With the line reopened and a deviation in place at the derailment site at Coonana, SCT's Melbourne to Perth freight service 6MP9 powers through Parkeston non-stop on Thursday 23rd of August behind Downer EDI built EMD model GT46C-ACe unit SCT 001 serial 07-1725 and lease unit EDI Rail built Progress Rail model GT46C-ACe unit LDP 005 in the Progress Rail livery. Fuel waggon is PQFY 4256, and crew coach is PDAY 003 'Monica Ivey Smith'.
A video of the train can be seen here.
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.
FMG's SD90MAC-H2 units are stored at the south end of their yard, the line up from nearest the camera is: 910, 911, 912, 917, 913, 914 and 915.
Only 916 is operational and appears to be used as a shunt engine around the workshops, it was near the wheel lathe. 912 looks like it might have its engine removed. 917 has some engine parts removed, namely 'power assemblies'.
For more detail on these units see the power roster for FMG: FMG Motive Power Roster
3C74 empty lime / cement train powers upgrade away from Parkeston at the Yarri Road grade crossing behind Aurizon's AC class locomotive AC 4306 serial R-0006-04/09-377 a General Electric C43aci model built by Goninan NSW in 2009 for ARG with nine waggons. 21st of August 2018.
Roy Hill's five pink, in support of breast cancer, ES44ACi units (RHA 1022 - RHA 1026) commenced being delivered to their Flash Butt yard on Friday 7th September, with the reminder to be delivered on Saturday 8th September.
The vessel BBC Virginia berthed in Port Hedland overnight (early AM Friday) Thursday 6th September 2018.
These locos will complement the already in service pink waggons and also mean that the currently on hire CFCLA CM40-8M unit should become surplus to power requirements.
An image of the units can be seen here.
During a recent trip south narrow gauge CBH grain train 1A43 was chased from Newdegate to Burngup. Operated by CBH 012 'Piesseville' and CBH 005.
The locos were both built by MotivePower, Inc. Boise, Idaho, USA in 2012 with 005 (serial 2363.05) being model MP27CN and 012 (serial 2363.12) as model MP33CN with the main difference being the horsepower rating, 2700 or 3300.
The train is seen here passing the old water tank at the former siding of Burngup.
A video of this train with footage from Lake Biddy, Buniche and Burngup can be viewed here or copy and paste this text: https://youtu.be/0MkjrVyYGK0
During a recent trip south narrow gauge CBH grain train 1A43 was chased from Newdegate to Burngup. Operated by CBH 012 'Piesseville' and CBH 005.
The locos were both built by MotivePower, Inc. Boise, Idaho, USA in 2012 with 005 (serial 2363.05) being model MP27CN and 012 (serial 2363.12) as model MP33CN with the main difference being the horsepower rating, 2700 or 3300.
The train is seen here climbing the grade into Buniche Siding.
A video of this train with footage from Lake Biddy, Buniche and Burngup can be viewed here or copy and paste this text: https://youtu.be/0MkjrVyYGK0
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).
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.
Well, another BHP SD70ACe unit has been named, 4473 serial 20148001-006 named after driver Howie Evans.
Toad has finished the updating and correction for the BHP motive power roster, it now includes all units from the F7A through the ALCo C and M 636 series, C36-7M rebuilds, the CM39-8, CM40-8 and CM40-8M units, the AC6000's and SD40's to finally the entire fleet of SD70ACe unit. The listing is now top down, from current units down to the F7A.
And a shot of SD70ACe units at the Mooka Staging Facility, 4468 with 4487 'Paul Harris' and 4412 and 4329 'Pilbara' with loaded rakes.
Toad likes this spot because the road is sealed, and he can drive his little purple car out to there...
