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SCT workings WA and all over Australia

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      phower Chief Commissioner

    Location: Over on Kangaroo Island Sth Aust
    Any one know whats going on with the VERY late running SCT PM9 trains into Melbourne over the past couple of weeks? According to Gheringhap loop sightings website, some have been 10 hours or more late!

    My understanding is that the closure of the East West route in WA a couple of weeks ago basically left locos, crew and rolling stock out of sequence on the corridor and they are still playing catch up.
    bingley hall
    And Bingly , as a mate drives for them you ,would be 100% correct ,but fewer breakdowns fails to make one smile as well ,  poor crews   !!
    Posted: 15 Mar 2017 14:50

    Last edited by phower on 15 Mar 2017 14:52; edited 1 time in total

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      djukinX1016 Deputy Commissioner

    Unfortunately since the start of the Melbourne to Brisbane services the trains to and from Perth for SCT have been hit with numerous loco issues that have created a lot of delays some services running to Perth up to 24 hours late due to loco failures on the desert. The failures have not been limited to the CSR's though they get mentioned more often. Lets hope its only a temporary problem.
    Posted: 16 Mar 2017 09:50
      Groundrelay Chief Commissioner

    Location: Surrounded by Trolls!
    Unfortunately since the start of the Melbourne to Brisbane services the trains to and from Perth for SCT have been hit with numerous loco issues that have created a lot of delays some services running to Perth up to 24 hours late due to loco failures on the desert. The failures have not been limited to the CSR's though they get mentioned more often. Lets hope its only a temporary problem.
    djukinX1016
    Reliability of delivery is what rail customers need, especially in the context of just-in-time supply chains. SCT would be well aware of this.
    Posted: 16 Mar 2017 10:44
      Trainplanner Chief Commissioner

    Location: Along the Line
    The new SCT Bromelton service represents quite a significant expansion in SCT operations and even at 4 days per week ties up a lot of resources across the ground.   I'd say as well that a key pressure point for SCT would also be their Laverton Depot. Unlike there new depots, the Laverton Depot (apart from a loop) doesn't lie parallel with the mainline like Parkes, Bromelton, etc.   So I'm guessing that requires more setting up of wagons), even though I'm absolutely certain that SCT has an operating regime to manage all of that.

    If trains are late on the E-W things like sequencing of locos, crews and many other support services will be quickly out of whack and that would put a strain on turnrounds etc.   The other thing is that ARTC (thankfully) have been doing quite a lot of work extending loops on the Adelaide - Melbourne section with new signaling installations etc and that may also have an impact.

    Even so if their motive power is suffering a higher than normal number of defects affecting performance then that's not something to be fixed overnight.   Their fleet especially the SCT (EMD's) appears to be tightly utilized.  I'm not sure how that compares with Aurizon and PN performance of their fleet used on intermodal services E-W and N-S???
    Posted: 20 Mar 2017 13:24
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    SCT could do with giving their locos a bit of a wash.

    Posted: 26 Mar 2017 13:19

    Last edited by bevans on 26 Mar 2017 13:20; edited 2 times in total
      Pressman Spirit of the Vine

    Location: Wherever the Tin Chook or Qantas takes me
    SCT could do with giving their locos a bit of a wash.
    bevans
    SCT's fleet is a tad hard pressed these days for no essential 'down time'
    Posted: 26 Mar 2017 13:44
      DalyWaters Chief Commissioner

    SCT could do with giving their locos a bit of a wash.

    bevans
    Locos used to get washed.  So did the wagons.

    The wash person got made redundant, not needed any more.
    Posted: 26 Mar 2017 21:14
      greasyrhys Chief Commissioner

    Location: MacDonald Park, SA
    Could each even use a fresh coat of paint.
    Posted: 26 Mar 2017 23:40
      x31 Chief Commissioner

    Location: gallifrey
    BK002 and BK001 (as a pair) are today in the Horsham to West Swanston Dock traffic.
    Posted: 26 Jun 2017 11:53
      BrentonGolding Chief Commissioner

    Location: Maldon Junction
    SCT service through Albion on the Up this morning around 9.30 with vans on the front then a mixture of containers (SCT, Woolworths, Aurizon) and a couple of vans on the rear (Barnawatha loading perhaps?)

