Loaded at the 28.5 km Cape Lambert line.

A loaded Rio Tinto train with ES44ACi model locomotive 9104, 9-44CW model locomotive 7075 and ES44DCi model locomotive 8106 hold the west mainline at the 28.5 km marker, on the Cape Lambert line, immediately south of Arches having allowed a loaded Deepdale train to run through it on the east mainline and then an empty that was in Arches switched from the west to the east and passed this loaded. July 1, 2024.

Ballast train at Green Pool.

Had to go to Karratha to collect some fridge's that had been there getting fixed, and with my new camera I decided to go via Cape Lambert, Western Creek, then down to Dampier to get to Karratha. After a loaded at Arches, I can upon this ballast train sitting in the back track at 1025 hrs.

Green Pool, Cape Lambert line. July 1, 2024.

Ballast train with 8130 [closet to camera], 8195 and 8107 with 26 loaded hoppers and two ploughs.

Location is here. 

Cape Lambert South Yard with Blue Rake

June 19, 2024, looking south from the Walcott Drive over bridges and one of the Rio Tinto blue rakes of waggons has just rolled into Cape Lambert South Yard along 19 Road under AutoHaul and a local driver has now boarded in preparation to run into Car Dumper 5 for unloading.

From the left, in A1 dead end sits 8163, 9111 and 8125 with compressor set CB07 which have cut off an empty rake from Car Dumper 2. 8159, 8140 and 8174 shunt back onto the empty rake along 8 Road. An empty rake sits on 10 Road, whilst the blue rake is on 19 Road.

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.

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

Rio Tinto's Galah collision wrecks.

Around 0023 hours on Monday May 13, 2024, three Rio Tinto EVO ES44DCi locomotives ran into the rear of a disabled train just north of the crossovers located at Galah on the Dampier to Tom Price mainline, near the 82 km location.

Here are a couple of images of the locomotives stored, minus bogies and engine hoods whilst they await recovery, and by the looks of it, potential scrapping.

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.

8183 serial number 60781 from the ninth order

Brimble Rail track machines to the Pilbara.

Brimble Rail was mobilised three track machines to the Pilbara to operate on Rio Tinto's relatively new branch line to the Koodaideri (Gudai-Darri) mine. The three machines, being a Plasser PBR 203 ballast regulator numbered TMS 324, a Plasser BDS-100 ballast distributor and profiler and a Plasser 09-3X 3-sleeper tamping machine to supplement the two RailFirst lease EL class locomotives and ballast hopper waggons as the undertake remediation works on the 166-kilometre line which opened in June 2022.

Plasser PBR 203 ballast regulator numbered TMS 324, above, at Auski Roadhouse during delivery.

Auski (or Munjina) Roadhouse, 280 kilometres south of Port Hedland, Brimble Rail's three Plasser track machines, a BDS-100 ballast distributor and profiler, 09-3X track tamper and a PBR 203 ballast regulator numbered TMS 324.

Auski (or Munjina) Roadhouse, 280 kilometres south of Port Hedland, Brimble Rail's Plasser track machines, a BDS-100 ballast distributor and profiler and an 09-3X track tamper.

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.

Rio Tinto loaded ore train north of Arches, 8135, 8159 and 8177.

A loaded Rio Tinto iron ore train running to Cape Lambert near the 22-kilometre post north of Arches on the east mainline of the duplicated original Robe River line. The train is also passing an empty Robe Valley train sitting on the west mainline, another empty is sitting in Arches on the west, with a loaded south of Arches awaiting a path north.

Motive power is triple General Electric ES44DCi locomotives. 8135 serial number 59138, 8159 serial number 60223 and 8117 serial number 59109.

The outside blue lights on the lead locomotive being lit indicate this train is operating in AutoHaul™.

The waggons are from the 'pooled' fleet that runs on the Tom Price line. These waggons are also slowly being introduced to the Robe Valley operations.

Filmed Tuesday 28th of March 2023.

