PILBARA RAILWAY PAGES
BHP Iron Ore Road

BHP currently operate a motive power fleet in the Pilbara with 182 locomotives based on the EMD / Progress Rail SD70ACe design with both standard and /LC 'low clearance' and later /Lci 'low clearance international' models.

Some of the units in the SD70ACe fleet differ from the standard US model and are designated 'LC' or 'LCi' being Low Clearance international. They also have dual marker or classification lights each end, lit rear number boards, an engine fire suppression system, dual horizontal hand rails, later units with kick plates and a snow (or cow) plough each end.
The first order of thirteen units had the standard US cab assembly, with all following orders having the isolated or 'whisper' cab to reduce the noise levels in the cab. These original thirteen units (4301-4313) have since been returned to Progress Rail as trade-ins on updated 'isolated cab' units, the spare parts source #4300 was subsequently scrapped after most useable items were removed.
Ten units are standard 'off the self' US models that were part of an order for BNSF, and are in an all over orange livery (4324-4333). These ten units were subsequently modified by BHP and EDi to lead unit status.

Previously the fleet consisted of forty CM40-8M and CM40-8 or Dash-8 locomotives of which were originally spread across three variants:

• Four new build CM39-8 (later upgraded to CM40-8);
• Two new build CM40-8 units, all of which were built in Western Australia by Goninan;
• And the CM40-8M which are the rebuilt M363 and C636 ALCo units.

Eight General Electric AC6000 locomotives, 6070 to 6077 with a 6000 horsepower 7HDL-16A prime mover being the largest locomotives in Australia at the time.
These units operated from 1999 until the class leader 6070 was written off following derailment damage on the 29th May 2011, with the other seven units being stored in 2013.
The eight AC6000 units differ greatly from the US version of the AC6000CW, having an extended and lowered radiator with tapered cab sides on a 76 foot frame. These units saw the retirement on the C36-7M locomotives.

An acute power shortage in 2003 lead to the arrival of fifteen EMD SD40R and five EMD SD40-2 locomotives with an SD40T-2 as a spare parts donor. These units had a diverse history prior to arriving in Australia with twelve of the units being overhauled in Mexico by GETS and being painted in BHP Billiton bubble livery, the five former Union Pacific SD40-2 units remained in an undercoat colour and the three non-rebuilt SD40 units in the last owners IC & E blue and yellow livery.
All of these units have also all been subsequently scrapped.

Before the AC6000 and SD40 units graced the roster BHP Billiton was still operating eight C36-7M ALCo to GE rebuilds. These units were the first in the world where an ALCo C636 had been rebuilt into a GE C36-7 model. They also received a completly new 'Pilbara' cab (M designation) and were rebuilt by Goninan at their Welshpool factory in Perth, Western Australia. They were all delivered in Mount Newman Mining orange and white with the black swan emblem.

Quick table links to models: SD70ACe/LC | F7A EMDs | C636 ALCos | M636 ALCos | Dash 7 GEs | Dash 8 GEs | AC6000 GEs | SD40 EMDs