Great info all round, the last few posts. Agree BG I had a captain cook at the radar mid afternoon and thought they would be manning the lifeboats at Donald / Wycheproof, but that wasn't quite the case.

Thanks for the tip Andrewdr I hadn't played around quite that much with the controls, very good. Certainly some solid rain across plenty of cropping country, hay as well, seeing that is a feature on the rails these days. Fingers crossed for some back up rain in the next week or so, perhaps splash some a bit further west as well.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR95D.loop.shtml

BigShunter.

Wimmera farmers rejoice for much-needed rain after a dry July 2020.

FARMERS rejoiced across the Wimmera at the weekend as timely rain broke a dry spell.

Mr Mibus said "anything was good" after Horsham recorded its driest July since 1997.

"I don't think you would find too many upset guys around the Wimmera.

More rain seems to have fallen in the northern regions, with Beulah farmer Ross Williams recording 23 millimetres.

https://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/6871761/farmers-celebrate-much-needed-rain-hope-theres-more-to-come/

Link Wimmera MailTimes facebook.

Fairly good rain across the region, although with it being so dry as mentioned, you really want 25-30ml at least 30+ and your doing well but you only get what your given, some showers during the week will be handy.

BigShunter.

Bronzel was up around the Wimmera last week and said there is still a lot of grain at Dimboola to go, all but run out of time by now.

where's Dick, he hasn't poked out for a while..........

Still here Bs , you or the um ur Wimmera times beat me to the rain update, I hear things were looking pretty grim before the rain fell , still more needed and as the farmers hope not to much at once or to heavy, still a long way off from a bumper crop.

A few fronts rolling through from the west over the next 10 days or so from what I understand, should hopefully deliver a steady stream of falls that set the Wimmera up for spring

Some follow up for those interested, james, a fairly good report of what's going on Nationally in the grain dept.

Early August rainfall boosts winter crop production outlook.

Australia's winter crop production prospects have received a massive boost as the heavens finally opened across a significant portion of the continent's farming districts in the past 10 days.

Several frontal systems rolled over the nation, delivering much-needed moisture to many crops that were starting to feel thirsty after receiving below average rainfall in June and July.


Rainfall registrations in the past 10 days in Victoria were generally above 15mm across most of the state's cropping areas.

The Mallee crops were parched and showing signs of moisture stress before the change moved through and delivered upwards of 25mm of rain to most of the region's farmers.

Victoria was the 'flag bearer' in terms of eastern states grain production in 2019 and this season's viable cropping area is currently tracking a very similar path to last year.


In the past two years, about 5.75 million tonnes of grain that would typically have been exported has been shipped around the Australian coastline to satisfy domestic demand in NSW and Queensland.

Almost 70 per cent, or 4 million tonnes, of that made its way into the Sunshine State for food and livestock consumption.


Link, the old Wimmera MailTimes, https://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/6873154/thirsty-crops-get-a-good-drink/?cs=12

BigShunter.

Almost 70 per cent, or 4 million tonnes, of that made its way into the Sunshine State for food and livestock consumption.

Suspicion confirmed.

Im guessing a bit of that was actually shipped too instead of railed.

Id love to see the port figures to understand these flows.

Almost 70 per cent, or 4 million tonnes, of that made its way into the Sunshine State for food and livestock consumption.

Suspicion confirmed.

Im guessing a bit of that was actually shipped too instead of railed.

Id love to see the port figures to understand these flows.

There should be something in this article for you james

"THE biggest grain transshipment program in Australian history looks set to wind up this week with the unloading of the Daiwan Fortune in Brisbane.

The vessel is now discharging barley from Western Australia and South Australia to end the flow of an estimated 7 million tonnes (Mt) of interstate grain which started as a trickle in November 2017 when drought first impacted production in New South Wales and Queensland.

By mid-2018, vessels bringing barley and wheat were regularly arriving in Brisbane, and in August 2018 they started arriving in Newcastle too.

The program hit its straps in October 2018, and since then an estimated 5.7 million tonnes (Mt) of WA, SA and Victorian barley and wheat, with some canola, lupins and oats also, have been shipped into ports spread from Geelong in Victoria to Gladstone, 500 kilometres north of Brisbane, to fill deficits caused by drought in NSW and Queensland."

https://www.graincentral.com/markets/domestic/barley-boat-ends-7mt-drought-transshipment-program/

It's not 100% accurate on the rail movements, but a far, far better article than anything you will find in the rail media.