    In the mix were some interesting "containers", bright orange and new looking they might have been side loading boxes with multiple doors? Any idea what they are and what the traffic is?

    SCT sure are an impressive operation, long may they continue to grow.

    BG
    Posted: 15 Dec 2017 09:38
      cuthbert Train Controller

    Some modified locos coming out of Cardiff on Thursday mornings over the next few weeks to attach to the BM services at BMD.
    Posted: 13 Jan 2018 11:01
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    G'day All,

    7MP9 led by SCT011, SCT015 & CSR008 was through Gheringhap at 15:10 E.D.T. 58mins behind.

    Regards,

    Jack
    Posted: 10 Feb 2018 15:49
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    G'day All,

    7MP9 led by SCT011, SCT015 & CSR008 was through Gheringhap at 15:10 E.D.T. 58mins behind.

    Regards,

    Jack



    Jack Le Lievre
    G'day All,

    Please find a link below to some of the photos I took of 7MP9;

    7MP9 (Saturday 10th of February 2018).



    And a correction on how late they were running it was 48mins, not 58mins, sorry.

    Regards,

    Jack
    Posted: 10 Feb 2018 16:58
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    7MP9 led by SCT009, SCT007 'Geoff (James Bond) Smith' & CSR003 Gheringhap at 16:14 E.D.T.


    Regards,

    Jack
    Posted: 24 Feb 2018 16:16
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    LDP005 (Progress Rail) & SCT010 around the corner at North Geelong at 09:51 E.D.T.


    Jack
    Posted: 28 Feb 2018 09:56
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    7MP9 led by SCT009, SCT007 'Geoff (James Bond) Smith & SCT004 through Gheringhap at 15:30 E.D.T.
    Jack
    Posted: 03 Mar 2018 15:36
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    6PM9 led by SCT008, SCT002 & SCT015 haul 6029 in clear on the loop at Elders at 16:39 E.S.T.
    6029 is the first C44ACi to be transferred from W.A. following the announcement that Cliff's would be closing their Koolyanobbing Iron Ore Operations earlier than expected. This will happen by the end of 2017 Financial Year.

    6PM9 (Monday 9th of April 2018).
    Posted: 09 Apr 2018 18:12
      Jack Le Lievre Assistant Commissioner

    Location: Moolap Station, Vic
    1PM9 led by SCT004 & SCT003 & CSR012, hauling 6027(D/A) & 6023(D/A) through Gheringhap 07:52 E.S.T.
    Posted: 11 Jul 2018 07:54
      rwatts Junior Train Controller

    Location: Adelaide SA
    Wednesday last week I was in Bordertown with little to do so decided to drive over to Wolseley and Serviceton.  Sitting in the Bordertown loop was an eastbound SCT train headed by SCT007 and two CSR locos.  Parked on the side of the road near the locos were two service vehicles but all loco engines were apparently running and there was no sign of activity.  When I returned to Bordertown about an hour later SCT007 was sitting about 50m ahead of CSR010, and the other CSR was very slowly (ie walking pace) propelling the train back beyond the west end of the loop (pissing off quite a few car drivers at the Creecoona Tce level crossing).  It then pulled forward until it was adjacent to CSR010 on the other track. SCT007 then headed east past the end of the loop and reversed back onto the front of the train and eventually recommenced towards Melbourne.

    So, at least several hours lost for this train that I know of.  Presumably if three locos were thought necessary then performance for the rest of the journey would also be affected.  I did wonder where the service vehicles came from.  Maybe the crew knew of the problem early and was able to arrange a rendezvous ahead of time, but otherwise I would expect to take some time to get appropriate mechanics on site. At least one of the vehicles seemed to have Penske markings - I'm not sure where their nearest location would be.

    I'm surmising that whatever was wrong with CSR010 made it unmovable for some reason, as I would have thought it quickest to just pull it off the front of the train with the SCT the 100m or so past the loop, set it back on the other loop track, detach and then the SCT could rejoin the front and be off.  

    Several hours later CSR010 was still being worked on (and engine still running).  Thursday morning as I headed home it was still in the loop, shut down and with no one around.

