Geelong broad gauge freight
Sunday 10 March 2024
Miscellaneous Pacific National broad gauge freight around Geelong - there is stuff all these days
Pacific National Warrnambool freight
Sunday 10 March 2024
The Warrnambool freight carries containers between Melbourne and the Westvic depot in Warrnambool, usually running Monday through Friday. Operated by Pacific National, except for a period between April and October 2008 when El Zorro took over the contract. 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
V/Line - Regional Rail Link
Sunday 10 March 2024
V/Line trains using the new Regional Rail Link tracks from Southern Cross Station through Footscray and Sunshine to Deer Park that have progressively come into use since December 2013.
Pacific National Long Island steel train
Saturday 9 March 2024
Until 2020 Pacific National operated the Long Island steel train to the BlueScope Steel mill at Hastings, south of Frankston. The steel is transferred from broad to standard gauge trains at the Melbourne Freight Terminal at South Dynon. In 2015 this facility replaced the Melbourne Steel Terminal, just west of North Melbourne station.
Pacific National Tocumwal freight
Sunday 3 March 2024
Pacific National (formerly Patrick PortLink) operate a container service between Appleton Dock in Melbourne and Tocumwal, loading also being attached / removed at Mooroopna (Shepparton).
Southern Shorthaul Railroad works trains
Friday 15 December 2023
Since August 2019 Southern Shorthaul Railroad has been operating works trains on the Melbourne suburban rail network on behalf of Metro Trains Melbourne.
V/Line to Bacchus Marsh
Friday 8 December 2023
Photos of the V/Line services that run to Bacchus Marsh, taken between there and the end of the wires back at Sunshine. As well as boring old VLocities and Sprinters, loco hauled trains with A, P and N classes are also used in peak times.
Stony Point line
Sunday 26 November 2023
The Stony Point line is an orphan on the Melbourne suburban network, being an isolated shuttle service without electrification. A class diesel locomotives hauling MTH carriages were the usual consist for a decade, until replaced by Sprinter railcars in 2008.
Qube Logistics Maryvale paper train
Wednesday 27 September 2023
Since June 2013 Qube Logistics has operated the Maryvale Paper train that runs from Melbourne to the Australian Paper factory at Maryvale, north of Morwell
V/Line to Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca
Saturday 24 June 2023
V/Line trains in northern Victoria, headed north from the Melbourne suburb of Sunbury towards Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca.
Qube Logistics broad gauge cement train
Friday 11 November 2022
In September 2019 Qube Logistics started a new containerised cement service running on broad gauge between North Dynon and the Kimberly Clark siding at Dandenong South. The loaded cement containers are brought down from New South Wales by train to Victoria Dock.
V/Line Warrnambool line
Friday 22 April 2022
V/Line trains on the Warrnambool line heading south-west from Geelong
Pacific National 'hospital' train to North Geelong
Sunday 6 March 2022
Pacific National operates an irregular 'hospital' train conveying broad gauge wagons between Melbourne and the maintenance facility at North Geelong Yard.
Newport Workshops: Steamrail and 707 Operations
Wednesday 9 February 2022
Steamrail Victoria and 707 Operations have a large rolling stock fleet based at the West Block of Newport Workshops in Melbourne
V/Line via the Albion-Jacana goods line
Monday 24 January 2022
The Albion-Jacana railway line links the Bendigo line near Sunshine to the main North-East line near Broadmeadows via a slow and indirect route. Normally used by freight services, V/Line occasionally diverts Seymour and Shepparton services via the route when the normal route via Essendon is blocked.
Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
Thursday 30 December 2021
The Yarra Valley Tourist Railway operates out of Healesville, and are progressivly restoring the railway line back to Yarra Glen, Coldstream and Lilydale.
Stony Point line transfers
Tuesday 19 January 2021
Trains running the diesel shuttle service on the Stony Point line run empty cars between Frankston and Southern Cross for maintenance on a weekly basis.
Qube Logistics broad gauge grain
Friday 31 January 2020
Rail freight company Qube Logistics operates a handful of broad gauge grain trains in Victoria.
V/Line around Gippsland
Saturday 14 December 2019
V/Line services passing through eastern Victoria bound for Morwell, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale.
