Six Locomotives And 240 Wagons on the Fortescue Bridge!
Ойын-сауық
At 366 meters long and 33.5 meters tall, the Fortescue River bridge is the largest viaduct in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It was originally built by Robe River Railway in 1971/72. Today Rio Tinto operates this line running their standard 240 ore wagon rake with 3 locomotives on the head end and 3 more locomotives as bankers.
We were near Greenpool when we heard the bankers connecting to the rear of the Mesa J train at the loadout. We hurried down to the Fortescue Bridge and waited. This train did not disappoint.
Fittingly the lead locomotive is Pilbara Rail #9408 with the "Robe" logo on the short hood. The 3 bankers shove the train uphill all the way to the top of the grade at Maitland. The train was moving faster because of the extra power, thus overtaking this train was very difficult. We were unable to catch up with them until Maitland.
I filmed this video with my DJI Mavic 3 Pro on 6/20/2024.
Пікірлер: 28
They've been talking about running Hamersely cars with bankers on the Robe line for years and a fellow from work called for a chat the other day and said they're doing it now, the entire Robe fleet of cars is being cut up except for one which is on display at Wickham, and Robe's dumber is decommissioned. They can't say they didn't get their money's worth out of it. If there's one thing I really wanted to do, this would be it. With 168 Robe cars and two ACs, it was painfully slow and those were the hardest working locos in the world. I used to tell them if they bought two or three more locos and used them as bankers, they'd double the life of the rest of the fleet. It'd be a totally different trip with bankers, especially from the 143 km mark to the bridge. Great video and thanks for posting.
@GlendinningEngineering
11 күн бұрын
Thank you David. Overtaking this train was nearly impossible before Maitland thanks to the bankers which kept this train moving upgrade.
Amazing! Many thanks from Germany.😀
Back around 2001 I modelled the (then) Robe River line in the first iteration of the Trainz simulation. My son, who was studying 3-D animation at the time, created the bridge for me and also the rotary dumpster at the terminal. Watching this brings it all back. Nice videography, Robert.
@GlendinningEngineering
11 күн бұрын
Thanks. I too am familiar with that route on Trainz.
Many people find watching videos such as these relaxing. I am one of them. Thanks for posting.
@GlendinningEngineering
13 күн бұрын
Thank you for those kind words. I’m glad you find it relaxing as do I. Several more drone videos coming soon.
Some great drone footage and it’s good the way you synched the train sound instead of using music. I get up there quite a bit and the Deepdale line here is the only one left with manned trains. It’s quite weird seeing the rest of Rio’s trains on AutoHaul with no driver. You know when they are on AutoHaul when you see the cab blinds down and blue lights on either side of the cab. Also the horn blasts are all automated at around five seconds instead of what a driver would feel like. I’ve got a favourite parking bay next to the Yandicoogina line, the drivers used to give a gentle toot on the horn coming out of the cutting, now it’s a five second blast, great when you’re trying to sleep at 2 AM lol.
@GlendinningEngineering
11 күн бұрын
Thank you!
Great video, very beautiful and interesting recording, wonderful place, views and bridge 👍👍👍
Now that's a train! And such a beautiful job with the photography! You made it possible to get a scale of the train and the bridge but also of the land.
@GlendinningEngineering
13 күн бұрын
Thank you very much
Nice hopper cars in the train, as always, but if I can say, dayum! -- scenery on the Sipping and Switching Society layout there is looking amazing!!!
Nice video and catch
Very cool! Great videography!
@GlendinningEngineering
13 күн бұрын
thanks mark
Beautiful part of the world with unique scenery, I wonder, since the bridge was built, how high the water has risen during a wet season, at least to the concrete bases? I wonder if that is one of the computer controlled "driverless" trains? Thank you Robert, nice work indeed.
@GlendinningEngineering
13 күн бұрын
Thank you very much. Although most of the trains on Rio Tinto rail network run driverless (“Autohaul”), the trains that run on this particular “Deepdale” branch line still have drivers on every train. I do not know how high the water has risen but they say it runs very high.
Great video. I love the river crossing with the flock of birds. The really long locomotives reminded me of some U.P.R.R. used in the U.S. they are retired now. The video also reminded me of the movie Red Dog they filmed in the Iron mining region. I love that movie. I like places away from large populations.
All you need extra is about 29 minutes of no train, to emphasise the remoteness of some of these aera's
Great video TY
Great video
Has anyone counted how many wagons?
@GlendinningEngineering
10 күн бұрын
@@bigmack2141 240 wagons total. Plus 6 locomotives.
I assume the load was iron ore, given the red color of soil?
@GlendinningEngineering
13 күн бұрын
Correct all iron ore loads
What annoys me as a ex Hamersly Iron employee Paraburdoo in the early 70s is the state of the locomotives dirty paint falling off no pride in the equipment great video thank you
Yeah!! Bugger off birds!! :D