FMG's ex-BNSF 9-44CW units cleaned before service.

FMG has leased eight Watco / GE lease units which are former BNSF units from an order of 217 General Electric 9-44CW locomotives under order number 1893 and the eight units that came to Australia are:

• 4783 serial number 50637 build Jun-1998
• 4787 serial number 50641 build Jun-1998
• 4807 serial number 50661 build Jul-1998
• 4833 serial number 50687 build Aug-1998
• 4836 serial number 50690 build Aug-1998
• 4847 serial number 50701 build Aug-1998
• 4854 serial number 50708 build Aug-1998
• 4871 serial number 50725 build Sep-1998

4787 and 4783 sit on stands and have had their hood doors removed for intensive cleaning.

FMG's ex-BNSF 9-44CW units arrive in the Pilbara.

Well after a couple of days unloading over the 14th and 15th August 2021 FMG's eight lease units being former BNSF 9-44CW locomotives have 'hit the ground' in the Pilbara. It seems they have been separated from their bogies or trucks.

They are said to be on a four-year lease while additional motive power is rebuilt or sourced. The units are: GECX 4854, 4833, 4807, 4847, 4787, 4783, 4836, 4871.

They were shipped from Norfolk VA to Port Hedland on the heavy lift vessel BBC Emerald. 4854 was the first unloaded on the 14th and 4836 was the final on the 15th.

BNSF ordered 217 General Electric 9-44CW units under order number 1893 and the eight units that came to Australia are:

• 4783 serial number 50637 build Jun-1998
• 4787 serial number 50641 build Jun-1998
• 4807 serial number 50661 build Jul-1998
• 4833 serial number 50687 build Aug-1998
• 4836 serial number 50690 build Aug-1998
• 4847 serial number 50701 build Aug-1998
• 4854 serial number 50708 build Aug-1998
• 4871 serial number 50725 build Sep-1998

4836 and 4871 sit on stands and have had their hood doors removed.

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

FMG SD90MAC-H2 units still stored - update.

Here's an image of FMG's eight SD90MAC-H2 units stored out of service down the south end near their rail welding rail yard. 20th March 2021.

From left (port) to right (mine) are 910, 911, 912, 917, 913, 914, 915 and 916.

From studying images, it looks like both 912 and 916 have the engines removed, while 917 is partially stripped. Also, other items have been removed, like handbrake mechanisms and no doubt other 'bits'.

Pilbara Railways Historical Society photo album.

We have pulled our finger out and collated all of our digital images taken at the Pilbara Railways Historical Society Museum and put them into one album within our gallery.

Pilbara Railways Historical Society Gallery

Pilbara Railways Historical Society visit.

Went down and checked on the status of the museum as it has been a while. The museum is unable to be accessed by the general public now as it has a locked Rio Tinto access gate at the Dampier Salt end of the road. However, being a member access was arranged to do a quick inspection of the place.

In this image you can see from the left, the PWD crane, waggons and Simplex loco from Point Samson, a couple of ALCo engines, the Locotrol 'cab'; off of BHP 5663, the ALCo S2 Hamersley Iron 007 'Mabel', ALCo C415 demonstrator Hamersley Iron 1000, former NSWGR ALCo RSC-3 Robe River Iron Associates 9405 renumbered to 4002, English Electric ST95B Goldsworthy Mining 1, ALCo M636 BHP 5502 and EMD F7A Mt Newman Mining 5450.

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.

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.