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44's at Minto

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      Showtime Chief Train Controller

    I think 44's are purty.....no matter how old they are.Smile
    Posted: 11 Jul 2013 12:41

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      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    I think 44's are purty.....no matter how old they are.Smile
    Showtime
    That's something we can all agree on. I never tire of seeing them hauling the trip trains, which is why I spend so many days off at Mascot. Gotta make the most of it whilst we can!
    Posted: 11 Jul 2013 12:55
      2LaGrange Chief Train Controller

    I think the point here is 'fit for purpose'.I do not think Qube or whoever will be spending between 3.5 and 6.5 million per loco for shunting locos or trip trains on short runs with very few gradients (minto- botany) for example while they can keep a couple of 44s or 48s running for a lot less money,they are infact easy to maintain being very simple designs as long as spares are still available.SSR also have a large well maintained and reliable fleet of older locos that are perfect for infrastructure trains,they do the job and thats all thats needed why spend big money on new locos for a task where you will take ages to recover investment costs.SSR and Qube have modern locos for coal and long distance container services.While there is still a buck and tasks suitable for older lower HP locos they will be around for awhile yet.
    Posted: 11 Jul 2013 17:34
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    As expected, a number of surplus 44 Class have been set aside in storage. Qube have stored 4458*, 4461**, 4463, 4477 and 4497 at the CFCLA workshops at Goulburn:

    http://www.railpage.com.au/flickr/photo/9258021677

    *4458 being the only commercially owned/operated Mk1 44 Class remaining.

    **4461 having been in long term storage at Minto awaiting new wheels.

    I can't imagine 4483 has long before it is trucked away to be cut up (if it hasn't already), given that IRA originally bought it from CFCL Australia for the wheels...

    That just leaves 4471, 4488 and 4498 still possibly in service for Qube. I strongly suspect that 4498 is already in storage at Cooks River with one defect or another however...
    Posted: 11 Jul 2013 20:01

    Last edited by Raichase on 11 Jul 2013 20:03; edited 1 time in total
      Junction box Chief Commissioner

    Location: newy
    Who knows where they were built?
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 10:03
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    Who knows where they were built?
    Junction box
    A.E. Goodwin at St Marys or Auburn, depending on the number of the loco...
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 10:40
      Junction box Chief Commissioner

    Location: newy
    Thanks, where abouts at Auburn, the up side or down side?
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 12:04
      WayneTedrow Junior Train Controller

    Thanks, where abouts at Auburn, the up side or down side?
    Junction box

    A E Goodwin, who had the license to manufacture ALCo loco's, had their Auburn plant on the northern side of Parramatta Rd Auburn, near the intersection with Duck St. All new loco's had to cross Parramatta Rd to get to Clyde yards.
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 12:29
      Nick-The-Great Station Staff

    Location: Sydney
    Wow! This thread took off in the last few days.

    In the last few days, 4461 has vanished from the siding at Minto. Does anyone know if it's off to have new wheels? If so, are they likely to give it a new paint job?
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 17:17
      LowndesJ515 #TeamRog

    Location: Not in Victoria
    44's all going into Storage over the coming weeks/months.

    Cheers
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 18:58
      nswtrains Chief Commissioner

    44's all going into Storage over the coming weeks/months.

    Cheers
    LowndesJ515
    Obviously so. As for simple things they seem to make the simple minded happy. For one they are probably not very OH&S friendly not being air conditioned. Is not QUBE part of P&O which hardly a company skint for cash. Maybe the old clunkers were OK to get things up and running but now they are probably hopelessly inadaquate. Maybe QUBE want to get in early before pollies bring in draconian air pollution laws once they realise this old junk is getting around. I am not a great fan of the 44 class and variants, they are hardly a patch on an ALCO FA in looks. Mind you I like to see a restored RTM etc 44 getting around on a heritage run as much as anybody else but I am not going to cry in my beer if QUBE AMEX them.
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 19:59