Victorian Goldfields Railway
Saturday 1 June 2019
Running between Castlemaine and Maldon, this tourist operates a number of J and K class steam locomotives, as well as diesels
Pacific National broad gauge Mildura freight
Wednesday 7 March 2018
The Mildura freight runs from Merbein (just north of the town) to Melbourne and return for Wakefield Transport. The train is made up of standard and refrigerated containers, as well as a small amount of cement loading. Until recent years oil tankers, louvre vans and LCL containers were also attached to the train. With gauge conversion of the Mildura line, in late 2017 the service was rerouted to serve a temporary freight terminal at Manangatang on the parallel Robinvale line, with a standard gauge service taking over in mid 2018.
Pacific National Kensington grain
Saturday 16 September 2017
The flour mill Kensington at Kensington is one of the last to be rail served in Victoria, grain hoppers are taken there on a regular basis, requiring a convoluted route through the suburban and freight lines, with a reversal in Melbourne Yard. Until November 2017 this service was operated by Pacific National.
Waurn Ponds cement train
Sunday 27 August 2017
Since the 2000s the main cement traffic in Victoria is from the Blue Circle Southern works at Waurn Ponds, outside Geelong. The major destination of the traffic was Lyndhurst in the south-east, which last saw a train in 2009, and Mildura and Somerton which saw the cement traffic end in December 2015.
Steamrail - Echuca Explorer, July 2017
Saturday 8 July 2017
On 8 July 2017 R711 lead a Steamrail train from Southern Cross to Echuca and return, running via Seymour and Toolamba
707 Operations - Seymour, July 2015
Sunday 19 July 2015
On July 19, 2015 707 Operations ran a special train to Seymour and return, featuring a trio of R class steam locomotives: R707, R711 and R761
Steamrail - Bendigo, May 2015
Saturday 16 May 2015
On May 16, 2015 R761 and K190 lead a heritage train from Melbourne to Bendigo, with K190 being detached at Castlemaine on the return journey, and exchanged with D3 639 from the Victorian Goldfields Railway.
Sunbury electrification project
Saturday 9 May 2015
Electrification of the Bendigo line between Sydenham and Sunbury started in 2011 and was completed in 2012. Diggers Rest and Sunbury stations were upgraded, a new stabling yard built at the end of the line, overhead wires were installed above the tracks, and five new traction substations were built.
VLocity transfer to Bendigo, November 2014
Tuesday 4 November 2014
B75 and T386 transferred an accident damaged VLocity set VL12 to Bendigo on November 4, 2014. The set was involved in an incident on August 22 2014, when empty VLocity train (VL05-12-39, 7 cars) ran into the rear of a Metro Trains service between Galvin and Paisley on the Werribee line.
707 Operations - Seymour October 2014
Saturday 18 October 2014
On October 18, 2014 R711 and R707 double headed a train Southern Cross to Seymour and return, conveying passengers for the 'Tastes of the Goulburn' festival
DERMPAV - Seymour trip, October 2014
Saturday 18 October 2014
On October 18, 2014 diesel electric railcar RM58 headed from Southern Cross to Seymour and return, conveying passengers for the 'Tastes of the Goulburn' festival
Broad gauge ballast trains
Saturday 12 April 2014
Ballast trains on the Victorian broad gauge network.
Steamrail - Suburban Rambler, April 2014
Sunday 6 April 2014
On April 6, 2014 Steamrail took diesel Y164 and steam Y112 for a trip around the Melbourne suburbs
Steamrail - Snow Train, July 2013
Sunday 21 July 2013
R761 and R707 lead a 14 car long train from Southern Cross to Traralgon and return, having to run from Newport to Southern Cross via Sunshine and Deer Park due to Regional Rail Link works.
DERMPAV - Ballarat charter, May 2013
Saturday 25 May 2013
On May 25, 2013 a private group chartered RM58 for a trip to Ballarat and return, via Bacchus Marsh
Steamrail - Williamstown shuttles 2013
Sunday 28 April 2013
On April 28, 2013 Steamrail run shuttles from Williamstown to Southern Cross Station, using K153 push-pull with D3 639
Steamrail - Western Rambler, April 2013
Saturday 27 April 2013
On April 27, 2013 Steamrail ran a 'Western Rambler' tour, with K153 leading T413. It ran from Newport to Sunbury via Sunshine, on to Southern Cross via Brooklyn and the Bunbury Street tunnel, up to Broadmeadows, back to Southern Cross then to Flemington Racecourse, and finally up to Upfield then back to Newport.
