Thanks for the correction. I didn't think there was a second control stand?

Your are right there is an S class parked in Brunswick full time and pulls the train either north or south depending on the trains destination. The incoming locomotive then becomes the shunting loco until the next train, returning to Brunswick. The crews stay with their loco so the task of waiting is shared by all drivers. The PA class seems to have been parked in Picton and is not running. I have not spotted a DB class yet on mainline trains. There is a decent grade on the north east leg of the junction for eastbound trains, as well as a grade on the south east for south bound trains. I wonder if this has something to do with the exclusion of the PA class, having never gone up the hill. The shunting activites add about an extra 20 minutes to the trip each way.

The Australind is still running, although passengers are seated reverse for the Brunswick-Picton section. The Australind is also stopping on the branchline at the station crosswalk to let passengers disembark. It appears the line closure extends to the crossover near Beela road, excluding the mainline and station platform from use in Brunswick.

The old bridge was out on the 27th, I think but am not sure that the new one is in today, but will check.

Interesting.  That would give the opportunity to photograph the Australind on the Beela line!  What was wrong with the old bridge?

Interesting.  That would give the opportunity to photograph the Australind on the Beela line!  What was wrong with the old bridge?

Very much so Kafoopsy. I can only think of one other time I've seen it up that way. Also, seeing Alcoa (WAGR) XF stock up there too. Doesnt happen, ever, normally. Likewise Worsley stock on the mainline north of Brunswick Junction.

As far as I can tell mechanically there is nothing wrong with the old bridge. I cannot see any reason for there to be. I think the main problem was kids climbing in the bridge and poking their heads through the sleepers for a thrill. As well as jumping off into the river. The new bridge has skirts? barriers? like typical urban bridges to prevent this. The new bridge is also a ballast deck bridge which is better according to the drivers. The old style pins the track in place and can cause a small kink if heat or otherwise affects the surrounding track. So I've been told anyway.

The new bridge was landed in place by end of yesterday the 28th November 2013, track layed either last night and or today, with tamping well underway now 1430hrs 28th November 2013. The shunt loco appears to have gone, I suppose anticipating opening, which is sheduled for 1800hrs tonight.

I do not know particulars for the bridge but I expect that it is rated with the future in mind.

For those who care the crane was a Liebherr 500t mobile crane. 165t of counter weight was added, with a 'Y shaped guy' according to their website. I imagine given the cranes setup the reach + weight combination was quite severe. It took 2 days to setup, and appears 2 days to pack up. It spent 2 days working on the job. There were 10 seperate (not all full size) trailers to carry the equipment/ counter weight for the crane. I cant imagine the money involved in the hire of a crane such as this.

Beela road was closed to traffic for the duration of the job.

Noticed that the west end of the SSRS sidings in Bellevue are being redone, with new sleepers, rail and alignment works happening yesterday. Not sure of how big the change is, but it may just be relocating point work prior to the new underpass works starting on Lloyd Street.

Due to trackwork taking place on the Alumina Balloon Loop at Bunbury. Loaded trains that normally proceed in an anti clockwise direction were today going clockwise for part travel on the loop. Alumina rains had a loco at each end. The train I saw today had an ACN leading into the Port with a DBZ trailing.

WAGR
That would explain all the DB class in service, and the splitting of the caustic service to Worsley into two 10 wagon trains.

The level crossing signals on the York - Spencers Brook Road just north of York have been installed over the last week, with about five different signal heads pointing in every direction.

The level crossing cabinets along the York - Quairading line were being stipped clean this morning, with the Brookfield personnel stating that the line was closed and being decommissioned at this stage. They moved off towards York to finish the other six or so crossings along the way. Not sure why the push is on to strip out the guts of this line, but the senate push for looking into the lease agreement should open some eyes....

