From Kalbar’s Fingerboards Project (Glenaladale) website:

Kalbar proposes to extract 170Mt of ore to produce around 8Mt of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) over 15-20 years.

giving an average of ~500,000 tonnes per annum.

Looking closely at the map Fernback seems 1/2 way between Sale and Bairnsdale.  When you look at the distance between Fernbank and the mine site area at Glenaladale is only around 15kms from the Fernback rail line,.  If the mine site has a lift of 15 to 20 years in Queensland and with 170m Tonnes to 500,000 tonnes of traffic to leave the area a spur would be a good alternative to trucks and other movements to the rail head.

15km of rail spur to the mine area (not familiar with the area) would be around $18m once off and some maintenance (which would need to be done on the raods anyway and more expensive) would say be $2m over the period is $20m of investment over 15 years is approximately $750k per annum over 500,000 tonnes is around $1.20 per ton for the use of the spur.  That is going to be a lot cheaper than trucks and roads.

Its not that far, the postulated "road" from mine to required new siding is 9km. Making that a 9km spur line is not a huge deal.

cheers
John

Its not that far, the postulated "road" from mine to required new siding is 9km. Making that a 9km spur line is not a huge deal.

cheers
John

Thank you for your response John and I do agree with you a spur would be the best solution when considering the traffic and the longevity of the development. 9km would be far less than $18m maybe it could be done for around $12m?

Ideally the spur should be paid for by the Department of Rail Freight in Victoria (Freight Victoria I think it is called) and would be far better value as a single mode.  I think this would already be in play in somewhere like NSW or QLD.

Its not that far, the postulated "road" from mine to required new siding is 9km. Making that a 9km spur line is not a huge deal.

cheers
John

Thank you for your response John and I do agree with you a spur would be the best solution when considering the traffic and the longevity of the development. 9km would be far less than $18m maybe it could be done for around $12m?

Ideally the spur should be paid for by the Department of Rail Freight in Victoria (Freight Victoria I think it is called) and would be far better value as a single mode.  I think this would already be in play in somewhere like NSW or QLD.

Well Victoria doesn't have much experience digging out huge amouts of dirt and moving it.
The last one, I think,  was brown coal (briquettes) from Morwell to Melb - now that really dates me!

cheers
John

Well Victoria doesn't have much experience digging out huge amouts of dirt and moving it.
The last one, I think,  was brown coal (briquettes) from Morwell to Melb - now that really dates me!

cheers
John

We still have the Kilmore East quarry train!

Ross

From the Western Victorian Railfan Guide website:
https://www.railfanguide.wancon.com.au/hhminsands.html

No longer operating due mine closure. Potential traffic from Manangatang, to Portland or Hamilton, should it go SG. Discussed in detail elsewhere.

From the Western Victorian Railfan Guide website:
https://www.railfanguide.wancon.com.au/hhminsands.html

No longer operating due mine closure. Potential traffic from Manangatang, to Portland or Hamilton, should it go SG. Discussed in detail elsewhere.

Kilmore, Houptoun and I'm sure there are others.
My point is, compared to trains out of the Hunter,  Victoria's experience with moving big volumes of dirt , doesn't amount to much.
Hence building a spur line to any new mine is not the first thing to be thought of.

cheers
John

From the link above, courtesy of thekingoffoxes:


Port facility
Port Anthony is approximately 160km from the mine site by road. It has adequate capacity, suitable shed facilities for stockpiling HMC and can accommodate appropriate-sized vessels for exporting HMC. No project works are expected to be required at Port Anthony.

If rail is chosen as a transport option, then the Port of Melbourne will be considered as an alternative to Port Anthony.

