Well the E8 has two 12 cylinder engines so it would naturally look different. The CL body isn't that unusual. EMD itself put similar bodies (albeit without bulldog noses) on comtemporary cowl units with the same engines. The CLF/CLP class aren't really that old either (CFCLA's B61 is old - built in 1952 and still running). They were completely rebuilt in 1993 and very few of the original (1970) components remain. Most have Wabtech QES-3 traction control and the model number is now shown on the 'new' builders plates (replicas, MKA destroyed the original Clyde plates!) as AT26C-3M (CLF) and AT26HC-3M (CLP). CLF6 had ZTR traction control back in 2000 but this may have since been replaced by QES-3. Cheers David
Sydney weather????? Last week it was snowing at Katoomba and a bushfire was raging out of control at Mt Victoria just a little further up the line. on one day in Sydney it was 27degC the next day it was 17. We had 2 days over 30 this week and they declared WOLO on those 2 days (railway jargon meaning reduce speed due to effects of heat on track and overhead) haven't been taking my camera to work, so missed all those photo ops of freights going to/coming from Sandown. I'll be at Sydenham Complex next week doing absolutley nothing and getting paid for it - gotta love the railways
Sorry for Being a Train spotting Noob, But the Train that Looks Like an F7 often goes through Moss Vale Carrying Cargo for the Manildra Group.(the Orange one) I mean everytime I see it, I just wish I had the Digi Cam with me.. I mean this morning what looked like a Series of Dash 8's were pulling Grain Cars.. The Crossing on Suttor Road in Moss Vale offers some Good Opportunities to capture the 20-40 car Trains heading to Wollongong... Only problem is I never know the Schedule...
The locos used on the Manildra train are CLF/CLP types. Bulldog nose but inside it's an SD40. You can get the schedule off the ARTC web site. http://artc.com.au/nsw/08-oct-2006-fcp-swtt_v2.htm The CL class were built with the bulldog nose because EMD still had the jigs in 1969. The nose panels were pressed at LaGrange and shipped out to Clyde with the engines and electrical equipment. The DL class were going to have bulldog noses too but by 1987 the jigs had apparently been scrapped, so Clyde put a cowl nose on them. Cheers David
Are the tracks and infrastructure owned by the govt, with the private operators paying a fee, or are they all privately owned?
The tracks and overhead in the greater metropolitan area are owned by Railcorp, which is a state owned corporation of the New South Wales government. This includes all Sydney suburban lines and extends as far as Nowra, Macarthur, Lithgow and Newcastle. Outside the Railcorp area (beyond Macarthur, Lithgow, Broadmeadow and including Unanderra - Moss Vale) the tracks are owned by the NSW government and leased to the Australian Rail Track Corporation, which is owned by the Federal government. ARTC is responsible for maintenance of those lines. All operators pay access fees to Railcorp and ARTC, including the government passenger operators and the volunteer heritage groups which are accredited operators. Railcorp nominally pays itself for access by CityRail and Countrylink via internal accounting. Aside from access fees, the NSW government also pays a maintenance contribution to ARTC for lines used by CityRail and Countrylink passenger services so they can be maintained to the higher standed required for faster passenger trains. (At least that's the official line!) The major exception is the extensive network of track around the Port Kembla steelworks which is owned by BlueScope Steel (formerly BHP, formerly AI&S). There are some short coal lines in the Hunter Valley which are privately owned but for train control and signalling purposes are part of the ARTC network. Cheers David
Here's one for the photographers. One of the electrical stator carriers has been moved to Clyde Up Yard. These are the giant special load wagons for carrying transformers to power stations. Rumoured that it will be used to carry transformers to the new gas-fired power stations at Tallawarra, Tomago and Uranquinty. Cheers David
For interest, here are the extra intercity trains on New Year's Eve. There's a lot more this year, and suburbans are running all night (until the start of the normal public holiday timetable) rather than stopping at 3.30am as they have done the last few years. 1616 Gosford - Parramatta via North Shore (8 car G set) 1702 Gosford - Newcastle (4 car K set) 1716 Gosford - Parramatta via North Shore (8G) 1745 Central - Wyong extended to Newcastle (8V) 1802 Gosford - Newcastle (4K) 1804 Gosford - Central (8G) 1845 Central - Gosford extended to Newcastle (6V) 2130 Newcastle - Central (4V) 2220 Newcastle - Gosford (4V) 2244 Wollongong - Central (8G) 2250 Newcastle - Central (6V) 2256 Mt Victoria - Central (8V) 2312 Gosford - Central (8G) 2346 Lithgow - Central (4V) 2344 Wollongong - Central (4G) 0017 Central - Dapto (8V) 0020 Newcastle - Gosford (4V) 0035 Moss Vale - Campbelltown (2N) 0045 Central - Newcastle (4V) 0050 Newcastle - Gosford (4V) 0107 Parramatta - Gosford via North Shore (8G) 0115 Central - Newcastle terminates at Wyong (8G). Connect 0300 Gosford - Newcastle. 