Weipa Railway
TrainKid31
I am just getting into queensland railways, and just noticed the
railway on the west coast of the Cape York at Weipa, from what I hear,
it's 19kms long, and hauls Bauxite, for a company that is a
subsiduarie of Rio Tinto.
Could anybody give me some information on the history of the line?
Timetables? Signalling?
Do many train enthusiests know of this line?
Thanks
Mark
Roderick Smith
It is now running irregularly. ARHS Qld ran two trips there in 2001.
AFAIK the first trip rode on the line; the second trip didn't.
--
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
Don't feed aus.rail trolls: post about railways and not about people.
TrainKid31 <kid_indest...@yahoo.com> wrote in article
Dean Stalker
"Roderick Smith" <rods...@werple.net.au> wrote in message
news:01c1f2a6$a38ffca0$2f8d17d2@rodsmith...
> Mark somebody asked semianonymously about Weipa.
>
> It is now running irregularly. ARHS Qld ran two trips there in 2001.
> AFAIK the first trip rode on the line; the second trip didn't.
Umm ... they rode in what? an ore hopper? The Weipa line doesn't have
anything to transport passengers with. Think you may want to double-check
that one
They also did the Gulflander too.
> --
> Regards
> Roderick Smith
> Rail News Victoria Editor
--
Dean Stalker
Webmaster - QRIG.org
List Owner - QRIG Mailing List
http://www.qrig.org/
Email: dean.s...@qrig.org
ARHS-Qld Diesel Preservation Group Volunteer
Roderick Smith
--
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
Dean Stalker <dean.s...@qrig.org> wrote in article
<SBwA8.79000$o66.249100@news-
Shane Polle
have carried kaolin but they shut that plant down 8 or so years ago as
it was un profitable. i was told the kaolin mineral was under the
bauxite.
They use what is bascially an Victorian N class, a Clyde 3000hp loco,
GML10, later known as GML20 and now know as Comalco's R1004 that came
from Goldsworthy Mining in NW WA. It was shipped to Wepia in 1994. It
hauls 4125 tonne trains from ANdoom mine to Lorim Point loading. The
loco was delivered new to Goldsworthy 1990 in the V/line paint scheme,
but never worked in Vic or AFAIK never ran on BG bogies. This info is
from "Loco's of Australia", published 1996 and at time of writing the
line was hauling 7.5mtpa.
It is possible things have changed, last year I looked at a website
from someone in Ausrail with photos and more recent info. Maybe that
Ausrailer could help more.
If a ARHS run was done, it would have been using crew cars or
something, I doubt anything was transported to Wepia for the trip.
This line is not on a lot of maps, even some rail publications don't
acknowledge the line and I have worked with ex-Comalco Weipa employees
who didn't know it existed.
Hope this helps
Shane
Jonathan Boles
"Adam Dunning" <adamd...@start.com.au> wrote in message
news:3cd4...@news.alphalink.com.au...
>
> "Shane Polle" <shane...@austmg.com> wrote in message
> news:42387c27.02050...@posting.google.com...
> > They use what is bascially an Victorian N class, a Clyde 3000hp loco,
> > GML10, later known as GML20 and now know as Comalco's R1004 that came
> > from Goldsworthy Mining in NW WA. It was shipped to Wepia in 1994. It
> > hauls 4125 tonne trains from ANdoom mine to Lorim Point loading. The
> > loco was delivered new to Goldsworthy 1990 in the V/line paint scheme,
> > but never worked in Vic or AFAIK never ran on BG bogies. This info is
> > from "Loco's of Australia", published 1996 and at time of writing the
> > line was hauling 7.5mtpa.
> > Shane
>
> Don't forget they also have (last time I heard) R1.001 and R1.003.
> R1.001 is a modified WAGR L class (with no dynamic brake and a heavier
> overall weight). They also used to have R1.002, but this was sold to
> Westrail were it became Lw276, a non leading unit. Lw276 is now with ATN,
> stored striped (by Westrail) at South Dynon, Melbourne.
> IIRC, R1.001 had a refurbishment, and R1.002 was to be done too, but
instead
> R1.004 was purchased, and R1.002 onsold.
>
> R1.003 was an american hood unit, imported from the states (funny that).
Lw was designated trailing only due to its very rough riding. Later, its
engine was removed and put into another L class (can't remember which).
Crews reported much vibration from the engine, and the engine had been in
that state for several years but nobody ever noticed, the engine being in a
trailing only loco. Lw276 also had some other differences from L class, eg.
horn placement, engine panel louvre location, battery box, double skin roof,
door placement, etc etc. Lw276 eventually ended up at Forrestfield, gutted.