The section on transport options carried out by Arup in the Kalbar website says that road transport to the Australian Paper Maryvale intermodal facility and then 'Port Anthony' would be used until the 'upgrade' of the Avon River bridge was completed. It suggests that once the bridge is available product would be trucked to either the existing Bosworth Rd siding at Bairnsdale or a new siding east of Fernbank. Volumes would appear to be about 800,000-1,000,000 tonnes annually over the mine's 15-20 year life. The permitting process for the proposed mine still has some way to go and construction of the new Avon River bridge is well advanced, suggesting the AP Maryvale option will not be required.

Good thing too because the GIFT isn't in the best shape...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05eqzBBOwi8

What are those sidings to the left of the main?

What are those sidings to the left of the main?

I think you mean the old SECV rollingstock?   There is a four wheel ballast wagon and a pile of coal wagon chassis.   The belong to Walhalla Goldfields Railway.   Unfortunately I believe the scrap metal fairys have been in attendance over the years.

From Vicsig’s website, as it was:
https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Maryvale-Exchange-Siding

The mining is not a coal or iron ore-type operation. 95% of what’s dug out goes back in the hole.

I'll just remind people that this project is as far as i am aware not signed, sealed and delivered yet. Open to be corrected as I'm not as close to the comings and goings in the area as i once was. There has been SIGNIFICANT local opposition to the mine, despite the jobs it will bring, that the ares desperately needs. While talk of a spur line is smart from a business and project standpoint, your not going to get a single land owner give up their land for the track. It would need to be compulsorily acquired, and I'm not sure the government would have the stomach for it.

If it does go ahead, a new siding within the existing easement is most likely. The easement where proposed is wide enough and long enough for 1-2 extra roads big enough to hold a 40 or even 60 wagon train, with hardstand and loading area for containers.

The option at bosworth rd i think is less likely as you can only fit 30 or so wagons in, which need to be split either side of bosworth rd. The siding hasn't seen a train since the log train stopped running, and would be surprised if its not booked out of service. May need a full rebuild. Lacking a true hardstand as well, so would need work to upgrade the earth loading area to concrete. On the up side, lighting went onto the siding about a year or less before the trains stopped. It's almost new.

From Vicsig’s website, as it was:
https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Maryvale-Exchange-Siding

There are a few sidings in the area when we look more closely.
This one further east is still intact. has loading access if they removed that fence. not sure what it was used for in the past?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r22Gq00-710

From Vicsig's website:
https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Morwell-Industrial-Siding

From Vicsig’s website, as it was:
https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Maryvale-Exchange-Siding

There are a few sidings in the area when we look more closely.
This one further east is still intact. has loading access if they removed that fence. not sure what it was used for in the past?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r22Gq00-710

That was the former Shire of Morwell siding, last used in the late 90s for loading of softwood logs to Midway at Geelong. There was also another siding which was used by VicRoads for inwards bitumen.

From Vicsig’s website, as it was:
https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Maryvale-Exchange-Siding

The mining is not a coal or iron ore-type operation. 95% of what’s dug out goes back in the hole.

What is the length of the Maryvale Siding?

From Vicsig’s website, as it was:
https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Maryvale-Exchange-Siding

The mining is not a coal or iron ore-type operation. 95% of what’s dug out goes back in the hole.

What is the length of the Maryvale Siding?

Google Earth would indicate that

Maryvale exchange siding = 370m
Morwell Industrial siding = 370m
GIFT = 270m

What is the length of the Maryvale Siding?Google Earth would indicate that

Maryvale exchange siding = 370m
Morwell Industrial siding = 370m
GIFT = 270m

These sidings are on the main line and separate to the branch line to Australian Paper at Maryvale. V/Line seems to have removed its very useful listing of all sidings by line from its website - however the mill line received a State-funded major maintenance cycle in 2018 and part of the works at the terminal involved alterations to the sidings so arriving trains didn't have to be broken up. There is a reasonable amount of space in the intermodal facility to cope with additional traffic, the proposed railing of waste materials from metro Melbourne being the likely first use.

