Location: Bright sunny Darwin
Todays Ghan has NR88 & NR12 as the motive power coming into Alice Springs. Is this the first Darwin Ghan that isn't going to have one of the four red & silver engines as either of the locos?
Red & Silver Ghan loco sightings
E1109
Minister for Railways
Location: Bright sunny Darwin
Shacks
Ghanzel
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant Upper Hunter
Last week's had a NR livery and a PN livery on it. I am guessing they are all broken.
E1109
Minister for Railways
Location: Bright sunny Darwin
Theres also another grey/orange NR sitting in Alice Yard (no idea which number it is). No idea how it found its way to Alice.
kaczan
Beginner
where are all of the NR locos origins (where do they normaly get serviced)
Shacks
Ghanzel
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant Upper Hunter
The Red NR's go to Spotswood in Melbourne for servicing, anyone seen any there ?
A mate of mine that works there is on leave so I am unable to find out from him.
A mate of mine that works there is on leave so I am unable to find out from him.
Mike_in_the_west
Chief Commissioner
Location: Perth, WA
According to repots...109 was over here in Perth about a week ago. Along with a trailer-rail (NR53) and NR103.
Shacks
Ghanzel
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant Upper Hunter
The Ghan arrived here today with NR12 leading 88. They were back to back, E1109, what was leading in Alice Springs ?
One of the drivers informed me that NR74 was due in Adelaide Sunday morning from Melbourne but never arrived, he said it most likely failed prior to departing Melbourne.
One of the drivers informed me that NR74 was due in Adelaide Sunday morning from Melbourne but never arrived, he said it most likely failed prior to departing Melbourne.
Dusty
Chief Train Controller
Location: Meckering WA
AN3 is eastbound behind an NR right now. Would be somewhere out on the Paddock by now.
Shacks
Ghanzel
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant Upper Hunter
NR88 and NR12 out of here today on the Ghan, The loco's were not turned, so they were still back to back. It looks like the turn table is broken. Again........
EMD
Locomotive Driver
Location: Up the top
The turntable has been broken for a couple of months and looks to be broken for the next couple of months, until a solution is found to fix it. All turning is done at the katherine triangle. With the turntable hauled around with a tractor in emergencies only.
E1109
Minister for Railways
Location: Bright sunny Darwin
The Ghan arrived here today with NR12 leading 88. They were back to back, E1109, what was leading in Alice Springs ?Pretty sure 88 led 12 into Alice, (Won't bet a carton on it though), both "A" end first.
E1109
Minister for Railways
Location: Bright sunny Darwin
The Ghan today in from Darwin facing south has NR88 leading NR12, NR 12 is 'B' end first.
Sparra
Locomotive Driver
G'day all, the turntable at Berrimah has to be dug up, and redone, account it has sunk around 3 to 6 inches ( in the old money ), so as said previously, all turning of locos is done at Katherine, untill a couple of the third hand sleepers, or a few dog spicks give way, regards...Jim
EMD
Locomotive Driver
Location: Up the top
Dig it up....hehe....very funny sparra, it has sunk an inch, but the problem is the rail that the table rides on has lots of undulations in it as it wasnt mounted properly, which causes havoc with the motor drives. The rail will probably need to be ground smooth and level.
Sparra
Locomotive Driver
G'day all, not wanting to get into a slanging match, but, this information comes from EDI at Berrimah, they have even gone to the lengths of asking BJB for a quote for a triangle to be built,.......Jim
EMD
Locomotive Driver
Location: Up the top
Funny again sparra......all plant and equipment in the yard is looked after by freightlink. Edi only use what they are supplied with. If the turntable is stuffed then that is freightlinks problem and is up to them to fix and organise alternative arrangements in the meantime...ie turning at katherine. The turntable will be fixed no problem once they have sorted out who is going to pay. Having spoken to the edi guys they seem not to care....less work for them turning locos!
Mike_in_the_west
Chief Commissioner
Location: Perth, WA
NR109 lead the IP ex-Perth on Wednesday. Should be in Adelaide today (Friday).
