The town is Weipa, and the product is Bauxite, the base of Aluminium.
The length of line is 20 kilometres. Lorim Point is the car dumper (unloader) and stockpile / port end, while Andoom is the remote mine located to the north of Lorim Point.
Train length is usually 30 plus waggons, running 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.
The following photos were taken in 1995, and show:
- R 1001 Clyde EMD model GT26C built 1972 serial 72-752 weight 148t engine 16-645E3 generator AR10A4 traction motors D77 and rated power 2460kW/3300hp.
- R 1003 EMD model NW2 built 1946 at La Grange with serial 4114 and original CN road number of 7943, in service with Comalco in 1976, purchased from Canadian National in 1975.
- R 1004 Clyde EMD model JT42C built 1990 serial 90-1277 weight 132t engine 12-710G3 generator AR11-WBA-CA5 traction motors D87ETR and rated power 2460kW/3300hp.
R 1001 has been sold and moved to Victoria and in operation there as L 277 hauling grain trains after having some work done at CFCLAs Goulburn facility.
R 1002 was sold to Westrail in August 1994, which reclassified it as Lw 276 (Westrail 'L' class) with the 'w' signifying no dynamic brake, although it never wore the 'w'.
This unit only had one control stand and was setup for No.2 end leading. It was to go on and become LZ 3120 having been retrofitted with dynamic brake and reduced weight operating with ARG / QR National.
R 1003 started life with Canadian National as their number #7943, it was built in November 1946 at La Grange with serial number #4114. It was sold to Comalco on December 5 1975 and entered service in 1976 numbered 1-003. It was subsequently renumbered to R 1003 and then eventually scrapped in 2000.
R 1004 having been bought off BHP Iron Ore after they took over Goldsworthy Mining Limited and proceeded to obtain C36-7M and CM40-8M ALCo to GE rebuilds and new GE CM39-8 units rather than EMD units and was so deemed not suitable to their requirements being an orphan class.
This unit while looking like a V/Line N class is more like the AN DL class and has a 3300hp 710G3A prime-mover and was numbered GML 10 under Goldsworthy Mining ownership and was locally known as 'Cinderella', renumbered GML 20 for a short period following the BHP takeover of Mount Goldsworthy.
It again carries its' GML 10 number under ownership of Qube Logistics and is in operation in Victoria and NSW wearing the 'QUBE' yellow and grey livery.
Locomotives now in use hauling bauxite from Andoom to Lorim Point are numbered R 1005 and R 1006 and are model JT42C, along the same lines as R 1004 or NSW 82 class.
For a look at Comalco operations back in the early '80s, check out David Head's Weipa Gallery.
Click image for larger pop-up.
