Johnny's Pages - Old SAR Shunter

Johnny's Pages
Old S.A.R. Shunter's Memories

Last edited: 12 June 2010

Pictures by
By Wayne Morris

GRAIN TRAINS

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Trip to Gladstone - Jamestown - Gladstone with Grain train
13 April 2010

On this day was taken at Gladstone and ended with sunset shots of the returning Jamestown grain train headed by favourite loco GM46 as the light fails completely. This particular train saw a congregation of seven of the rail fraternity together at Jamestown later in the day and ended with the same seven at Huddleston curves before we went our separate ways......was great.... good old scruffy GM46 brought back memories of the early nineties and from a greater distance could have been my other favourite 931 up front

Managed to stop at the Lochiel 'pub' for a countery - big serve, good price and got off the road for a while, was good too.

Along the way of the day met the new owner of the GLADSTONE RWS, who supposedly bought the place... lots of work to fix the place up, but is better to see it in safe hands than for it to fall down in the near future....

All in all was a great day made better by GM46 GM43 and green 701 bringing up the rear on the return home journey..

(Wayne Morris)

GM43, 2214, GM46, Gladstone in siding

Gladstone Station in jail.

Gladstone with spider web.

Gladstone and grainy in silo siding

NR1, NR106, NR68 passes grainy on main line

NR1, NR106, NR68

Few louver wagons

GM46, 2241, GM46 ready to detach engine 2241

2241 been removed

2241 heading off.

GM43 attaching back onto GM46

Pumping up air

GM43, GM46 Grainy leaving for Jamestown.

GM43 leaving Gladstone smoking it up a little

GM43, GM46 between Gladstone and Jamestown

Grainy at Jamestown pushing down to silo area

Grainy grain hoppers been spit onto 2 roads

Grainy loading at silos opposite old NG station

Old NG station with loading grainy

Old NG station with loading gain

SG main line with grain loading at NG old yard

To see more pictures on "Jamestown Today 2010"

Grainy now loaded back in S.G. yard
from Silo area.

Running engines GM46 and GM43 around
the grain wagons.

Getting ready to leave Jamestown for Gladstone

Between Jamestown to Caltowie

Caltowie

Leaving Caltowie for Gladstone

Between Caltowie and Gladstone

Pulling into Gladstone Yard

Engines detached to add engine 701 behind GM43, GM46

701 pulling out

701 attached to GM43, GM46

701, GM43, GM46 reverse to attach to grain wagons

Grainy at Huddleston

Grainy at sunset

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Training Trip TAILEM BEND to KAROONDA.
6th April 2009

The train got away at 02:40 a.m. with 2212, GM43, CLP17, 2216 & CLP8 with 50 plus grain empties. I left home at 03:30 a.m. a leisurely drive along the Freeway to the Monarto Zoo turnoff coming to a stop near the rail crossing at Monarto South at 04:25 a.m. Surely the train should be here reasonably soon. The train arrives at 05:40 a.m. and comes to a stop for a cross there. Following the cross it pulls away at 05:55 a.m. heading for Tailem Bend.

(Wayne Morris)

I manage my first photo of the day near the Murray Bridge exit from the Freeway, shows the distinct lack of light due to the heavy cloud cover. Not enough light to contemplate a photo of the train crossing the Murray on the bridge. Drive across the Swanport Bridge and chose to try a photo of the train passing underneath the road-bridge on the original road into Murray Bridge. Due to poor light take the option of using the back up camera on movie mode to capture the train passing by from on top of the bridge. Time is now 06:15 a.m.

As the train arrives at Tailem Bend, I drive into near the silos via the access track and photograph its arrival as it passes under the silo loading area. I use the back up camera, as I have come unprepared for this trip with the new camera which I have no idea how I take pictures using the manual setting….so I am stuck with the Panasonic Lumix to do the job.

The sun breaks through for a while and gives a saturated orange tinge to everything, including the locos for a short time. A crew change takes place, plus shunting and the time is 07:30 before the train sets off on the remainder of its journey out to Karoonda with 2212 & GM43.

CLP17, 2216, CLP8 at the silos, before the locos
did the changeover with the hoppers.

Tailem Bend Railway Station

The train moving out of the Tailem Bend yard en route Karoonda.

Once again I have no definite ideas as to where I am going to get the photographs of this train.
It proves to be trial and error for this trip.

Train moving out of the Tailem Bend yard

At 07:42a.m. About 5 kilometres out of Tailem Bend I come across the first road crossing, there is now enough light for photography, so I wait a few minutes for the train to cross the road here. Behind me in this shot is a prohibited / quarantined area due to the outbreak of Broomrape.

About 20 kilometres from Tailem Bend, or 1 km on from Orland Road, the train passes by slowly at about 08:05 a.m.

Passing through the site of WYNARKA
at about 08:30 a.m.

Approximately 10 km further on from WYNARKA, I come across a sandy track leading into the rail line, this proves to be a good location for the train. (about 08:40 a.m.

The train arrives at its destination

Train and creeps along the siding to the silos.
It is now after 09:00 a.m.

The train stops briefly, the crew have conversation with the grain agent. I have been fitted with a safety hat and am given permission to scale a ladder to another loading area at the silos.

Locos being cut off by the crew.

Unlocking Switchstand. Didn’t get the crew names

The driver.

The loading starts and the loading device spells
it out clearly: SAVING COUNTRY ROADS.

The loading continues.