The port reversals interest me.  Especially Brisbane.

I bet if the SG fleet could get to Toowoomba or Dalby the rail task would have been greater and the ports would have bypassed.  Though if the grain was already say in Port Lincoln or even Port Adelaide, rail freight may not have made sense given the very cheap cost of loading into ships from existing ports.

One question, was the rail fleet (PN/SSR/AZ/Qube etc) operating at capacity or could it have handled more?

And follow up general equilibrium model type question - if the SG fleet could reach into the SWQ market more easily, might feedgrain production in the south being more easily (ie cheaply) delivered to feedlots in that area change the grain production dynamics, eg higher quality grains might be more worthwhile growing?

There should be something in this article for you james

"THE biggest grain transshipment program in Australian history looks set to wind up this week with the unloading of the Daiwan Fortune in Brisbane.

The vessel is now discharging barley from Western Australia and South Australia to end the flow of an estimated 7 million tonnes (Mt) of interstate grain which started as a trickle in November 2017 when drought first impacted production in New South Wales and Queensland.

Could also be possible grain was being railed from the Port of Brisbane to other customers once the grain was delivered?

The port reversals interest me.  Especially Brisbane.

I bet if the SG fleet could get to Toowoomba or Dalby the rail task would have been greater and the ports would have bypassed.  Though if the grain was already say in Port Lincoln or even Port Adelaide, rail freight may not have made sense given the very cheap cost of loading into ships from existing ports.

One question, was the rail fleet (PN/SSR/AZ/Qube etc) operating at capacity or could it have handled more?

And follow up general equilibrium model type question - if the SG fleet could reach into the SWQ market more easily, might feedgrain production in the south being more easily (ie cheaply) delivered to feedlots in that area change the grain production dynamics, eg higher quality grains might be more worthwhile growing?

The rail fleet was not operating at capacity. PN and Graincorp definitely had plenty of hoppers sitting around doing nothing and those leased by QUBE were used erratically. Aurizon had just the one contract using the same rake all the time. Availability of locos and crews would be another factor to consider.

As for your last paragraph - I would say it has merit, and arguably Inland Rail could change that dynamic. Let's face it, IR will need every tonne it can get to make it work

When your talking the volumes here that a ship can carry vs a train, the ship will likely win. Its the same as to when you start talking truck vs train. short haul, trucks always win. once you start getting over 200km or the larger volumes that are stored at the up country receval sites, say 100k tons+, trains win.

the Daiwan Fortunehas a reported carrying capacity of approx 35500t. a 40 wagon train has a load capacity of between 50-70t per wagon, depending on axle load, so a train load capacity of 2000-2800t/train, so your talking between 13-18 trains to shift the same amount of grain, and by the time you did the boat would have made the trip fremantle-brisbane.

As for your last paragraph - I would say it has merit, and arguably Inland Rail could change that dynamic. Let's face it, IR will need every tonne it can get to make it work

Agreed BH and perhaps this will inspire the government to give rail the break it deserves?

The rail fleet was not operating at capacity. PN and Graincorp definitely had plenty of hoppers sitting around doing nothing and those leased by QUBE were used erratically. Aurizon had just the one contract using the same rake all the time. Availability of locos and crews would be another factor to consider.

And yet per our earlier conversation, SSR had three rakes going into Vic and SA for most of the drought, giving the impression that, although SSR may not have been at capacity, they weren't far off it. Were SSR more proactive in getting grain onto interstate trains than other companies, or something?

There should be something in this article for you james

"THE biggest grain transshipment program in Australian history looks set to wind up this week with the unloading of the Daiwan Fortune in Brisbane.

The vessel is now discharging barley from Western Australia and South Australia to end the flow of an estimated 7 million tonnes (Mt) of interstate grain which started as a trickle in November 2017 when drought first impacted production in New South Wales and Queensland.

Could also be possible grain was being railed from the Port of Brisbane to other customers once the grain was delivered?

No grain trains ran from PoB. It was all trucked west.
Recent rain has assisted crops on the Downs so we should see grain trains running again on the Western lines and branches. The grain hauling contracts have now passed from Aurizon to Watco.

The rail fleet was not operating at capacity. PN and Graincorp definitely had plenty of hoppers sitting around doing nothing and those leased by QUBE were used erratically. Aurizon had just the one contract using the same rake all the time. Availability of locos and crews would be another factor to consider.

