Here are a few photos taken today at a local yard. The is an 80 class locomotive built by Alco (I think) The next 2 photos are taken of PL1 and PL3 which are locomotives used in a push pull intermodal train that carries containers between Port Botany and Minto container terminal on the ouskirts of Sydney. This terminal was built to reduce the amount of road truck carrying containers from the south west of Sydney to Port Botany The last photo is of new released ballast hoppers owned by Rail Infrastructure Corporation, notice the bright colours which are the Corporate colours. [ 31. October 2002, 06:01: Message edited by: Colonel ]
Those locomotives are interesting looking machines The ballast hopper looks good. In the old days, MOW equipment here was very drab, but we now have some bright new hoppers, etc. Thanks for a further insight into Aussie rails, Paul
Great pics there! Very interesting to see two very different loading guages on the two loco's in the first picture. The 80 class must be nearly US loading guage? Ref the push-pull intermodal train, do they then trans-ship the containers to another train, or do they shunt the wagons out for incoming ones where it meets the main line run?
They had a short clip on the TV this morning showing those l-o-n-g "Truck trains" in the outback. One had 6 trailers behind one tractor! That must be intimidating to meet on a road!
No the train enters the terminal where the containers are unloaded and new containers are loaded befroe the train goes back to the seaport. The containers are then distirbuted by truck for regional distribution. Barbara, yes we do have a lot of cattle and even though our rail corridor is fenced some to inevitably end up on the line.
Barb, don't be misled by the size of the pilot plate on the PL's - these are SMALL locos, one of the smallest DL-series designed. The top pic with the 80 has a trailing 48-class which the 2 PL's were modified from so you can see how small these units are (I think the overhead averages out at 17' high). The 48's (and I assume PL's) are rated at 850HP. Martyn, the Comeng designed and built, ALCo powered, 80 class itself has a smaller loading gauge than any US locomotive though larger than UK equivalents. Paul, you mean RIC can now afford paint? Wow, they must have saved some with the management restructuring!
