FMG 123 loaded crosses FMG 727 empty 5km.

As a loaded FMG train behind AC44C6M loco 123 and SD70ACe 704 glide under the Great Northern Highway bridge as they approach the port, an empty departs the port behind SD70ACe-P6 loco 727 and AC44C6M loco 109 with 244 empty waggons in tow, the cross happened right in front of me at 1722 hours, Wednesday May 7, 2025.

The video shows the loaded coming around the 5 km curve on the east track and then the empty proceeding south away from the port on the west track. And as the loaded reappears we see the tail of both trains in the end.

Waggon consist for the empty train was [format is slave waggon - master waggon builder;]:

5043 - 6044 CNR QRRS; 5049 - 6050 CNR QRRS; 5987 - 6988 CSR Yangtze; 1319 - 2320 CSR Zhuzhou; 3617 - 4618 CNR QRRS; 7537 - 8538 CRRC Yangtze; 3237 - 4238 CNR QRRS; 3523 - 4524 CNR QRRS; 5773 - 6774 CSR Yangtze; 5025 - 6026 CNR QRRS; 1671 - 2672 CSR Zhuzhou; 3585 - 4586 CNR QRRS; 3443 - 4444 CNR QRRS; 5939 - 6940 CSR Yangtze; 1769 - 2770 CSR Zhuzhou; 5547 - 6548 CNR QRRS; 9165 - 10166 CRRC Qiqihar; 5887 - 6888 CSR Yangtze; 7315 - 8316 CSR Yangtze; 3925 - 4926 CNR QRRS; 3413 - 4414 CNR QRRS; 9689 - 10690 CRRC Qiqihar; 7609 - 8610 CRRC Yangtze; 5415 - 6416 CNR QRRS; 9441 - 10442 CRRC Qiqihar; 7701 - 8702 CRRC Yangtze; 1203 - 2204 CSR Zhuzhou; 5669 - 6670 CNR QRRS; 5257 - 6258 CNR QRRS; 7631 - 8632 CRRC Yangtze; 3603 - 4604 CNR QRRS; 5435 - 6436 CNR QRRS; 9197 - 10198 CRRC Qiqihar; 3247 - 4248 CNR QRRS; 7067 - 8068 CNR QRRS; 5897 - 6898 CSR Yangtze; 9029 - 10030 CRRC Yangtze; 5087 - 6088 CNR QRRS; 9071 - 10072 CRRC Yangtze; 5555 - 6556 CNR QRRS; 5585 - 6586 CNR QRRS; 7683 - 8684 CRRC Yangtze; 5759 - 6760 CSR Yangtze; 1657 - 2658 CSR Zhuzhou; 9407 - 10408 CRRC Qiqihar; 5391 - 6392 CNR QRRS; 9489 - 10490 CRRC Qiqihar; 1739 - 2740 CSR Zhuzhou; 9779 - 10780 CRRC Qiqihar; 9673 - 10674 CRRC Qiqihar; 9169 - 10170 CRRC Qiqihar; 3533 - 4534 CNR QRRS; 1009 - 2010 CSR Zhuzhou; 7115 - 8116 CNR QRRS; 3755 - 4756 CNR QRRS; 7979 - 8980 CRRC Yangtze; 9327 - 10328 CRRC Yangtze; 7831 - 8832 CRRC Yangtze; 3145 - 4146 CNR QRRS; 3065 - 4066 CNR QRRS; 7535 - 8536 CRRC Yangtze; 5791 - 6792 CSR Yangtze; 3123 - 4124 CNR QRRS; 3111 - 4112 CNR QRRS; 5515 - 6516 CNR QRRS; 7641 - 8642 CRRC Yangtze; 5409 - 6410 CNR QRRS; 9557 - 10558 CRRC Qiqihar; 5989 - 6990 CSR Yangtze; 9205 - 10206 CRRC Qiqihar; 7915 - 8916 CRRC Yangtze; 7961 - 8962 CRRC Yangtze; 5387 - 6388 CNR QRRS; 3531 - 4532 CNR QRRS; 5371 - 6372 CNR QRRS; 3869 - 4870 CNR QRRS; 9599 - 10600 CRRC Yangtze; 9163 - 10164 CRRC Qiqihar; 9605 - 10606 CRRC Yangtze; 9135 - 10136 CRRC Qiqihar; 7459 - 8460 CRRC Yangtze; 7519 - 8520 CRRC Yangtze; 3865 - 4866 CNR QRRS; 1527 - 2528 CSR Zhuzhou; 5355 - 6356 CNR QRRS; 7913 - 8914 CRRC Yangtze; 9291 - 10292 CRRC Qiqihar; 5013 - 6014 CNR QRRS; 3563 - 4564 CNR QRRS; 7871 - 8872 CRRC Yangtze; 7181 - 8182 CNR QRRS; 5831 - 6832 CSR Yangtze; 3929 - 4930 CNR QRRS; 5397 - 6398 CNR QRRS; 5705 - 6706 CNR QRRS; 5465 - 6466 CNR QRRS; 1559 - 2560 CSR Zhuzhou; 5885 - 6886 CSR Yangtze; 3683 - 4684 CNR QRRS; 9319 - 10320 CRRC Yangtze; 3059 - 4060 CNR QRRS; 7829 - 8830 CRRC Yangtze; 9703 - 10704 CRRC Qiqihar; 5217 - 6218 CNR QRRS; 9437 - 10438 CRRC Qiqihar; 7965 - 8966 CRRC Yangtze; 3631 - 4632 CNR QRRS; 9363 - 10364 CRRC Qiqihar; 7203 - 8204 CNR QRRS; 7467 - 8468 CRRC Yangtze; 1539 - 2540 CSR Yangtze; 9369 - 10370 CRRC Qiqihar; 7817 - 8818 CRRC Yangtze; 5339 - 6340 CNR QRRS; 11089 - 12090 CRRC Qiqihar; 7361 - 8362 CRRC Yangtze; 1599 - 2600 CSR Zhuzhou and CRRC Yangtze 2nd style ribbed; 5003 - 6004 CNR QRRS; 7873 - 8874 CRRC Yangtze; 5483 - 6484 CNR QRRS; 3241 - 4242 CNR QRRS; 9553 - 10554 CRRC Qiqihar.

