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brownhillboy
Station Master
Joined: May 14, 2004
Last Visited: Aug 21, 2008
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:48 pm
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What is the frequency of trains on this line at the moment? Travelled out that way last week. There were two vans at Wyandra, one being loaded with wool, and 5 or 6 vans at the terminus. There was a noticeable lack of shine on the rails, but quite a few new sleepers and some fresh ballast along the track. Many of the old sleepers are rapidly disintergrating.
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47417
Station Staff
Joined: Nov 02, 2007
Last Visited: Jul 24, 2008
Location: SEQ - the fastest growing part of AUS
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:05 pm
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Around 2 trains out & back from Charleville each week. Amount of maintenance being done on the line bears no correlation to the traffic frequency!
Quilpie branch has just had a large scale relaying/resleepering job with around 18 track machines in use between there and Coolbinga all for the same amount of trains!
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RTT_Rules
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 4, 2008
Location: Gladstone Qld
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:36 am
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I believe Yaraka lines 10yr contract was up in 2002 or was it 2004, but some hoo har was made at the time how QR had signed a new contract with QT and the work to be done on the line. I think they actually did a sleeper replacement program of sorts, then a few years later, all gone!
Regards
Shane
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The Vinelander
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Mar 28, 2006
Last Visited: Dec 5, 2008
Location: Ballan, Victoria on the Ballarat RFR Line
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:35 pm
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| RTT_Rules wrote: | I believe Yaraka lines 10yr contract was up in 2002 or was it 2004, but some hoo har was made at the time how QR had signed a new contract with QT and the work to be done on the line. I think they actually did a sleeper replacement program of sorts, then a few years later, all gone!
Regards
Shane |
However with Quilpie & Cheepies populations vastly higher than Yaraka, IMO the Quilpie line has a much more certain future.
Mike.
The Vinelander, from Melbourne to Mildura was Victoria's only overnight sleeping car train which was launched 8/8/1972.
Ballan, the best town, on the best railway line, in the best state, of the best country in the World. Currently in Longreach.
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RTT_Rules
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 4, 2008
Location: Gladstone Qld
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:01 am
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| The Vinelander wrote: | | RTT_Rules wrote: | I believe Yaraka lines 10yr contract was up in 2002 or was it 2004, but some hoo har was made at the time how QR had signed a new contract with QT and the work to be done on the line. I think they actually did a sleeper replacement program of sorts, then a few years later, all gone!
Regards
Shane |
However with Quilpie & Cheepies populations vastly higher than Yaraka, IMO the Quilpie line has a much more certain future.
Mike. |
Hi Mike/all
The biggest load for Yaraka was I believe the actual track gang who lived there, it appears from what I can make out once these guys were moved to Blackall around 2004/5, the loadings to Yaraka mostly dissappeared.
As for Quilpie and Cunna, yes currently two trains a week, but so was Dirrambi (spelling) and other locations including Yaraka line at one stage. QR/QT put the hard word on Cunna cattle loadings about 2 years back when they said a block load or nothing. You probably find similar pressure was applied to (many) other now former cattle loading yards such as Blackall. Blackall used to get its cattle train seperate to mixed, then in early 2000's QR combined in what appeared to be a sensible move to reduce operating costs by running 1 larger train through the busy coal network. Not sure when the cattle stopped, but this was the death knell as otherwise I would have thought the line to Blackall at least would have had a future. Yaraka was always probably a done deal. Hence my evil twin believes QR/QT deliberately killed off Yaraka/Blackall rail to open up at least one more path a week for coal. So a few hundred tonnes per week verus 10,000t.
Maybe the difference with Quilpie and Cunna is that their loadings come in as part of Charliville train. So killing this traffic won't make enable more coal through to Brisbane as its likely the load would still be on train to Charlie or at least the Charlie traffic would still be and QT/QR/QG is not yet willing to kill the traffic to Charlie and close the line. Likely would still got to Roma.
As for Dirrambi (spelling) if this was a seperate train from Brisbane, then likewise kill the train so the paths can be used by coal. I'm sure running all these mixed to Toowoomba as one big train is an option then spilt, but I don't know enough details. Also Charlieville has a pax train, so this is a much harder egg for QT/QR/QG to break politically although I think there would be some noise but short lived with no loss of seats by govt.
As these general mixed trains to Cunna and Quilpie are a true competitor against semi's/B-doubles hauling everything from a new tractor to the beer, has their loadings increased with rising fuel costs? I doubt it.
Regards
Shane
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Bamang
Station Master
Joined: Jul 07, 2007
Last Visited: Jul 26, 2008
Location: Brisbane
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:37 am
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Dirranbandi branch is to be closed from Thallon to Dirran soon. The gang at Thallon is to be withdrawn back to Goondiwindi. QR Access, QT & the local shire have agreed to using the money from track maintenance on upgrading the the road from Thallon to Dirranbandi. There is also indications this will also happen to Charleville to Cunnamulla.
