Re: Rail in Tas

[dbromage@metz.une.edu.au (David Bromage)]

David Cooper (David.Cooper@utas.edu.au) wrote:
>Maurie Daly wrote:
>> 
>> A friend of mine has just returned from a holiday in tasmania and although hes
>> not a rail fan ,is pretty observant about trains and from where he was staying
>> in Ulverstone reported that he had seen a number of very long trains carrying
>> timber going through, quite often , up to 7 trains per day.
>> What was more significant however was that these trains were hauled by 3 locos
>> at the front and 2 in the middle of the train.
>> Is this normal practice for timber trains in Tas or would this be a result of
>> Transrail taking over.
>
>Triple heading isn't unusual. I've never seen operating locos cut into the
>middle of a train, but I haven't been in the right places since the takeover.

They may not be operating locos. I have seen similar workings between
Toowoomba and Warwick in Queensland where one or two two branch line
trains are effectively hauled dead behind a train working further west. 
Typically 2400-1720 up the front with 14xx, 15xx or 17xx locos in the
middle (dead). The last time I saw such a working the first section was
mostly QLX louvre vans and oil tanks (I assume for Goondawindi) and the
second section was 6-8 flats containers (for Wallangarra?). On one
occasion there was a third section, mostly of 4 wheel ballast hoppers. In
all there were 6 locos, although only the two at the front were powering. 

Cheers
David