Wongm's Rail Gallery » El Zorro

El Zorro

El Zorro was a small freight operator based in Melbourne, running a mix of elderly locomotive and units hired from other operators and heritage groups

4Ds last run, March 2006

Wednesday 29 March 2006

The double deck 4D train had a difficult career, failing often and being an orphan in the fleet, and by 2003 it was in storage at Newport. By 2006 it reached the end of the line being stripped for parts. This was definitely the 4D train's last run, from Newport to Simsmetal at Brooklyn. El Zorro's Y168 and W241 took the 4D away, with a small number of other freight wagons for braking purposes.

B64 transfer by road to South Dynon

Thursday 16 December 2010

B64 was stored for a number of years at Ballarat East for / by Steamrail Victoria. In 2008 it was purchased by El Zorro and moved to Avteq to be rebuilt and recommissioned. For an unknown reason it was moved to the old FCL shed at South Dynon by road, coincidentally this shed has a number of container-mounted gensets with the El Zorro name on them. Two new ZDXF type container flats were also moved here and placed on the ground minus bogies.

Comeng transfer, October 2009

Wednesday 28 October 2009

T357 took a Comeng EMU set from Newport Workshops to the UGR workshops at Ballarat. The set was 575M-1138T-576M + 404M-1018T-403M, the ZVDY power van was not needed but went along for the ride so T357 could bring an X'Trapolis train back

El Zorro broad gauge grain trains

Wednesday 23 May 2012

El Zorro once operated a number of grain trains through Victoria on broad gauge, using a mix of hired locomotives and wagons.

El Zorro derailment, March 2010

Tuesday 9 March 2010

A down El Zorro grain derailed at West Footscray Junction, with T320 and S303 coming off the rails (third and fourth units), along with 12 wagons.

El Zorro flat wagons

Miscellaneous wagons owned by El Zorro. Many of the older ones are either ancient ex-VR 'S' wagons, or various other other cut down junk.

El Zorro Horsham freight

Sunday 25 July 2010

For a period during 2009 El Zorro operated a standard gauge freight service between Melbourne and Horsham

El Zorro mineral sands train

Saturday 18 June 2011

The mineral sands train was operated by El Zorro and runs on an irregular basis between Melbourne and Portland, to transport titanium and zircon mineral sands processed by Iluka Resources at Hamilton

El Zorro standard gauge grain trains

Wednesday 24 April 2013

El Zorro once operated a number of grain trains inside and through Victoria on standard gauges, using a mix of hired locomotives and wagons.

El Zorro to Morwell, October 2008

Wednesday 22 October 2008

On October 22, 2008 El Zorro ran a test train to the Gippsland Intermodal Freight Terminal at Morwell, as a promotional event for local companies interested in using the terminal. The four container wagons were previously used on the Warrnambool contract: CQOY 2393 and three ZQLXs

El Zorro wagon transfer from Warrnambool, December 2008

Thursday 7 October 2021

El Zorro sent T376 down to Warrnambool light engine on Wednesday December 3, 2008 to pick up some of their wagons from the yard. The train returned the next day. Back when they had the contract for running the Warrnambool freight they had a wagon with a cage at one end (ZFSX 12K) that got red carded and couldn't be moved. The second wagon (ZDXF 1) was left behind on the last run as the train was too long to fit into the loop at Camperdown.

El Zorro wagon transfer, 2009

Saturday 1 August 2009

On 1 August 2009 El Zorro ran an empty wagon movement from Adelaide to Melbourne, with FL220 and GL109 hauling a train of CFCLA CQWY well wagons and CQMY container wagons.

El Zorro wagon transfers

Tuesday 2 November 2010

El Zorro wagon transfers between freight terminals in Melbourne.

El Zorro Warrnambool freight

Friday 26 September 2008

Between April and October 2008 El Zorro opereated the Warrnambool freight, carrying containers between Melbourne and the Westvic depot in Warrnambool, usually running Monday through Friday. The train length is constrained by short crossing loops and often runs during the day on the down trip due to pathing issues beyond Geelong

El Zorro's final Warrnambool freight, October 2008

Friday 17 October 2008

17 October 2008 was the last time El Zorro operated the Warrnambool freight, the locos were CFLCA liveried T377, VR liveried T378 and SSR liveried T376. Photos from Marshall through to Warrnambool, then back to Winchelsea - it sure was a long chase!

Hitachi transfer with T378 to Ballarat, August 2008

Sunday 31 August 2008

SRHC's T378 took Elecrail Hitachi set 7M-1994T-225M-89M-1946T-99M from Newport to Ballarat Workshops via North Geelong for refurbishment. Here are some shots between Lara and Warrenheip.

Hitachi transfer, January 2009

Sunday 18 January 2009

El Zorro took CFCLA liveried T369 out light engine from Dynon to Ballarat to pick up a refurbished Hitachi set from Alstom's North Ballarat Workshops. The set was 23M-2007T-233M + 9M-1919T-144M and was taken to Newport Workshops

Metro Trains Melbourne driver training, February 2011

Thursday 3 February 2011

T376 and T369 ran around the network late at night in order to train El Zorro diesel crews on the Flemington Racecourse, Craigieburn and Williamstown lines.

PCJ van transfers to/from Ballarat, September 2009

Tuesday 15 September 2009

El Zorro ran a transfer between Melbourne and Ballarat via North Geelong, T357 took V/Line power van PCJ491 to the Ballarat Workshops for refurbishment, bringing back completed van PCJ493 (formerly PCO2). You don't see Bona (engine and a single guards van) moves that often!

Return of the Bendigo Hitachis, August 2006

Thursday 31 August 2006

After their withdrawal from suburban service in Melbourne, in February 2004 four 3-car Hitachi sets 29M-1972T-214M-25M-1945T-84M-221M-1947T-195M-140M-1936T-155M were transferred to the Bendigo North Workshops and stored unsecured in the open. In 2006 stripped of parts, and with broken windows and covered with graffiti, they were moved back to Melbourne by El Zorro using Y145 and S302 in the middle of the night of August 30th. Here they are upon arrival the next morning at Newport Workshops.

S302 transfer, August 2009

Friday 14 August 2009

S302 has been recently repaired by SSR Bendigo for El Zorro, it was also repainted in their orange and grey livery. It was transferred to Seymour via Melbourne with T342

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