    Last edited by nswtrains on 12 Jul 2013 20:00; edited 2 times in total
      JNSymes Junior Train Controller

    Is not QUBE part of P&O which hardly a company skint for cash.
    nswtrains
    Nope. P&O Trans Australia is the company Corrigan & Co shaped into Qube. P&O itself/Dp world, whatever it is now, is seperate from Qube
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 22:03
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    In the last few days, 4461 has vanished from the siding at Minto. Does anyone know if it's off to have new wheels? If so, are they likely to give it a new paint job?
    Nick-The-Great
    Hi Nick, check a few posts up - 4461 has been relocated into more permanent storage in Goulburn, along with most of her sisters.

    Tonight when passing MIST, I noticed 4488 fired up, and 4471 hiding at the back of "loco" along with an 80 Class and a couple of MZ's. So there's still one operational 44, for now...
    Posted: 12 Jul 2013 22:53
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    For those interested in the two remaining operational commercial 44's (who knows how long they have left, perhaps days even?), 4488 and 4471 were lined up behind 4717 at MIST this evening on a container trip to the port. I'd be getting shots whenever possible!
    Posted: 16 Jul 2013 23:15
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    Perhaps the most obvious gap left by their withdrawl can be seen by standing trackside along the metropolitan goods lines on any given weekday.

    On the 16th of May, we photographed 4477, 4458, 4488 and 4463 operating on various trip trains.

    On the 19th of July, we instead photographed no 44's, their trains being hauled instead by 442, 80 and 14 class units.

    Has anyone sighted 4488 or 4471 in service recently? We were expecting to see one or both of them, but perhaps the axe has fallen on them too?
    Posted: 21 Jul 2013 13:02
      Fireman Dave Chief Commissioner

    Location: Shh, I'm hiding
    I'm not 100% sure about the numbers, but 3 loco's were on their way to Goulburn for storage this arvo. I presume it's 4488, 4471 and possibly 4717. So I'd say that's it for the 44s in commercial service.
    Posted: 22 Jul 2013 18:20
      Junction box Chief Commissioner

    Location: newy
    Not that silver was a good look anyway, never say never for the comeback kings.
    Posted: 22 Jul 2013 18:34
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    I'm not 100% sure about the numbers, but 3 loco's were on their way to Goulburn for storage this arvo. I presume it's 4488, 4471 and possibly 4717. So I'd say that's it for the 44s in commercial service.
    Fireman Dave
    It could also include 4498, which has been in storage at Cooks River for a while now.

    EDIT: My apologies, it has been confirmed elsewhere as 4717.
    Posted: 22 Jul 2013 21:07

    Last edited by Raichase on 22 Jul 2013 23:27; edited 1 time in total
      jcouch Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Asleep on a commuter train
    That was a pretty quick end from 6 nominal locos in service to the class being gone. I guess once you get below critical mass for parts the end is swift.
    Posted: 23 Jul 2013 20:14
      jl404 Station Staff

    4717-4488-4471 ran on T250 as late as Wednesday, July 17th.  Unfortunately, all locos faced the port, so the only pictures with a 44 leading were with the rear cab forward on the return to Minto (T251).
    Posted: 23 Jul 2013 21:04
      Raichase Captain Rant!

    Location: Sydney, NSW
    4717-4488-4471 ran on T250 as late as Wednesday, July 17th.  Unfortunately, all locos faced the port, so the only pictures with a 44 leading were with the rear cab forward on the return to Minto (T251).
    jl404
    Thanks for the extra info - I did get shown a photo of the l/e movement to Goulburn, 4488 leading 4471 and 4717, as you say, all backwards.
    Posted: 23 Jul 2013 22:16
      petey3801 Chief Commissioner

    Location: On the rails
    I got a few photos of them around Moss Vale on Monday, will post them when I finish uploading them (and the rest of the Sydney holiday photos) later today.
    Posted: 25 Jul 2013 12:46
      petey3801 Chief Commissioner
    Posted: 25 Jul 2013 14:15

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