When did it get shifted to South Dynon?
--
Rgds
J. Boles
Sydney, Australia
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PeeJay
news:6bdaa438.02050...@posting.google.com...
When I go to Cape York later this year I will have a look!
--
Paul Jones
http://peejay.is.dreaming.org
Peter_J_Johnston
<snip>
> GML10, later known as GML20 and now know as Comalco's R1004 that came
> from Goldsworthy Mining in NW WA. It was shipped to Wepia in 1994. It
> hauls 4125 tonne trains from ANdoom mine to Lorim Point loading. The
> loco was delivered new to Goldsworthy 1990 in the V/line paint scheme,
> but never worked in Vic or AFAIK never ran on BG bogies. This info is
> from "Loco's of Australia", published 1996 and at time of writing the
> line was hauling 7.5mtpa.
>
> Hope this helps
> Shane
>
<snip>
If R1004 is basically a Victorian N class then by the same logic an 81
class is basically a 422 class (which is not true!).
R1004 is practically the same as an 82 class. They both have the same
model number (JT-42C)which incorporates a 12 cylinder 710 engine.
However the R1004 was based upon the EMD SD60 series while the 82s
were based upon the SD70 series.
The N class are a JT-22HC-2 which is a 12 cylinder 645 engine.
So in short R1004 is a 3000hp loco while the Victorian N class is a
2500hp (Power ratings available for traction).
Five Decades Of Clyde-GM Locomotives by Lawrie Gillies and Australian
Locomotive Rosters Volume 1 by Brad Peadon and Daven Walters are my
sources.
Hope this clears things up.
PJ
david
> Comalco operate this SG line and it is used for bauxite. It may also
> have carried kaolin but they shut that plant down 8 or so years ago as
> it was un profitable. i was told the kaolin mineral was under the
> bauxite.
>
> This line is not on a lot of maps, even some rail publications don't
> acknowledge the line and I have worked with ex-Comalco Weipa employees
> who didn't know it existed.
>
> Hope this helps
> Shane
>
Very hard not to know that there is a train. Granted it may not have run a
lot,
but when they ran, you could hear all over Weipa. Plus the main road used
to follow the rail line ( apparently they moved the road to the airport for
mining the area). Then the road over the river that parrallels the trailway
is popuilar for recreational pursuits, heading for locations like Dyfkin (
spelling) Point.
I know this because I lived there for 5 years with my parents, and have alot
of stuff about the railway, from diagrams and even an initial survey as to
whether a railway, ropeway, road etc.
1002 was my favourite loco.Pity it was the one sold off. Now if only another
Aus.rail contributor could show me the remains.......
As to 1003 my father who was purchasing offiecer for Comalco, told me
Comalco dod a Auatralian search for a spare shunter, and couldn't buy one,
so the Canadian one was send over.
Regards,
David Head
david
The railway ( circa 1983) ran always with "one engine in steam" - while
the othere was in the workshops at Lorim Point. There were usually ran as
required by the mine at Andoom ( the other end of the line).
There was usually three sets or ore wagons. One would be loading at Andoom
by automatic train jacks that move the rake while the loco was elsewhere,
another would be
unloading at Lorim Point with those same jacks. The third set was
intransit between these two points. The only signals were at the
loading/iunloading poit to indicate tot he loco driver if he could pass.
Let's say a empty train would come to Andoom. It would kreep up to the
jacks, uncouiple, move under the loader, couple to the loaded set, then
set the train back so it could pass on a loop. No turning needed.
They had no carriages at all, a flat wagon for equiment moving, some MOW
equipment, a ballast hopper. The ore wagons are bottom discharge 100ton
capacity. Many were made in Brisbane (one got on the news there when it
fell off the road transport to the port)Each set was usually around 33
wagons ( I know I saw them often enough )
There are no level crossings, and it is a big offence trying to cross the
railway, you would be thrown out of the area if your were caught.
The shunter was used for misc duties, and to stand in if a automatic jack
failed.
There were no branches, just a small one to the wharf.There was triangle,
little used
for turning the locomotives.
The line is not totally flat due to the bauxite, and if it had been mined.
There are two bridges, one 1km long with a single lane road to one side
and a smaller one across a creek. The 1km bridge does have a passing bay,
though it was normally used very little.
From where we lived you could hear the trains all night as they passed the
township..