Rio Tinto empty iron ore 'J' Train at Western Creek 9136, 8119 and 9144

An empty Rio Tinto iron ore train at the 71-kilometre, Western Creek on the west mainline, headed up by triple General Electric locomotives being an ES44ACi unit 9136 serial number 64726, ES44DCi unit 8119 serial number 59111 and ES44ACi unit 9144 serial number 64734 with 168 Robe Valley waggons, also known as a J Train. The instrumented waggons were at positions 61 and 140. This train is operating on the original Robe River system.

Tuesday 28th of March 2023.

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

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

Hamersley Iron 9-44CW unit 7093 stored.

Originally Hamersley Iron 9-44CW locomotive 7093 serial 47772 was the highest numbered and final Dash 9 in the original order of twenty-nine locos delivered from Erie GE in early 1995.

This unit now under the guise of Rio Tinto is written off following a loadout 'incident' back in March 2019 and is now stored on 38 Road at Rio Tinto's 7 Mile facility with long stored retired Dash 7 (CM36-7) units 5051 and 5052.

We understand this is the first 9-44CW unit to be written off by Hamersley Iron / Rio Tinto.

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.

Western Creek area pt2.

Continuing on with the Western Creek area, here's a shot taken by Toad Montgomery back on 10th January 2005 with Robe River owned 9-44CW unit 9434 leading an empty train along the Western Creek line from Cape Lambert at the Robe River 76 km post with 236 waggons snaking along behind.

The lines to the left are Emu, the north end of the duplicated Hamersley Iron Tom Price line to Dampier (later on they became Emu #3 and #4 Roads) with the line running upgrade in the distance being the Robe River line to Deepdale.

The train is about to pass signal EM5 which is behind the camera. This line has now become the Western Creek West Mainline and #2 Road Emu and joins the Tom Price line at the 80.21 km instead of the 78.4 km (HI chainage).

Western Creek area.

Originally the Robe River line crossed over the Hamersley Iron line by means of an overbridge at the 75.4 km on the Tom Price (HI) line and 73 km on the Deepdale (RR) line. And it stayed like this from the time Robe River started operations in 1972 until 2002 after both companies merged their assets and an interconnecting line was built to allow traffic to operate between Cape Lambert and the new West Angelas mine that Robe River were developing.

The first interconnecting line left the Deepdale line near the 71 km grade crossing and diverged to the north before curving southwest and passing under the Robe River line adjacent to the Hamersley Iron at the 75.4 km then curving southeast to cross the Western Creek at the 74.1 km bridge, the Robe track then joined the Tom Price line at Emu Siding, Robe chainage changed from 76.3 to Tom Price chainage of 78.4 km.

And then from 2012 proposals for full duplication of the Cape Lambert to Western Creek line were started and over the coming years completed. This included the new Emu Siding (passing track or loop) of the Deepdale line to emu ended up with four roads, two (original configuration) for the HI Dampier line and the new alignment for the Deepdale duplication. One and two road are for the Deepdale line, and three and four roads are the original end of the Emu duplication on the Dampier line. One and three roads both had a back track and spur.

The Western Creek East Mainline has a crossover to the original Deepdale line at the 71 km. The east line runs along the Deepdale line on the east for a couple of kilometres on a level alignment while the Deepdale line climbs, before curving to the south and crossing the Western Creek on another bridge at the 74.1 km. The east mainline then becomes One Road Emu with a chainage change from 74.886 km to Tom Price chainage 77.062. There is also a crossover from the west mainline which forms Two Road Emu at this location. Both roads then continue to curve towards the Tom Price mainlines where they converge at the 80.21 km for two road onto three road and four road onto the east mainline at 80.5 km.

The attached image has a loaded train departing Emu for Cape Lambert on the original interconnecting road between Emu and Western Creek (Western Creek West Mainline) with the entire train curving back up though the grades from Emu. The closet track is the Tom Price line to Dampier, the track behind is the Western Creek East Mainline to Cape Lambert and the train is on the west mainline.

Rio Tinto breast cancer ore waggon pair.

A rare sight in the Pilbara, a Rio Tinto pink iron ore waggon pair to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Chinese built Bradken control waggon 20475 and slave waggon 25475 make the pair with a build date of July 2014, still holding colour pretty well in June 2018.

Full size link to image here.