Location: Port Lincoln
Brief update: 1603-842-1601 arrived back in Port Lincoln at 11:30 this morning. This leaves 848, 851, 859 and 1606 operational at Thevenard.
Cheers,
Peter
Cheers,
Peter
Port Lincoln notes
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
greasyrhys
Chief Commissioner
Location: MacDonald Park, SA
Cheers for the updates pjknife. I would love to go to the Eyre Peninsula & record/photograph a grain & gypsum train, only problem is it's a very long drive, around 6 hours to Port Lincoln & 8 to Ceduna/Thevenard. One day I'll find the time to make the trek.
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
Up to now all the ENH and ENHA gypsum hoppers have been painted green, maintaining the same colour as adopted by AN. A new refurbishment project is under way now at the EDI Port Lincoln workshops, and the first rebuild has broken cover painted in GWA orange. This is the first of the Port Lincoln Division-based rolling stock to appear in GWA colours. Looks like the gypsum train will become an interesting sight as more of these are completed.
Cheers,
Peter
Cheers,
Peter
AN830
Locomotive Driver
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Any grain trains running around on EP at the moment?
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
Any grain trains running around on EP at the moment?
Only one train running at the moment, and not every day. But with harvest getting into gear, the full rail program should pick up shortly.
1204 (one of the two ex-WA A class) is still in workshops for a 'D' service. Grain trains normally have one of the 1200s and two other locos, as the 1200s have ZTR traction gear and some decent weight to make use of it. If 1204 is unavailable for a while yet, a second grain train would need four locos (of the 830, 900 or NJ/1600 classes).
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
Time for a proper update. There have been a number of loco swaps between Thevenard and Port Lincoln over the last month or two, some just as single units. Overhauls have dragged out longer than expected, so with the grain season now in full swing it is currently a scramble to get adequate power for both trains.
The Port Lincoln/Thevenard fleet was boosted by one on 21 November when 846 arrived from Whyalla. EDI Port Lincoln are trying to make it operational.
The current state of the loco fleet is this:
Grain pool - 851, 873, 905, 906, 1203, 1603 & 1606. With only one 1200 available, the second train uses all four locos that aren't with 1203.
Gypsum pool - 842, 848, 859, 1601.
846 being worked on. Will go to Thevenard once it can make it that far.
850 heavy overhaul progressing, anticipated return late January or thereabouts.
1204 still not quite ready to go back into service.
1604 still sitting out the back of the shops waiting for the return of its engine block.
865 and 871 hulks are still quietly rusting off the turntable.
As a matter of interest, the main line between Duck Ponds and Coomunga was used as the "defence line" against the Coomunga fire on 20 November. Only one minor bit of track damage. The large containment line created line alonside the main line gives GWA a nicely clear right-of-way now through the area.
Cheers,
Peter
The Port Lincoln/Thevenard fleet was boosted by one on 21 November when 846 arrived from Whyalla. EDI Port Lincoln are trying to make it operational.
The current state of the loco fleet is this:
Grain pool - 851, 873, 905, 906, 1203, 1603 & 1606. With only one 1200 available, the second train uses all four locos that aren't with 1203.
Gypsum pool - 842, 848, 859, 1601.
846 being worked on. Will go to Thevenard once it can make it that far.
850 heavy overhaul progressing, anticipated return late January or thereabouts.
1204 still not quite ready to go back into service.
1604 still sitting out the back of the shops waiting for the return of its engine block.
865 and 871 hulks are still quietly rusting off the turntable.
As a matter of interest, the main line between Duck Ponds and Coomunga was used as the "defence line" against the Coomunga fire on 20 November. Only one minor bit of track damage. The large containment line created line alonside the main line gives GWA a nicely clear right-of-way now through the area.
Cheers,
Peter
alcoworldseries
Deputy Commissioner
Location: Auburn
Peter, do you know how many sets of NG 830 bogies are at PLO "spare" ie not under a working loco?
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
Peter, do you know how many sets of NG 830 bogies are at PLO "spare" ie not under a working loco?
I believe none. Even the bogies from 865 and 871 were purloined several years ago, possibly when they started allocating 830s and 900s to the Whyalla NG lines. The two hulks are on shops bogies.
alcoworldseries
Deputy Commissioner
Location: Auburn
Thanks Peter some of the Whyalla stuff should return once GWN's start to arrive.
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
Grain trains have been fairly consistently hauled by two regular triples lately: 851/1204/906 and 1203/848/1603. 905 is the regular jetty shunter. The recent sustained high temperatures inland have resulted in a change of operating pattern. Empty trains run out overnight, load, and tie up. They return overnight the next night. This means that each train only does one return trip in 48 hours, but that's better than a full shutdown. So while this weather continues, there is virtually no daylight running at the Port Lincoln end.