That's just to make sure that the costs to reinstate this line go up. They'll be able to say the state of the level crossing protection equipment is sub-standard and make sure they add another million or 2 to the upgrading cost.  The grain output through the Quaraiding bin was some of the highest in the southern half of the state and justified the line's retention everytime its future was reviewed from about 1980 onwards.  It sadly missed out on the cascading and upgrading of heavier rail that occurred on other grain lines plus the condition of the timber bridge.  Had these works been done 30 years ago this line wouldn't have been Tier 3.

John Holland are currently constructing a loop at Spearwood, this will enable train crossings in the Cockburn Junction - Fremantle section.

John Holland are currently constructing a loop at Spearwood, this will enable train crossings in the Cockburn Junction - Fremantle section.

Excuse my ignorance-- a very long time since I worked that section. Why the need for a Loop?
I assume there is only a couple of Short Container Trains per Day.

I would assume it is to allow for more trip trains from the expanding north wharf container sidings through to Kewdale.

John Holland are currently constructing a loop at Spearwood, this will enable train crossings in the Cockburn Junction - Fremantle section.

It is a strange set up at present, it is double track with one track being narrow gauge and one standard gauge, I would have thought that at some point in the future they may have made it duel gauge double track, at the moment they have to operate the narrow and standard gauge tracks as a single track between Cockburn triangle and South Beach due to the old crossover near the south Freo power station.  Where exactly is the loop? near the old South Freo Power Station or the old Spearwood Station/Spearwood Junction sites?

About 10 Ballast wagons arrived at BRUNSWICK JUNCTION two days ago. XK or XM wagons needing to confirm that. They were vacuumed out by Veolia. Not sure where they have come from, I am guessing Geraldton or wheatbelt. Not sure where they are going to work either yet.

It looked like the XM rake from Goomalling was gone from there the last week, this may be those wagons?

Also, the level crossing signals on the York - Spencers Brook Road just north of York, which had all the lights installed the other week has had all of the lights removed and small covered signs put up in their place during this last week. The new poles are still up, and the red "railway crossing" signs, but there is now a plastic covered sign in the place of each set of lights, and the original stop signs are still in place.

I will check their class today. Dont they use gravel for ballast out that way Bulbous? given they were vacuumed out it would suggest that.

They are XM/XMG wagons. Drop shank chopper couplings.

Brookfield personnel stating that the line was closed and being decommissioned at this stage. They moved off towards York to finish the other six or so crossings along the way. Not sure why the push is on to strip out the guts of this line, but the senate push for looking into the lease agreement should open some eyes....

Story in todays West (Business page 3) says this line has been closed since a derailment before last season, so all grain out of Quaraiding has gone out by truck?

Also government submissions on secret rail deal are due today - all very QT and on the hush-hush  .......

DBclass - They have been dropping gravel ballast along the Ballidu - Pithara section and the line out near Mukinbudin, but also have been working the granite ballast along the Wyalkatchem - Koorda section, the Northam - Goomalling section, and all around the lines out from Goomalling too. These are the chopper coupler set with the drop head knuckle adapters.

Butt_weld - The sections that were "closed" were supposed to be put into the 'care and maintenance' regime that lines such as Picton to Manjimup are in currently. The grain passing through Quairading grain bin has been increasingly dumped straight to port via York and Great Eastern Highway, rather than being trucked to York and railed out, as was proposed/pushed during the Tier 3 debate and the Gran Freight Network debacle. As was discussed in many earlier meetings as to the outcome of the grain freight strategy which we were invloved with, the predictions of dumping straight to port rather than moving to another rail served bin have been proven right all along. Instead of care and maintenance now, we are starting to see random removal of assets to push the costs of reinstatement higher and the 'business case' position weakens. Like I said above, there will be interesting issues coming out of this senate review of the contracts, all of which have been suggested and hinted at for quite some time.

DBclass - They have been dropping gravel ballast along the Ballidu - Pithara section and the line out near Mukinbudin, but also have been working the granite ballast along the Wyalkatchem - Koorda section, the Northam - Goomalling section, and all around the lines out from Goomalling too. These are the chopper coupler set with the drop head knuckle adapters.