Taken from the fenced off platform of Karoonda RWS shows the 169K post.

The platform has a major infestation of Calthrop or Three Cornered Jacks. Do not take your bicycle up here..!

The locos facing back towards
the direction of Tailem Bend.

Came across this half decent cutting on the line, due to lineside vegetation the view of the train approaching and in the bend was restricted. Some minor trackside vegetation was removed with the honourary approval of the “Minister of Vegetation & Works”.. This is where I encountered my first disappointment with the new camera with the autofocusing not doing what it is supposed to do, maybe it was operator error. (REMINDER – Always read the instructions for a new camera before attempting to use it). Or carry a back up camera in case…..

Shows the same cutting further around the bend.

Shows some of the lineside vegetation.

At the 150 K post or 19 km from Karoonda, this proved to be a good spot for trains running back to Tailem Bend, a long climb with the locos working reasonably hard. No video with me unfortunately.

The train is coming off a good hill which I would call the foot of the Marmon Jabuk Range adjacent to a main metal/dirt road crossing leading back towards Mannum direction. I did not get the road name it was about 17 km from Tailem Bend.

I left the train here and headed for home.

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Grain Train from Tookayerta (Loxton). 5th April 2010

Left Murray Bridge and on out to Karoonda and ever onwards hoping to reach Wanbi-ish area in time for the returning loaded train.... Upon passing through Karoonda the line is most of the time difficult to see through the thick lineside vegetation (scrub).
Once I made it as far as I dared to go, got to a position near a road crossing near the 205k post near Mindarie and waited for the train to come to me, all the time hoping I had not missed it.
It came, it passed and a sort of a chase was on, at slow speed most of the time.
Picked it off at a few nice locations along the way and passing through Karoonda..

(Wayne Morris)

These first two pictures showing Tookayerta near Loxton taken earlier.
by (Cameron Button)

Tookayerta 2212, 701, Grain hoppers, Crew Car, GM46
on train 5K44. 06-08-2009.

Rest by (Wayne Morris)

Mindarie 205K post 2207, 703, ECA98 and 705.

2207, 703, 705 on K42 near Sandalwood.

2207, 703, ECA98 on K42 near Sandalwood.

2207, 703, ECA98, 705 on K42 passes Borrika

2207, 703, 705 coming into Kroonda at 169K post.

2207, 703, 705 on K42 passing through Karoonda.

2207, 703, 705 on K42 Wynarka.

2207, 703, 705 on K42 Tailem Bend 120k post.

2207, 703, 705 on K42 at Tailem Bend into yard.

Now CLP8, 2207, 703, 705 on K42 departs Tailem Bend.

Now CLP8, 2207, 703, ECA98, 705 heads off on K42 departed Tailem Bend.

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Grain Train from LAMEROO. 8th March 2009

I have only ventured out that way twice before, I was surprised at the amount of scrubby lineside vegetation obscuring your view of the track as you run parallel to it....all I knew was the train was leaving Lameroo at about 1350 hours and should take about 3 hours to get back to Tailem Bend with 30 minutes allowed for the shunt at Geranium where it was going to attach the loading from there.

Made a few stops along the way out to Geranium where I expected to catch up with it, stopped at Sherlock, Peake, where I would listen for the train and check out various potential locations along the way.... Then mobile again, all the time flicking the eyes off into the scrub looking for a splash of orange from the locos or catching a glimpse of hoppers hoping that it had not departed Geranium. A quick call to GWA train control confirmed it would nearly be at Geranium.

Made it to Geranium in glorious sunshine and a blue sky, the locos were just about to do the required shunt movement a few minutes after my arrival. Found a lineside position uphill out away from the silos and waited for departure time....very clean GM47, GM45 & GM43 looked and sounded the part as they moved off uphill with the load. Followed the train back towards Tailem Bend and took a few pics along the way. Did 400 something kilometres for the day.

(Wayne Morris)

Geranium picking up grain hoppers

Geranium pushing back onto train

Train arriving/passing through Peake

train arriving/passing through Peake

Grain Train passing through the site of MOORLANDS where the remains of platforms from a
bygone era still stand along with a lonely looking concrete train control booth further west.

Arriving at Tailem Bend off the Pinaroo line where it
meets up with the main ADELAIDE-MELBOURNE line
and runs parallel too it, about 1.2km from the main
road over the top bridge.

The three locos 705, 2207 and ALF23,
waiting at Tailem Bend for the return of
the Lameroo grain train and GM47,45 and 43.

Grain train leaving Tailem Bend
towards evening with 6 locomotives.

6 engines leaving Tailem Bend
GM47, 45, 43, 705, 2207 and ALF23

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Grain Train from KAROONDA. 7th March 2009

Had the camera with me today and Greg phones, asks me what you doing? He said, "Head south young man !!!! - GWA grain from Karoonda with five locos on: ALF18, CLP16, CLP14, 2212, GM42. So I did, met up with Greg in Tailem Bend, and these are some of the pictures taken during the trip. Even though it was later in the day the lighting was good, it was a nice autumn day for once..

(Wayne Morris)

NR 63 belting through Tailem Bend,
whilst waiting for grain train from Karoonda

The grain train and locos less than a K from
the Tailem Bend with ALF18 leading

Grain train coming into Tailem Bend

Leaving Tailem Bend with half the train
still coming out of siding

Grain train pulling into Murray Bridge to pick up more grain loading (10) there.

Ready to pickup grain wagons.

Engines coupled up to grain wagons at silo

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