V/Line - 'Last' A class services, April 2013
Friday 26 April 2013
With the April 2013 timetable change, V/Line changed their working timetable to remove the need for their A class fleet to haul any passenger trains. The last service was supported to be the up Bacchus Marsh on April 26, 2013 - but both A66 and A70 were brought back into service in 2014, with A66 then allocated a regular weekday return trip to Bacchus Marsh in 2015.
Steamrail - Bendigo Line 150th 2012
Sunday 21 October 2012
On October 21, 2012 Steamrail relaunched steam locomotive R711 into service, hauling a seven car to Bendigo for the 150th anniversary of the line opening. T364 went along push-pull for the empty cars ride between Newport and Southern Cross, reversing at Sunshine due to an occupation on the line via Yarraville
Steamrail - Double R class to Bendigo, September 2012
Saturday 8 September 2012
R707 and R761 lead a 10 car train from Melbourne to Bendigo and return, connecting with a special train on the Victorian Goldfields Railway at Castlemaine. Along the way we were overtaken by a trio of PN locos headed towards Elphinstone to rescue a failed grain train.
Steamrail - Hurstbridge Wattle Festival 2012
Sunday 26 August 2012
On August 26th Steamrail took K153 and K190 along with five carriages up to Hurstbridge to run shuttle trips from there to Eltham for the annual Wattle Festival.
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.
DERMPAV - Melbourne suburban tour, May 2012
Saturday 19 May 2012
On May 19, 2012 the Diesel Electric Rail Motor Preservation Association of Victoria took RM58 on a route of the suburbs, with a focus on the goods lines that ARTC would let passenger trains access.
The route taken was:
- Southern Cross platform 7
- Newport platform 2, change direction
- Altona sidings and to Brooklyn via the West line (broad gauge only track)
- Over the Tottenham flyover, past Tottenham Yard and through the Bunbury Street tunnel
- West fork towards North Dynon Junction, to just before Dynon Road, change direction
- East fork of triangle past MPC, stop just on the east side of Dock Link Road, beyond signal DYN134, change direction
- Take south fork, then Bunbury Street tunnel through to Sunshine platform 2, change direction
- Back to the city via the passenger lines.
- Southern Cross platform 8 north, change direction.
- Over the Essendon flyover to Flemington Racecourse platform 1, change direction
- Back via the Essendon flyover to Flinders Street platform 10, lunch break
- Down to Sandringham, change direction
- Flinders Street platform 10
707 Operations - Seymour May 2012
Saturday 19 May 2012
707 Operations took R707 to Seymour and return on 19 May 2012, with T413 providing some assistance.
Steamrail - Williamstown shuttles 2012
Sunday 29 April 2012
On April 29 Steamrail ran a shuttle train between Williamstown and Flinders Street Station for the 2012 Williamstown Festival. K153 and K190 were used push-pull with a five car train, running four return trips.
Ballarat broad gauge freight
Tuesday 10 April 2012
Until 2008 freight trains actually stopped at Ballarat - container wagons loaded and unloaded in the goods yard at Ballarat then attached onto the Pacific National service that ran between Mildura and Melbourne, and grain trains from Dunolly served the Bunge grain silos at Ballarat North.
Steamrail - Geelong - Ballarat Railway 150th 2012
Tuesday 10 April 2012
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Geelong Ballarat rail line opening, a special charter train ran from Geelong to Ballarat and return on 10th April 2012. Steamrail's T364 led the train, which included carriages 1BCE, 3ABE and 7ABE
Deniliquin line signalling and infrastructure
Sunday 4 March 2012
Signalling and infrastructure on the line to Deniliquin - despite being in NSW it's all broad gauge and Victorian Railways operated
Pacific National log trains
Friday 30 December 2011
Until 2009 Pacific National operated trains delivering logs to the Midway export woodchip plant at North Shore in Geelong, with logs sources from Bairnsdale and Wodonga. Y class locos are often used to shunt the wagons at Geelong
V/Line - West Footscray derailment, November 2011
Monday 12 December 2011
November 26, 2011 locomotive N470 and carriage set SN1 derailed at West Footscray when passing through a crossover. The loco ended up split between two tracks, but everything stayed upright.
Road Transferable Locomotive
Sunday 25 September 2011
Back in the 1990s V/Line acquired a single Road Transferable Locomotive, capable of hauling a number of rail wagons, then heading off by road to the next job. Freight Australia repainted it and used it for a number of years, putting it into storage at South Dynon around 2004, and then pulling bits off it by 2009. The rego plate is MVORTL, white on green "Victoria on the Move".