0117 Central - Kiama (8G) 0118 Central - Lithgow (8V) 0120 Newcastle - Gosford (4K) 0139 Central - Gosford (8G) 0148 Central - Mt Victoria (8V) 0150 Newcastle - Gosford (4K) 0214 Kiama - Wollongong (4G) 0215 Central - Newcastle (4V) 0217 Central - Kiama (4G) 0238 Gosford - Central (6V) 0240 Campbelltown - Moss Vale (2N) 0248 Central - Lithgow (4V) 0300 Gosford - Newcastle (8V) 0310 Central - Pt Kembla (4G) 0315 Central - Wyong (6V) 0330 Newcastle - Gosford (4V) 0407 Parramatta - Gosford via North Shore (8G) This could very well be the last hurrah for the 620/720 sets on Upper Hunter services. Newcastle - Telarah (tabled for 620/720 unless otherwise specified) 16.24, 17.24, 18.24, 19.24, 20.24, 21.24, 21.39, 22.24, 23.24 (2N), 23.54 (2N), 0.24, 0.39 (2N), 0.54, 1.24 (2N), 1.54 (2N), 2.54, 3.24 (2N). Telarah - Newcastle (tabled for 620/720 unless otherwise specified) 17.14, 18.14, 19.14, 20.14, 20.04, 21.14, 22.14 (2N), 22.29 (2N), 23.14, 0.44 (2N), 1.14, 1.29 (2N), 1.44, 2.14 (2N), 2.44 (2N), 3.44, 4.20 (2N). Cheers David
In response to QR national "oops" I have heard on the grape vine that the air brakes were not connected. Is this true? Here in Melbourne things are very quiet. No more wheat tarins due to the drought. Chris
Granville disaster remembered Railway workers involved in the rescue effort that followed Australia's worst train disaster will today be honoured in Sydney. Today marks 30 years since the Granville train disaster, in which 83 people died and 210 were injured when a Blue Mountains train was crushed by a fallen road overpass. On January 18, 1977, the 6.09am Mt Victoria to City train jumped the tracks and crashed into the 170-tonne Bold Street Bridge at Granville, in Sydney's west, at 8.12am. Each year, family and friends of survivors and those involved in the rescue efforts gather to throw 83 roses off the bridge in honour of those who died. For the first time, this year's service will also honour staff of the then Railways Department who were involved in the rescue mission. In a special tribute marking the 30th anniversary, a single rose will be thrown from the Bold Street Bridge at 8.12am (AEDT), the exact time at which the crash occurred. Transport Minister John Watkins will then unveil a memorial plaque at Granville Station at 10am, before an 11am church service at St Mark's Anglican Church. NSW Premier Morris Iemma will also attend the church service and speak at a noon wreath laying ceremony, at the Granville Rail Disaster Memorial near the station. Following the wreath laying, the 83 roses will be dropped from the Bold Street Bridge onto the rails, and a lunch will be held for guests and disaster survivors at the Granville Town Hall. AAP ---- The annual memorial of dropping roses off the bridge onto the track is how the 1998 mini series about Granville was named Day of the Roses. Cheers David
had to warn the down Urbans to be aware of falling roses. one yr someone threw a large flowery thingo on to the tracks in front of a train and bounced of the drivers windshield. boy he wasn't happy!!!
Central Station, Sydney. The Indian Pacific passenger train adds auto rack cars prior to the departure to Perth. This trip is similar to traveling on the Auto Train in the US where your car is loaded to travel with you to destination. Wonder why they don't just drive to Perth?
Do the autos get much damage during the India Pacific trip? The Auto Train uses fully enclosed Auto-Racks for protection. I assume trains suffer much higher vandalism and mischief in the US than in OZ.
The only real damage used to be from the engine oil deposits on your paint work.Think they run them on the rear now.
We don't call them autoracks. Like the Brits we call it Motorail. No vandalism as they only stop at passenger stations. The longest stops en route are Adelaide Keswick where cars are loaded and unloaded (i.e. staff around) and Cook in the middle of nowhere on the Nullabor Plain. The cars do get a bit dirty from exhaust residue (not to mention dust!) but they are cleaned on arrival. They always run on the Adelaide end of the train because the Motorail ramps are at the far end of platform 1 in Sydney. So they are trailing from Adelaide to Sydney and leading from Sydney to Adelaide. The train reverses in Adelaide and I think they are on the Adelaide end between Adelaide and Perth too. Cheers David
awesome pic Flash!!! as to driving. imagine driving through death Valley and times the travelling time by 2 days. there is nothing out there. Cook which is in the middle of the Nullabour plain has a population of about 20 or so and it's the only town within 1000kms. to give you an idea if size and baroness. There is a sheep station is Sth Australia the size of Belguim. (found that in the guinness book of records)
The resident population of Cook is 4. Of the 12 houses there are only 2 permamently inhabited. The rest are barracks for train drivers and track gangs. The nearest notable town is Ceduna about 250km away. Adelaide is 800km away. There is a cattle station in Queensland bigger than Texas. Cheers David
