Sightings: Wednesday 26/01

["Melanie J. Dennis" <meld.asg@netspeed.com.au>]

Aus loco discussion mailing list

26/01/2000:   Wednesdays' sightings began when 8166 / 8128 pulled into Junee at 15:25 with empty grain rake GT14 from Port Kembla.  The two 81's uncoupled and moved to the engine lay-over roads (west side of station yard) where they were shut-down.  Shortly after, 8244 / 8133 (possibly with the same crew that had just arrived) moved out of the engine roads and backed onto loaded rake GT2 parked in one of the station loops, awaiting departure.  Beside the level crossing, at the north end of the yard, lay the remains of the signal gantry demolished by the wayward container. Shutdown in the loco area (besides the just-arrived pair of 81's), were the following:  4846, 4850 (GPS / Scrubber), 48125 (GPS / Aircon), 48159 (GPS).

Over at Stockinbingal, NR20 / 106 passed through at 17:15 with a west-bound loaded steel train: attached on the rear were an ex-AN open, RKKY and RKKF empty wagons.  Interestingly, the train was diverted through the eastern loop for the safeworking, before regaining the original track prior to turning north towards Parkes.

Over at Cootamundra yard, sole motive power in the largely empty was 48139 (GPS / Aircon) sitting outside the rubber-tyred railmotor shed where servicing is currently performed.  This track can only be accessed via Coota's turntable,  81 and 82 class apparently don't fit the turntable so a new pit is currently being constructed on one of the roads that used to be in Coota's old loco depot.  A new shed is also being planned.

8256 / 8145 / 8214 arrived at 18:13 from the north on a loaded contained train and pulled into the back loop (eastern side of the island platform).  The first two units cut off and moved over to the loco sidings where they were shut down, leaving only 8214 on the train, which the crew returned to after stabling the pair.  With little warning, 8244 / 8123 and rake GT2 powered through northwards through the yard at 18:15, getting a good run at the Morrison's Hill grade.

Over at Cootamundra West, 4859 / 48139 (GPS) were shut down in one of the loops.  8170 and 8105 arrived from the west with 38 wagons forming loaded rake GT5 and turned north off the Stocky line with no delay.  The train passed Morrison's Hill around 19:05, Wallenbeen at 19:22, then crossed a southbound wheat empty (8250 / 8131) a few miles further north.  The coast-bound wheatie passed Demondrille at 19:38 whilst the tail of a south-bound container service was spied as we passed through Murrumburra.  We saw the wheatie again at Galong (20:07) but were not quick enough to Binalong to get a last photo - we could hear the train powering away into the distance though.  The tail of yet another south-bound container service was seen north of Binalong and our last sighting of the wheatie was as it passed through Yass (20:55) at a good rate of knots.

Melanie Dennis & Gerardus Mol
Australian Steam Group
meld.asg@netspeed.com.au
   



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