo. 5461 was rebuilt by Goninan at their Welshpool WA plant into 5507 with new serial number4839-03/87-072. 5507 went on to carry several names, in 1991 the original name was transposed with 5506 following repainting from Mt Newman orange to BHP blue, then other changes took place. When delivered 5507 carried Ethel Creek. Then 5507, once wearing BHP livery carried Mt Whaleback, then Corunna Downs and finally Nimingarra. 5507 along with the entire C36-7M fleet were retired in 1999 after the new AC6000CW locomotives were delivered. After a period of storage at Nelson Point, then the Flashbutt yard, and then back to Nelson Point, they were sold, four units to Goninan and four units to Asset Kinetics.

5507 has the distinction of carrying four names for Mt Newman / BHP Iron Ore and two liveries, and then a further livery once overhauled and leased to Pilbara Rail as 5051 when used as a yard pilot loco in the striking Pilbara Rail livery operating out of Dampier's Seven Mile yard with sister loco 5052 [Ben] which is an overhauled 5508.

***Postscript, I have been informed, on the 8th of June 2023, that both 5051 and 5052 have now been moved to the 2 Mile yard, no doubt scrapping them is easier there.

***Postscript 2, a site visit in early June 2024 and these two units are still very much in the same location. So they have not been scrapped, yet...

FMG locos change liveries and swap locations.

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 CM40-8M CD 4303 'Warrior'.

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.

Former Robe River CM40-8M units stored.

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;

• 9422 serial 8297-03/93-138 rebuilt from Comeng NSW built ALCo M636 serial C6103-2
• 9419 serial 8109-10/90-117 rebuilt from ALCo built ALCo C630 serial 3486-3
• 9418 serial 8109-12/90-118 rebuilt from ALCo built ALCo C630 serial 3486-2
• 9411 serial 8206-02/92-125 rebuilt from AE Goodwin built ALCo M636 serial G-6060-2

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.

Rio Tinto takes last Robe River CM40-8M units off active roster.

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.

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.

Roy Hill leases CFCLA CM40-8M units.

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