Re: NRCs Coal Contract in the Hunter

[hadabob@bigfoot.com (Iwi)]

On Mon, 1 Feb 1999 02:09:34 GMT, mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)
wrote:

>Interesting article in this months Rail 2000 Newletter about this contract.
>NRC are getting built by ABB 32 new 120 tonne coal wagons of which each wagon 
>will carry 98 tonnes.

It appears that National Rail may only have a contract to be available
to haul coal if Macquarie Generation buy coal from outside the local
area. If Macquarie Generation's traditional local suppliers can match
the price of outside bidders then there may be no rail haulage. 

The receival hopper at Vales Point power station is a good example.
After the receival hopper was built coal was hauled from the Mount
Thorley loader to the Ayrfield washery where it was dumped, washed and
reloaded and then hauled to Vales Point and discharged. This continued
to around 1988. Coal has not been hauled by rail to Vales Point for
about 10 years. Obviously the local mines have been able to match the
price of outside bidders.

When Eraring started to receive Ulan coal Awaba mine was unable to
produce coal at the right price for the power station. Newstan at the
time was struggling to get its price down to be competitive. At this
time these mines started to seek alternative (export) markets.

The basic reason for the rail receival facility to be built is to put
competitive pressure on the local suppliers. The local shire councils
require all new coal haulage to be by rail where possible.

National Rail may have won the booby prize of coal haulage.

>Now by my reckoning this gives these wagons an axle load of 30 tonnes each.
>Are these sorts of axle loads now in general use in the Hunter, if so its a 
>really good thing, railways are finally seeing the light of day and moving 
>towards what the US and Pilbara Railways have been using for the last 50 years.
>Maybe next we will see some 30 tonne locos to go with the trains.

FreightCorp must have at least 600 of this type of wagon plus the 98
Rio Tinto wagons currently in use in the Hunter Valley.

>
>Also in relation to Freightcorps Leigh Creek contract , the coal trains are 
>expected to be up to 168 wagons of 100 tonnes gross each , hauled by 3 X 81 
>class.
Unlike the NR/Macquarie Generation contract FreightCorp appears to
have tonnage it must haul.

What are the ruling grades between the Leigh Creek mine and the
and the power station?

The  heaviest FreightCorp trains using that style of hopper were
84x100 tonne wagons (8400 tonnes loaded)  hauled by 4x81 class locos.
Currently the heaviest trains are 91x120 tonne wagons (10920 tonnes
loaded) hauled by 3x90 class locos.