>Peter Neeve (P.Neeve@ens.gu.edu.au) wrote:
>>In article <6h6le1$ld2$1@gruvel.une.edu.au>, dbromage@metz.une.edu.au says...
>>>
>>>Why are there overhead wires 18km south of Sarina? Is this part of a new
>>>construction, or an isolated section?
>
>>Electrified Coal Line to the Hay Point terminal.
>
>Which mine(s) does the line serve? I assume the locos are dead hauled to
>Rockhampton for service.
These lines serve the Goonyella and Peak Downs mines, at least. Locos
are serviced at Jilalan, near the Hay Point unloader. Lines were
originally built and operated by coal trains called six-headers. 3
diesels, then a large number of hoppers, followed by a radio control
car, 3 more locos, and a similar number of hoppers. 80 in each
portion from memory, when I spent a day and a night in the area in
1976. Lines subsequently electrified and largely duplicated, and of
course there is now a connection from the Blair Athol line (near
Clermont) to Peak Downs, so the Gladstone lines and the Hay Point
lines can inter operate to some extent.
In 1976 the loaded trains were split at Jilalan ("divorced" was the
term we heard used) , and operated individually to Hay Point for
unloading, there being two loops at Hay Point and two tipplers. There
is now a second unloading terminal at Hay Point, which IIRC also has a
double loop.
The Hay Point lines cross the North Coast line on a flyover south of
Sarina, with a physical connection at Oonooie. The location of the
flyover also has a cane railway nearby, making for lots of variety.
We slept beside the coal line in 1976, but I think things are a
"little different" now. :-)
All this is from memory, and E&OE of course :-)
Cheers...JD
==========================================================
John Dennis jdennis@acslink.net.au
Melbourne denjo02@cai.com
Australia http://www.acslink.net.au/~jdennis
Dutton Bay Tramway pages updated 1 January
DBT URL: http://www.acslink.net.au/~jdennis/dbt.html