Bamang
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Byjingodingo
Locomotive Driver
Joined: Mar 25, 2004
Last Visited: Nov 16, 2008
Location: North Lakes
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:39 pm
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Speaking of cutbacks & pending branch closures, Monto is to lose it's weekly scheduled train. Services on that line will be "as required" which of course is the precuser to "not required"
Of course there's still a good chance of the Gladstone - Monto section seeing some mineral action sometime.
LOOK OUT FOR TRAIN
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inlander
Train Controller
Joined: Aug 03, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 11, 2008
Location: Brisbane
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:15 am
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A good rule of thumb is: Any line that can only take the axle loadings of 1720/50 class is facing closure.- heck they hastily recommissoned 2 x 60 T diesels from death row at Redbank two months ago- they are desperately short of locos at the momement. Last month Brisbane lost 3 locos to the coal group. The second loco has been dropped from the Sunlanders and we cant even get enough locos for our work trains.(Ballast, spoil etc)
They did some upgrading work for 90 t diesels over the years to keep certain segments open- i.e. Ariga sugar, Roma - Charleville etc, Emerald-Winton.
The other issue is that the handful of QLX wagons they have left in active service are clapped out. So, that leaves containers and you need some equipment to load/unload these.
So they will probably sell Charleville as an upgraded HUB and run connecting trucks to the far west. Long term I even think the line will be truncated to Roma.
This is a Coal haulage railroad now and they are being encouraged this way by the Government. So your railway is safe if it hauls Coal.
Forgive those who do not travel by train for they will not inherit the earth!
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RTT_Rules
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jun 23, 2004
Last Visited: Dec 4, 2008
Location: Gladstone Qld
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:50 am
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| Byjingodingo wrote: | Speaking of cutbacks & pending branch closures, Monto is to lose it's weekly scheduled train. Services on that line will be "as required" which of course is the precuser to "not required"
Of course there's still a good chance of the Gladstone - Monto section seeing some mineral action sometime. |
Mmmm, Monto Loop very interesting. I went through Monto about a year ago. The town QR depo looked liked it belonged on a coal line as it was that big, even had stacks of concrete sleepers. Meanwhile the rails suffered from a distinct lack of shine even the section being used.
Its been discussed for sometime that the southern leg was iffy at best and how long it would last. Some dared to say that closure was nigh! But these suggestions where quickly shot down by others to the point that comments here where upsetting the drivers based at Gaynah (spelling) who's jobs where therefore at risk. Others commented that these same drivers where told they had a job as long as they wanted it, but any resignations would not be replaced, but rather brought in from Mary on a as needs basis. Begs the question, how many drivers are we talking about for a weekly train? And what else do these guys do for the rest of the week? (I remember a comment from a former boss years ago, if you are not busy doing productive work for your employer at least 75% of the time, start looking for another job) One thing for sure if the posts here are anything to go by, the loadings are on the wane and I believe a large portion of forestry based goods was under threat from closure of the resource.
Onto the north side, this is the leg I followed back to Gladstone. This has to be the best maintained rarely used line in Qld. The track is light weight, but very tidy, I supose if you don't have trains damaging your good work, you can do this. Monto Minerals, well apart from the test train I haven't heard or read any additional services to service the minerals mine and there was something in the local paper a while back about them using trucks, but it wasn't about using truck over train. Just a general article about the first ship loading and the trucks had special dust prevention or something like that. Reading their website, things do look a bit shakey at the mine due to reduced production and limited cash flow.
On the coal front or real loadings and the only reason new lines are built in Qld, despite record coal prices, there has been no further haulage of coal out of the area and I doubt there will be for sometime. I know Cement Australia - Gladstone would love to use it but there seems limited interest by the mine owner and the greenies are against it. So why wouldn't they stick to easier mined stuff further north. Also the current line is rated to something like 1mpta, so any decent tonnes will need a major upgrade in loop size etc. The previous upgrade for the coal was abandoned at Many Peaks around 2004 and recent trips have confirmed the stored sleepers have been removed, but the track doesn't look like it has seen a major sleeper replacement work and I think the 2nh hand 45kg rail was still lying along the track between Many Peaks and the solar power LX towards Monto. The road has also been given an upgrade with more sealing but still hardly a truck route.
Unless there is something I've missed (and feel free to comment)unfortunately I think the loop is destined for mothballing/closure within a few years. I just think its when QT get to it as they seem to be targetting one minor branch at a time, about one a year for last few years. Probably means there is a small team of people in QT working through all these subsdised lines addressing the funding issues for conversion of the low volume general traffic from rail to road.
ie
- Yaraka
- Apples on Wa?? border branch
- Winton- Hugie
- Yeppoon
- Low grain volume stuff in CQ
- Low volume shorter hauled Cattle
- Kingaroy
Also Bundy freight for Brisbane and other general freight removed from other lines.
Meanwhile I still see the same Pineapple boxes headed to Brisbane on B-doubles and when this traffic stopped there was comments about the conversion to rail unfriendly boxes. Also sure the branch line to Yeppoon was not viable, but why not use Rocky as the railhead to Brisbane as does Qmag, Cement Australia, meat works etc etc.
And worse to come, there has been a steady flow of lighter weight concrete sleepers (ie not CQ coal size) headed to south, assume to Brisbane via B-double and semi.
Regards
Shane
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