Loram grinder at BHP Nelson Point.

Spotted this arvo inside BHP's Nelson Point yard was this Loram RGS 24 stone rail grinder. 

Link to Loram website.

How to spot an SD70ACe-P6.

The only way to tell an SD70ACe-P6 model unit from a standard unit is the difference in height of the inverter cabinet located on the observers or left-hand side immediately behind the cab. The -P6 is slightly higher and is noticeable on Aussie units as we have a kickplate on our handrail assemblies.

The -P6 model has an inverter per axle to allow better traction control and therefore greater adhesion over the standard model which has an inverter per bogie or truck.

The attached picture shows the step height change on FMG SD70ACe-P6 unit 727 serial 20188761-006 built in Nov 2019. The FMG order was built to the same specs and at the same time as the final ten units of Norfolk Southern order for 50 units #1175-1224.

• FMG Roster page

• NSDash9.com roster page

FMG operating new EMD SD70ACe-P6 model locomotives.

Back in February 2020 two deliveries of five locos each were unloaded at Port Hedland then delivered via road to FMG. The ten units were built by Progress Rail at their Electro-Motive factory in Muncie. The units were built the same time as an order was being built for Norfolk Southern and the FMG units were delivered pretty much identical to the NS order. With the Australian standard handrails being installed locally.

The units are the SD70ACe-P6 and they have an inverter per axle rather than the standard inverter per bogie (or truck) giving better traction control and also have a higher rated T3 compliant prime mover the 16-710G3C-T3 for 4500 horsepower.

Some videos of the units running trains can be found here: Shift Pig Youtube videos.

Speno rail grinder RG5 being tested at Bing.

Between Bing Siding and the Flashbutt Yard, Speno Rail Maintenance Australia appear to be testing / commissioning their new RG5 rail grinder, which is an RR36, meaning 36 grinding wheels with serial M36A. It is between RG3 and RR48 and RG4 another RR36.

BHP Iron Ore use Speno and Loram for rail grinding activities to enhance operational performance of their rail line and wheel wear.

FMG SD90MAC-H2 units still stored.

Here's a panorama image of FMG's eight SD90MAC-H2 units stored out of service down the south end of the Thomas rail yard. 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'.

There was a rumour these units are to be scrapped.

FMG receives more ore waggons.

FMG has been taking delivery of more ore waggons over the last few days. This is believed to be the second part of an order for 248 new cars as part of expansion and removing bottlenecks in the supply chain.

The first 124 waggons arrived in February.

Numbers in this second batch look to be filling in some gaps in the numbering sequence. Numbers seen have been 10018, 9017, 9033 and 7997.

By the style they are from China Southern CSR Yangtze.

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.

Trip south to Kal, EP and Port Augusta.

Well, it's been a while between posts, a trip to Kalgoorlie, the Eyre Peninsula and Port Augusta was undertaken in January and the videos have now all been sorted and uploaded to ewetube. Link to videos is here!

The image is priority Pacific National intermodal train 2SP7 around the big curve 4km east of Mount Gipps on the Broken Hill line with NR 53 leading NR 118 and 37 vehicles for 1680 metres and 3466 tonnes on the 22nd of January 2019.

Some sightings around SA:

13/1

• 6PM9 LDP 002 CSR 004 Bookaloo

• 6MP9 SCT 013 SCT 009 Bookaloo

22/1

• 2SP7 NR 53 NR 118 Broken Hill
• 1PS6 NR 31 NR 112 Broken Hill
• 3AS8 NR 29 G 530 Broken Hill

• 2NY3 NR 88 Broken Hill

23/1

• 2PS7 NR 70 NR 45 Mannahill
• 4500 NR 98 Mannahill
• 3GX1 SCT 005 CSR 012 Yunta and Ucolta

• SCT 5 ran out as light engine, I think 2SP7 dragged GX1 into Yunta as it was there a long time and reported as shunting around. SCT departed long end lead with the CSR shut down.

24/1

• 4416S EL 63 GL 112 Crystal Brook
• 4SA8 NR 26 G 530 Crystal Brook
• 3PS6 NR 4 NR 23 Crystal Brook
• 3PM7 NR 86 NR 34 Coonamia
• 5455S NR 98 Crystal Brook
• 4M41 CLP 14 FQ 01 Crystal Brook
• 3DA2 GWA 006 ALF 24 Bungama

BHP Hospital Train led by 4377.

BHP Iron Ore operated a 'Hospital Train' which arrived back into Nelson Point yard late on the 18th of November 2018. Included in the consist were the last twenty-six waggons from the recent Turner derailment, some ballast waggons, ballast plough, #8500 flat waggon and some ore waggons with flat wheels.

The consist was:

• SD70ACe loco 4377
• Ore waggon 9305 with brake cut out
• Ore waggon 2265 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 9658 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 9219 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10874 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10876 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2456 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 7035 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10111 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4784 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10302 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4938 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4656 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10018 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 9578 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 5914 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2705 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 8017 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 0099 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 3195 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 8083 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 0652 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2461 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 2771 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 10522 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 4075 from the Turner derailment
• Ore waggon 8718 from the Turner derailment
• Ballast waggon 0227
• Ballast waggon 0207
• Ballast waggon 0209
• Ballast waggon 0226
• Ballast waggon 0232
• Ballast waggon 0213
• Ballast waggon 0216
• Ballast waggon 0230
• Ballast plough BP 02
• SD70ACe 4485 'KRSTE APOLESKI'
• Flat waggon 8500
• Ore waggon 7842 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 6768 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 6658 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 5349 with wheel flats
• Ore waggon 8454 with wheel flats

A video of the train also filmed by Roland Depth can be found here, or copy and paste this into your browser https://youtu.be/O0c6kzpJI6s

15 years ago, stored Robe River ALCo M636 units.

Robe River AE-Goodwin built M636 ALCo locomotive 9416 serial G-6046-16 was originally built for Hamersley Iron as 4045 but sold to Robe River and delivered in HI green and yellow in 1973, and originally numbered 1716 by Robe.

The piping on these units is for air-to-air intercooling in an effort to lower the air intake temperature and all three had the 251 Plus ALCo engine.

Behind 9416 are fellow AE Goodwin built M636 ALCo units, 9413 serial G-6060-4 built in December 1971, originally numbered 262.004 then 1713, and 9415 serial G-6060-6 built February 1972, originally numbered 1715.