    Consider that while CSR010 sat there the loop was unavailable for use.  Next loop for 1800m trains to the east is Diapur, and Keith to the west.  Easy then for other trains to be affected by an operator's problems.

    I learned long ago that the MTP for my purposes as an enthusiast is a guide only.  

    Richard.
    Posted: 06 Dec 2018 08:13
      petan Chief Commissioner

    Location: Waiting to see a zebra using a zebra crossing!
    Wednesday last week I was in Bordertown with little to do so decided to drive over to Wolseley and Serviceton.  Sitting in the Bordertown loop was an eastbound SCT train headed by SCT007 and two CSR locos.  
    I learned long ago that the MTP for my purposes as an enthusiast is a guide only.  (report clipped due space)
    Richard.
    rwatts
    Thanks Richard for the added detailed onsite report Smile

    In addition, there is the important matter of crew work time limits /fatigue safety rules. There would have been someone in SCT HQ very much aware that the SCT loco crew's time was ticking away and calculating if the crew can get to Melbourne within the fatigue safety rule book or will need replacement enroute. Then thankfully Richard pointed out that the loop was out of action which reminded us of the need for extra time for trains from all operators programmed to cross there and so someone in the various rail company's HQs would have been wondering about the crew safety hours of trains out of timetable due to the lack of that crossing loop.  

    Railfanman, I'll be a bit careful making statements about individual operators such as PN's ability to run to time, as it could well be that a PN train failure a couple of 1000kms away to the west could of caused the SCT trains to run out of timetable and visa versa with all operators. All operators use locos and rollingstock thus all operators including PN have the possibility of their gear breaking down, just like new cars, trucks and planes can have mechanical problems despite high class maintenance facilities. We found that even top class Rolls-Royce engines can go bust such as on that Qantas A380 operating QF32 out of Singapore to Australia the other year.
    Posted: 06 Dec 2018 09:25
      dthead Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    Real apologies to everyone, had to do a MAJOR cleanup of  a topic that went in an unaceptable direction. Even though there was great information, it was too  hard to edit etc. so I removed it all.

    As always let's not veer from the topic, and please no personal attacks no matter how tame you think it is, the other  guy may  get highly offended. Also if this happens, use the report post, and do not reply.  And for 3rd parties, leave it alone.

    Let's continue.
    Posted: 09 Dec 2018 22:01
      Richard stroker Junior Train Controller

    On vicsig they have photos of SCT hiring locos recently for their Dooen run. Would anyone know if this is due to increased work on their other routes of having problems with the high quality Chinese locos . From memory it was mentioned on here Dooen traffic was down due to the drought.
    Posted: 21 Oct 2019 17:16
      bingley hall Minister for Railways

    Location: Last train to Skaville
    Annual pre-Christmas interstate rush.
    Posted: 21 Oct 2019 23:48
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    On vicsig they have photos of SCT hiring locos recently for their Dooen run. Would anyone know if this is due to increased work on their other routes of having problems with the high quality Chinese locos . From memory it was mentioned on here Dooen traffic was down due to the drought.
    Richard stroker

    CM3307+CM3301 have been working the SCT Dooen job last week but it only ran Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday last week.   Started on Tuesday.

    http://ghaploop.railpage.org.au/lweeks.html

    I understand SCT have been wanting to take some of their locos out of service for maintenance but with traffic volumes they have not been able to.   however SCT are short of locos.

    The CSR's have been released from Dooen and placed onto PM9/MP9 traffic.  

    Bingley would be right again this is a move to get ready for the xmas surge. Bingley do we know what the GP/PG traffic volumes look like.
    Posted: 22 Oct 2019 09:33
      hbedriver Chief Train Controller

    Makes one wonder why SCT got rid of the LDP class so quickly.  Then again, maybe they knew something about them that we don't.

    As far as I know, the last new locos that SCT got were the former BK class, which became numbered consecutively with their CSR class. The loss of the mineral traffic in SA released several CSR locos for intermodal use, they all seem well enough occupied these days, so I assume that their intermodal traffic has been growing. 4 trains weekly to/from bromelton being one example.

    Be interesting to see what provision for new locos the various operators are making post-Inland Rail Project completion.
    Posted: 22 Oct 2019 11:52

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