awesome shots there Paul, That Queensland Rail locomotive is actually ex West Australian Govt Railways. The L class has a 16 cylinder 645 engine (SD40-2) after being sold by ARG after they bought the WAGR, it went to Australian Transport Network or ATN (owned by Wisconsin Central) of course as everyone knows WC was bought by CN and CN not interested in the rest of the world sold most of WC international assests. The New Zealand assests were bought by Australian logistics firm Toll Holdings while the Australian stuff (mainland and Tasmania) was bought by Pacific National (jointly owned by Patricks and Toll Holdings) I'm not sure how many but some of the L class locos went to a company called Northern Rivers Railroad which operated freight trains on the Casino - Murwillumbah line (mainly flyash but also had RIC contracts for the nth coast line north of Casino) that's where the other 2 locos came from (ex NSWGR 421 class GM's) anyways with the line shutting down and the company in the red they sold out to Queensland Rail (QR) forming a new company called Interrail. now comes the politics. ARTC (federal govt) owns the main lines throughout most of Australia except in Queensland, QLD control takes over just south of border loop. I can't remember what sparked it off (I think it was to do with trackage rights to Fishermans Island near Brisbane) but they decided that anyone who wanted to run trains in QLD had to be accredited with the QLD ministry of transport. so Countrylink with the passenger trains did, so did Pacific National to run standard guage intermodals to Brisbane. but of course with the accreditation they could run anywhere in QLD, so they bought some narrow guage locos and now run intermodal from Brisbane to Cairns. so with PN diving into "their" wallets QR decided to head south and take PN's business, Interrail became QR National or QRN and they went for the Hunter coalfields, picked up a few contracts (including the train pictured above) plus at the start of the yr, went in bigtime with the purchase of new 5000hp AC GE's weighing 176t (the heaviest locos on the state system - also the first AC's and the first 5000hp locos). The signals are also interesting, they are semaphore shunt signals, (a signal for switching purposes not mainline running) The lower of the 2 (the one shaped like a bow tie) is a wrong road shunt signal. the lines in NSW being unidirectional (as opposed to bi-directional) and any switching move that has to move the train in a direction against the flow of traffic has that shape
Here is the XPT just left Broadmeadow and approaching Woodville Signal Box Here you can see the rear locomotive with Woodville Signal Box on the right. The box is situated under a 4 lane road bridge.
The XPT are, I believe, a version of our HST, which are also still going strong. A lot of people (myself included) say they are the best train we have ever had - and still are! Good to see them alive and well down under
Yes, they are Alan. Note the Granny catcher under the front? They had to be installed due to country folk driving out on unmarked crossings with stopping and listening carefully. The XPT's were somewhat quieter than the trains they replaced and a few accidents occured derailing the train. Unfortunately, there were deaths (in the cars) but fortunately there wasn't the HST speeds involved so no deaths onboard (from memory).
These next shots are on the northern end of Woodville junction. 2 82 class and a 81 class locomotives with 100 tonne coal hoppers. You can also see in the first photos a recently installed turnout (switch) Still more pics to come
awesome shots Paul, I take it the crossover in the foreground is the new one?? The coal hoppers are 120t. The 30t axle loading limits them to the Hunter Valley areas.
thought I'd add another one, taken 2 weeks ago, NR class locos head south through Liverpool in Sydney on an Intermodal service
Here is a NR locomotive with an intermodal consist, also a V set passenger train heading to Newcastle Notice the LED signals Here is another QR loco approaching Fassifern
Paul, those pictures are outstanding Folks, notice how Paul he always points out the signals? he must have an interest in them
Alan, there are multiple LEDs to make the circle pattern of the signal. (gives it a spotty look) these signals are single colour LED (in that there are only red LEDs for the that head and so on. but we have some signals in the Metro area (at Macdonaldtown just out of Central) which show all three colours (red, yellow, green) on the one circle which is done by inclding the LED for the different colours to make the circle pattern. I'll try and get some pics today to better explain. The third pic is an ex NSWGR 442class Alco. when sold by the govt it was bought by Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA) and renamed the JL class. The train is most likely Lachlan Valley Railfreight's 4168 freight from Sandgate (Newcastle) to Sydney.
We have some 'searchlight LED (2 colour)' style going in over here now, very different looking signals! London Bridge has 4 aspect (2x LED searchlights) installed as well, but I didn't shoot a pic. Maybe when I'm next in London. Great pics - keep em coming.
There are approximately 300 individual LED's in each aspect designed in strings usually of around 10 to 15 LED's to increase reliability.