Sparra
Locomotive Driver
G'day EMD, they would be better off digging it up and replacing it with one that is a bit bigger!, as it is, an FQ only fits on this one, they even had to remove saftey handrails so that they could turn a loco without hitting said handrails with the couplers of a loco,..Jim
mjja
Sir Nigel Gresley
Location: Mount Waverley, Melbourne
FQs and NRs are the same nominal length, 22m. Basically that's what a new loco is going to be, so if they don't fit, it's time to upgrade.
Shacks
Ghanzel
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant Upper Hunter
Mjja, my notes show the FQ being 9" longer than a NR.
EMD, Sparra is correct, the Berrimah TT has sunk 3". The guys at EDI told me it was only on one end. It was caused by the drain collapsing that also resulted in the pit flooding. Also, the yard in Berrimah is run by PacNat.
Sparra, is the triangle in Katherine to be repaired ?
What is the go for loco's now, one facing each way ?
EMD, Sparra is correct, the Berrimah TT has sunk 3". The guys at EDI told me it was only on one end. It was caused by the drain collapsing that also resulted in the pit flooding. Also, the yard in Berrimah is run by PacNat.
Sparra, is the triangle in Katherine to be repaired ?
What is the go for loco's now, one facing each way ?
EMD
Locomotive Driver
Location: Up the top
Terminal operations are run by PacNat. Freightlink are responsible for the upkeep of equipment they own. ie everything in the whole yard except for the container forklifts which are pacnats.
The table has dropped a max of 1inch. You wouldnt be able to drive over it if there was a 3 inch mismatch in rail height! I have seen it myself. FQ's fit easily on the table, but if they werent centred on the table then the overhanging coupler would come close to hitting the handrail on outside of the table on one end...hence their removal.
The table has dropped a max of 1inch. You wouldnt be able to drive over it if there was a 3 inch mismatch in rail height! I have seen it myself. FQ's fit easily on the table, but if they werent centred on the table then the overhanging coupler would come close to hitting the handrail on outside of the table on one end...hence their removal.
Sparra
Locomotive Driver
EMD me old son, I was present when the first FQ was turned on the table at Berrimah, FQ03, it was when we were being accredited to run over the track, the loco was placed on the table, and then it was realised that someone, ( read Engineer ), must have only read the outside wheel measurements of the loco. Then when we tried to turn it, we removed the saftey handrails that were closest to the ends of the loco, heance my statment about a bigger table, although a triangle would be much more cost effective in the long run, ie, cut locos and relay van off arriving train, run said consist around triangle, ready for return journey.
The fitters at Berrimah tell me that they are going to use the present t/table pit as a Barra farm, cos thats all it's good for,.....Jim
The fitters at Berrimah tell me that they are going to use the present t/table pit as a Barra farm, cos thats all it's good for,.....Jim
EMD
Locomotive Driver
Location: Up the top
Too many cracks in the concrete bowl to hold the water for a barra farm! In hindsight a triangle would have been a better option.....always reliable and works when there are blackouts, which seem to be commonplace in the wet season. The way the yard is configured at the moment, you would be looking hard to find a place to put a triangle that would fit 2 locos and crew car.....perhaps a bit further out near the new fuel farm? And yes the FQ couplers overhang slightly off the table when centred on it....so when it is not exactly centred you have a fairly large overhang on one end. A lot of the old turntables that I have seen around the system are a lot larger as they were designed to take the largest of steam locos plus the tender?
witsend
Chief Commissioner
Location: Front RH Seat of a School Bus
I have heard that AN3 and a Vanilla NR is coming up on 1AD8. AN3 in the lead.
7LA8 apparently arrived at 4pm on Sunday here in Keswick.
7LA8 apparently arrived at 4pm on Sunday here in Keswick.
Shacks
Ghanzel
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant Upper Hunter
Whitsend, PLEASE tell me you have a photo of it, PLEASE. I will do my best to catch them in Katherine over the next few days.