Butt_weld - The sections that were "closed" were supposed to be put into the 'care and maintenance' regime that lines such as Picton to Manjimup are in currently. The grain passing through Quairading grain bin has been increasingly dumped straight to port via York and Great Eastern Highway, rather than being trucked to York and railed out, as was proposed/pushed during the Tier 3 debate and the Gran Freight Network debacle. As was discussed in many earlier meetings as to the outcome of the grain freight strategy which we were invloved with, the predictions of dumping straight to port rather than moving to another rail served bin have been proven right all along. Instead of care and maintenance now, we are starting to see random removal of assets to push the costs of reinstatement higher and the 'business case' position weakens. Like I said above, there will be interesting issues coming out of this senate review of the contracts, all of which have been suggested and hinted at for quite some time.

It will be interesting to see the issues laid out - if they ever do see the light of day

The government ignored the last upper house review recommendations didn't they?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y7sPJ6Yg-o

It is a strange set up at present, it is double track with one track being narrow gauge and one standard gauge, I would have thought that at some point in the future they may have made it duel gauge double track, at the moment they have to operate the narrow and standard gauge tracks as a single track between Cockburn triangle and South Beach due to the old crossover near the south Freo power station. Where exactly is the loop? near the old South Freo Power Station or the old Spearwood Station/Spearwood Junction sites?

I saw the narrow gauge track work has been ripped up just north of the North Coogee development and near the bend past the old power station. Assume this would be part of the loop as the reservation there is quite wide?

Anyone know whether the new track will be dual gauge? I seem to recall most shipping container trains being std gauge so perhaps not. It'd be a shame if this is indeed the end of narrow gauge for this line, both from a historical perspective and for any possible tourist/Hotham Valley trains (I'm a bit of a dreamer here, I know!).

I saw the narrow gauge track work has been ripped up just north of the North Coogee development and near the bend past the old power station. Assume this would be part of the loop as the reservation there is quite wide?

Anyone know whether the new track will be dual gauge? I seem to recall most shipping container trains being std gauge so perhaps not. It'd be a shame if this is indeed the end of narrow gauge for this line, both from a historical perspective and for any possible tourist/Hotham Valley trains (I'm a bit of a dreamer here, I know!).

As far as I am aware, there have been no revenue narrow gauge movements into Freo since the HVTR abandoned main line running at the end of 2005, although I will happily be corrected on that issue. Realistically, I would rate the likelihood of any further narrow  gauge tourist trains running into Freo at any time in the foreseeable future as very remote indeed.

With regards to the loop, does anyone know if the loop is to be a of the self restoring type, or operated by rigid point levers, or are there plans to reinstate  single line auto working between Fremantle and Cockburn North?

There have been non-revenue moves in the form of the new NG CBH locos being towed from North Quay, and a few infrastructure trains.

I think it would be a backward infrastructure move to not have a narrow gauge connection between Fremantle and Cockburn, I know there has not been much traffic since the end of grain loading at Fremantle, but for maintenance trains and future freight plans (who knows what will come next) if the narrow gauge was not retained the only NG connection between Fremantle and the state would be via the passenger network. I think that the NG will stay.

I know it's a long way off, especially with Liberal gov in power LOL, but at some stage in the future there will be a passenger connection of some kind between Fremantle and Cockburn when the numbers add up.

With the new loop, I am still trying in my head top figure out where it is?  I hope the quirky twin gauge crossover is staying at South Fremantle, should be heritage listed LOL.

With the new loop, I am still trying in my head top figure out where it is? I hope the quirky twin gauge crossover is staying at South Fremantle, should be heritage listed LOL.

What crossover is that?

What crossover is that?

There is a narrow gauge / standard gauge crossover near the South Freo power station, it is a left over from the old Robb's Jetty freight terminal days, it serves no purpose other than the narrow gauge and standard gauge swap sides.  Due to this being an un-signalled crossover it makes the narrow gauge and standard gauge tracks to be operated as a single duel gauge track between South Beach and Cockburn.