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.

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!

Ten SD70ACe's and only one 9-44CW seen in a few hours. Pt 2.

Further to the earlier post, on the 27th of December 2023 an arvo out near FMG saw three empty trains all with a pair of SD70ACe variants and two loaded trains with another pair of SD70ACe units and one with an aging 9-44CW leading, and yep, another SD70ACe.

The second queued empty behind 704 and 713 from the below post was sitting at the 27-kilometre post headed up by SD70ACe-P6 unit 727 with serial number 20188761-006, build date of 11/2019 and SD70ACe/LCi unit 703 with serial number 20118611-003, built back in 8/2012.

The FMG SD70ACe-P6 units were an extension of a Norfolk Southern build #20186662 road numbers #1215 to 1224 from November 2018.

The first loaded train appeared at 1648 hrs behind SD70ACe/LCI pair 719 serial number 20118693-011 built back in August 2012 and was the final unit from the second order of SD70 units and class leader 701 "T155 - Glen Davies" with serial number 20118611-001, also from August 2012.

Two hundred and forty loaded waggons in one hundred and twenty pairs are behind 719 and 701 as they head for the dumpers at Port Hedland seen here passing between the two empty trains. 1648 hrs on the 27th December 2023.

Well, been a bit slack here, did spend a week in Kalgoorlie in October but then just been working, working, working as I progress the fit out of the train room.

Anyway, got out the other arvo and saw a few empty FMG trains queued on the west track from the end of the port duplication near the 30km, back to the 20 km.

The interesting thing was they were all operated by the SD70ACe variants that FMG operate.

704 with serial number 20118611-004 and 713 with serial number 20118693-005 both from the first and second orders respectively hold the west mainline with ~240 empty waggons.1630 hrs 27th of December 2023.