850's overhaul is progressing, with a return to service now expected mid-February. 842 and 859 are currently hanging around the workshops.
The two stored 830 hulks (865 and 871), along with the ballast train consist, have been moved to a spare track in the main yard. This is to free up workshop trackage for the new bogies being assembled for a large new batch of AHPF iron ore hoppers which is on the way. As with the previous batch, on arrival from China they will be prepared for service at Port Lincoln, then taken by road to Whyalla.
Locos currently at Thevenard would (by deduction) be 846, 873, 1601 and 1606.
Cheers,
Peter
futuredriver
Junior Train Controller
Location: Victoria
The ship Nordic Mille has arrived in Port Lincoln and is off loading ore wagons that are being transported and loaded on the vacant land near the turntable on GWA land, they are all bogieless at the moment.
Cheers.
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
Thanks futuredriver. Have been away for a week, back home today. For the last batch, EDI had all the new bogies ready and the arriving hoppers were dropped straight onto them. This time they weren't as prepared, so it will take quite a while to prep the hoppers and transfer them to Whyalla.
Cheers,
Peter
futuredriver
Junior Train Controller
Location: Victoria
A lot of the new ore wagons are now on bogies and on the tracks all around the turn table.
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
The workshops expect the first of the new AHPF hoppers to go to Whyalla in a week to ten days.
850's overhaul has been put on the "back burner" for the time being.
Cheers,
Peter
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
The first of the current batch of AHPF hoppers for Whyalla will be on its way any day. See the Iron Knob thread for numbering and identification details.
1604's engine block has arrived back at last, and is currently being fitted. 1604 will also have wheels replaced before being released - expected some time next week, over a year since it was put out to pasture.
1203 is in for an E service, its place on the grain workings being taken by a pair of 830s. At present we have an 830 quad (noted a couple of days ago as 859/842/848/859) on one train, and 1603/1204/905 on the other. 906 is the jetty shunter.
Completion of 850's overhaul has definitely been put back for a while.
Cheers,
Peter
theesp
Train Controller
So what runs to where ATM?
Couple of tassie blokes are on the peninsula and would like to see some 830s in action.
Any info appreciated
Cheers
Couple of tassie blokes are on the peninsula and would like to see some 830s in action.
Any info appreciated
Cheers
bingley hall
Minister for Railways
Location: Last train to Skaville
So what runs to where ATM?
Couple of tassie blokes are on the peninsula and would like to see some 830s in action.
Any info appreciated
Cheers
Three gypsum trains a day Kevin to Thevenard (Ceduna)
Normally two grain trains a day from Port Lincoln towards Lock or Kimba or points in between.
That's it.
theesp
Train Controller
Thanks heap mate
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
The grain trains go a little further than that, bing - Wudinna is a frequent destination. At the moment there is an empty grainy out of Port Lincoln around 8am, usually goes to either Kimba or Wudinna, returns around 6-7am next morning. Another train leaves around 11am, usually to either Rudall or Lock, returning during the night.
Cheers,
Peter
theesp
Train Controller
Came across a empty train and followed to to Kyancutta.
Arrived about 1745 .
Was going to head back about 2000 if all went to plan.
Was 851,842,1603, 859. Rear two locos powering till a crew change north of Lock. Then 859 started up and continued on.
pjknife
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Port Lincoln
1604 is now out and running a few test trips on grain trains before returning to Thevenard. It was tested on the load bank on Wednesday, and ran on a grain train on Thursday (28/2) in company with 1603 and 1203 - an all-EMD lashup on an EP grain train, very rare. On its return, 1203 was taken off for more attention and replaced by 848/859. The quad with back-to-back NJs (1603/1604/848/859) has run several trips since.
Completion of 850's overhaul is still on the 'back burner', pushed out by the return of 1604 and the latest batch of AHPF hoppers for Whyalla. The AHPFs are being readied and sent to Whyalla at a steady rate, but still plenty to go.
Cheers,
Peter
jt393
Assistant Commissioner
Location: los jinetes enmascarados' clubhouse
Have those new hoppers being used yet?
futuredriver
Junior Train Controller
Location: Victoria
1604 was involved in an incident at Cummins last Thursday while shunting, damage to the cab area, no injuries suffered to the crew, hit a grain wagon.
Seldom_21
Junior Train Controller
Location: South Australia
1604 was involved in an incident at Cummins last Thursday while shunting, damage to the cab area, no injuries suffered to the crew, hit a grain wagon.
A few pics and a story from the local rag down in Pt Lincoln
http://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/story/1433264/train-crash-cause-under-investigation/?cs=1500
alcoworldseries
Deputy Commissioner
Location: Auburn
Bad day or so for GWA, GWN003 involved in an incident at Whyalla as well
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