And yet per our earlier conversation, SSR had three rakes going into Vic and SA for most of the drought, giving the impression that, although SSR may not have been at capacity, they weren't far off it. Were SSR more proactive in getting grain onto interstate trains than other companies, or something?

You may be reading a little too much into what I've written - at the end of the day most of my comments have to be generalisations a) because I don't know everything and b) because there are so many variables out there, to provide a 100% accurate picture would require a small doctoral thesis.

I think PN were the most proactive and would have run more trains than anyone else - I have no idea how many rakes they were using, but I know at times they have run up to 4 trains a week into South Australia and I'm pretty sure at times a similar number into Victoria - but, just as an example, one rake could do two trips in a week between Parkes and SA.

Aurizon had a rake lying around until earlier this year (or was it late last year) because they didn't jump on board and reverse their 'anti-grain' stance until then.

The big loser though would be One Rail Australia who for much of the first year of reverse grain moves had two rakes sitting at Dry Creek doing very little, it was only later in the piece they found a small niche running from SA to Moree, but even then on average only once a month.

Probably not much trans-shipment within Australia in 2021.  Watco will be flat out in Qld, NSW is looking at a huge crop, and there will be a decent crop in much of Vic too.  Hopefully PN get those BG rakes and locos out of mothballs (which might be the case since SSR have been working on a few XR locos lately):
https://www.stockandland.com.au/story/6875111/record-recovery-in-crop-production-on-the-way/?cs=4598

Incidentally, SSR's CLP and BRM locos are now accredited to run on the Murray Basin SG lines (with reduced fuel load to keep axle load under 21T).

all these clowns do is pass the buck, no one will take responsibilty, this current Government needs to be sacked and administrators appointed by the Feceral government.

Your'e the faar king clown mate - what is this smeg doing in this thread.

I am sorry, I posted this in the wrong thread and did not realise as I was busy with work this afternoon. It was meant for the covid thread as Jacinta Allan was called into the inquiry to answer questions about the department of transport's involvement in the quarantine fiasco and she again denied any knowledge.

Sorry to be such a farrrk ing clown over posting in the wrong thread.

It was a post from bevans , what do you expect.
Now he’s edited to try and hide from the garbage he posted

Is there any need for that sort of rudeness over a simple mistake?  Perhaps you would better suited to facebook?

It is nice to know what you really think of me

It was a post from bevans , what do you expect.
Now he’s edited to try and hide from the garbage he posted

Is there any need for that sort of rudeness over a simple mistake?  Perhaps you would better suited to facebook?

It is nice to know what you really think of me

Maybe you (and a couple of others) might consider reading your posts before hitting the send button to see how they might read to others reading them.......

Hell what happened overnight ?

Hell what happened overnight ?

A misplaced tweet within this thread.  I was like "What's this got to do with the Vic Grain Harvest?".

Sounds like a bloody crisis.

Sounds like a bloody crisis.

Railpage is one big rolling crisis....

Sounds like a bloody crisis.

Just another storm in a tea cup, Bill.

Anyway back to the harvest, rain and rails....

The West Wimmera had another 10 - 15ml Wednesday arvo and things sounding promising for the coming week.

With the economy getting a good belting atm, with what looks to be a very good period for all aspects of agriculture, would certainly be a good thing and not just grain, all stock, hay, dairy it's all keeping industry moving in the right direction.

Crop production, exports set to make amazing recovery.

Analysts are becoming increasingly confident in yield predictions that will lead the nation to what could be one of the biggest year on year recovery in crop production in the past 50 years.

And Australia could also set to recover its mantle as one of the world's largest wheat exporters after two well below average years caused by the east coast drought.

Rain across the nation in the past week has either bolstered prospects of a bumper harvest, with the majority of regions looking at average to above average yields, or shored up crops in the short term in areas getting dry.

link, The Land;   https://www.theland.com.au/story/6875111/record-recovery-in-crop-production-on-the-way/?cs=4937

Rains to stay steady across the Wimmera for the next week. F those bastards at the MailTimes, looks like they now have a pay wall and only subscribers can read it. Mob of pricks, after all the advertising I've done for em..

https://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/6877804/rains-to-stay-steady-across-the-wimmera-for-the-next-week/?cs=6002 have a shot anyway, if you like.

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/rain/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=totals&period=week&area=vc  .. the past weeks rainfall for Vic.

BigShunter.

Sounds like a bloody crisis.

Yeah sounds huge.

SA how locking down border even more affecting local truck movements how is the grain going to get to port with access issues?