hey all, went driving around Sydney with a friend from Melbourne (train driver) following the Sydney Freight lines from Botany to Sefton Jcnt. My PC chucks a hissy fit everytime I try to up load more than one pic so just this one for starters This is at Sefton Jcnt on the Up Goods line between west and East Fork at Sefton Park Jcnt. The train is a push/pull service run by Lachlan Valley Rail Freight (LVRF) between Minto in Sydney's south and Port Botany. The locomotive is a GM class owned by Australian Railroad Group (Parent Gennesse and Wyoming) on lease to LVRF [ November 15, 2005, 05:09 AM: Message edited by: Colonel ]
thanks guys, I think those locos are going to be in mainline service for quite a while, the private operators are not making enough money or move enough freight to justify the expense of buying new locos. Anyways got another pic loaded up. This is at Cooks River (near the airport) the locos are ex NSWGR 44class alcos now owned by Southern Shorthaul Railway. They served for 37yrs with the govt and are still soldering on with the privates.
I did get a bulldog book from my Aussie friends. It is next to my bed and I read it a little each night. Many look exactly like the EMD passenger units, but I am getting "used" to all of them now. Really a great series of engines. I had not considered that they are being retired, but eventually they will be. I guess we call the type "covered wagons" in the USA, but maybe we should switch to "bulldog!"
The 4483 looks nice and clean Long may they travel the rails! Looks like an Alco with a flatter front
that's correct Alan, the 44class is an Alco design (also known as the world series design, sporting some likeness to the FA's but the same loco also served in Spain, Greece and a few other European countries) They were one of the more successful locos in NSW in both freight and passenger roles and 100 were built - only 2 other locos in NSW's diesel history are higher - the 48 class at 165 and the NR class at 120. Anyways a little treat if you can call it that. Early this morning QR National (Queensland Railways) freight BM7 passed signal ST419 at stop and derailed on the catchpoints. The signal is located on the Y track that links Auburn to Berala, located near the station of Lidcombe it is known as Lidcombe Loop. The railways no longer have lifting equipment and as they were able to run the CityRail services through the area (no passenger services use that link) the train was left there and should be removed tomorrow (Saturday) I worked a train past the site this afternoon around 2pm and snapped this from my cab door
Wow, that's an excellent picture. Sorry to hear of the derailment but a very interesting photo. Thanks for the post. Charlie
Alex, You should also post the other pic you sent us. They will be using a crane overnight to rerail the locomotive.
Also taken at Cooks River (near the airport) is this pic of a LVRF light engine movement consisting of a 47class and a 44class. the blue engine in the background is a Pacific National 81class
no, it was built by Goninan and Hitachi, Goninan building the loco, Hitachi doing the electricals, it is powered by a 16cylinder Turbo supercharged 4stroke Caterpillar D399 engine producing 1125hp
Ta - just has a lot of RS3 in the styling (frame, rounded hood, big round fan housing etc) if you ignore the angular cab. Little mishaps like that derailment are never a good thing, but I guess it's nice to see catch points working exactly as they are meant to.
My bulldog book says only 123 were made and operated in Australia. Also, they were the first to use the USA SD7 type bogie (truck) and the SD7 was second. Victoria Railways did not like the A-1-A type bogie and wanted a C bogie. GM LaGrange developed it and then used it on the SD7.