What is the length of the Maryvale Siding?Google Earth would indicate that

Maryvale exchange siding = 370m
Morwell Industrial siding = 370m
GIFT = 270mThese sidings are on the main line and separate to the branch line to Australian Paper at Maryvale. V/Line seems to have removed its very useful listing of all sidings by line from its website - however the mill line received a State-funded major maintenance cycle in 2018 and part of the works at the terminal involved alterations to the sidings so arriving trains didn't have to be broken up. There is a reasonable amount of space in the intermodal facility to cope with additional traffic, the proposed railing of waste materials from metro Melbourne being the likely first use.

The Maryvale still has to split, they just can load and unload both halfs at the same time.

KALABAR OPERATIONS have just released their Environmental Effects Statement for the Fingerboards Mineral  Sands Project at Glenaladale which is about 15 kilometres East of Bairnsdale.                                
In the section headed under Traffic and Transport ,it states that  "the prefer option for transport of the concentrate is a private haul road between the mine and a new rail siding. This option will avoid any safety concerns from B double transporting concentrates along public roads.


The proposed rail siding will be at Fernbank East.                                                                                   All from Chapter 9 of the   Environmental Effects Statement 9.8.4

KALABAR OPERATIONS have just released their Environmental Effects Statement for the Fingerboards Mineral  Sands Project at Glenaladale which is about 15 kilometres East of Bairnsdale.                                
In the section headed under Traffic and Transport ,it states that  "the prefer option for transport of the concentrate is a private haul road between the mine and a new rail siding. This option will avoid any safety concerns from B double transporting concentrates along public roads.


The proposed rail siding will be at Fernbank East.                                                                                   All from Chapter 9 of the   Environmental Effects Statement 9.8.4

I've had a quick read.  It would be terrible if the Fernbank East siding doesn't proceed.  This will be a good test to determine if VicTrack and Freight Victoria are the real deal, or just spin.

Makes more sense for a spur to the mine sight over that distance removing the need for trucks entirely

Makes more sense for a spur to the mine sight over that distance removing the need for trucks entirely

Depends how big the mine is and if you want to build conveyors everywhere and move them everytime the face of the open cut moves, if it is on multiple sides.

Easier to build the siding off the mainline near where the main site offices would be and dump it there.

Makes more sense for a spur to the mine sight over that distance removing the need for trucks entirely

That's how a large output coal or Iron Ore mine may work, but not a sand mine, as the mine site Is usually contently moving, making dump trucks an essential part of the operation.

KALABAR OPERATIONS have just released their Environmental Effects Statement for the Fingerboards Mineral  Sands Project at Glenaladale which is about 15 kilometres East of Bairnsdale.                                
In the section headed under Traffic and Transport ,it states that  "the prefer option for transport of the concentrate is a private haul road between the mine and a new rail siding. This option will avoid any safety concerns from B double transporting concentrates along public roads.


The proposed rail siding will be at Fernbank East.                                                                                   All from Chapter 9 of the   Environmental Effects Statement 9.8.4

Does it really state that "the prefer option......."? Please say it ain't so........

KALABAR OPERATIONS have just released their Environmental Effects Statement for the Fingerboards Mineral  Sands Project at Glenaladale which is about 15 kilometres East of Bairnsdale.                                
In the section headed under Traffic and Transport ,it states that  "the prefer option for transport of the concentrate is a private haul road between the mine and a new rail siding. This option will avoid any safety concerns from B double transporting concentrates along public roads.


The proposed rail siding will be at Fernbank East.                                                                                   All from Chapter 9 of the   Environmental Effects Statement 9.8.4

Does it really state that "the prefer option......."? Please say it ain't so........

The other options are not as safe for the environment and the roads.
i.e. Public roads to Bairnsdale rail siding, road to Maryvale siding, road to port at Barry Beach etc.

Full report and other docs/maps here:  https://ees.fingerboardsproject.com.au/download

Happy reading, there's lots of good stuff in there!