Hope this is of interest.
Regards,
David Head
Shane Polle
Yes, I didn't go into that much detail, but my book uses the words,
"Utilising a design that perpetuated V/line's N-class 'dog bone'
configuration, the 132-tonne 'one-off' loco..."
The N class was produced from 1985 and the 82's from 1994, so yes it
uses the 82 engine, but the body is closer to the N. So without
getting down to bolt counting its somewhere in the middle.
A better choice of words would be similar in appearence to an N class,
but with an 82 engine.
Shane
Toad
There are some pictures on my website from when I was working up there in
early 90's.
They only carried Bauxite, the Kaolin was minded using scrapers and stock
piled east of Weipa at the Class plant.
The Big strike of 94 or 95 caused a water picket so no boats could berth.
This didn't help the Kaolin cause.
The trains where running in 4 hour intervals with control from the Bene
Plant at Lorim Point.
The unloader was a mechanical indexing arm, onto cv4 (I think was the
number) which bought it into the plant.
David has described the rest of the operation in other messages.
From the Pilbara,
Oh, follow the Comalco link on my site!
See ya.
Richard 'Toad' Montgomery
E-mail: to...@norcom.net.au
Pilbara Railway Pages: http://www.railways.pilbara.net.au
"david" <da...@nmit.vic.edu.au> wrote in message
news:3CD5F31A...@nmit.vic.edu.au...
LB
> One set of ore wagons would be loading at Andoom
> by automatic train jacks that move the rake while the loco was
> elsewhere, another would be
> unloading at Lorim Point with those same jacks.
> Regards,
> David Head
G'day All,
I've never heard of train jacks before, can someone please explain what
they are and how they work?
Regards,
LB.
David Head
I tried to simplfy my post before, and will now have to scan in a picture
for all to see...
They I thing are basically long hrydraulic jacks that first grab a wagon,
push it a wagon length, realease the wagon , and then reset for the next
push, while the the train is loading/unloading. There are two at each end,
one to push then under/over the loader/unloader, and another on the other
side to clear the wagons once they have finished operations.
They are beside the wagons at about coupler height, and push the wagions
with some latch built to the side. Not sire how automatic they were, but
the loading/unloading supervisors would have had to watch them.
Was interesting to see !
Also forgot to mention several wagons have additional self contained air
compressors built onto one end for extra air.
Regards,
David Head
( Hi there Toad, EMRC now have 10 members ! )
Dean Stalker
"David Head" <da...@nmit.vic.edu.au> wrote in message
news:3CD74C64...@nmit.vic.edu.au...
>
> I tried to simplfy my post before, and will now have to scan in a picture
> for all to see...
>
> They I thing are basically long hrydraulic jacks that first grab a wagon,
> push it a wagon length, realease the wagon , and then reset for the next
> push, while the the train is loading/unloading. There are two at each end,
> one to push then under/over the loader/unloader, and another on the other
> side to clear the wagons once they have finished operations.
>
> They are beside the wagons at about coupler height, and push the
wagions
> with some latch built to the side. Not sire how automatic they were, but
> the loading/unloading supervisors would have had to watch them.
>
> Was interesting to see !
>
> Also forgot to mention several wagons have additional self contained air
> compressors built onto one end for extra air.
>
> Regards,
> David Head
>
> ( Hi there Toad, EMRC now have 10 members ! )
>
.... also known as an Indexing Arm.
Chris
it still exist? Are there any others of this type in Australia?
"TrainKid31" <kid_indest...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6bdaa438.02050...@posting.google.com...
david
pressed into served
down south !
Regards,
David Head
( web site comming soon)
Chris Stratton
news:3CDB408E...@nmit.vic.edu.au...
> I think they scrapped it - it would have been a interesting exhibit, or
> pressed into served
> down south !
>
> Regards,
> David Head
> ( web site comming soon)
>
> Chris wrote:
>
> > I heard they had a std gauge US built SW9/1200 switcher on that line?
Does
> > it still exist? Are there any others of this type in Australia?
> >
secondhand from Canada. They sold it for scrap.
--
Regards,
Chris Stratton
Wollongong, NSW.
david
http://www2.nmit.vic.edu.au/~david/sgal/scgal.htm
Regards,
David Head
David Winter
class units.
There was an article about it in "Network" or "Track and Signal" mag - I'm
not sure which.
DW
"Shane Polle" <shane...@austmg.com> wrote in message
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: Peter_J_...@yahoo.com.au (Peter_J_Johnston) wrote in message