In this presentation we revisit the Illawarra & South Coast Line in 2017 from Central all the way to Bomaderry (Nowra) to see the changes that have occurred since the Trackside Videos presentations Illawarra Line Pt1, Illawarra Line Pt2 and Boral Stone Train were released back in the 2007 era.
I have included a couple of scenes of the older ARG operation of the Manildra Group trains. Once ARG lost this contract to Pacific National it closed its operations in NSW. PacNat have increased the Manildra Group train size from three 2200 Class and 20 wagons under ARG to quad 81/82 Class and 50 wagons which has changed the handling requirement for trains at Bomaderry. PacNat still dominates coal haulage to Port Kembla with quad 82 Class 45 wagon coal trains serving the western coal fields (Airly and Clarence Collieries) and 45 wagon push-pull coal trains to Metropolitan Colliery (using 82 Class) and Tahmoor Colliery (using 93 Class). We also see the last days of operation of Aurizon push-pull coal trains out of Wongawilli Colliery. PacNat still dominates all steel train traffic.
We see ballast train operation at Bombo and view the downgraded aggregate/sand haulage out of Boral’s Dunmore Quarry, the latter, fortunately for the railways, being more than compensated for by the PacNat push-pull aggregate trains out of its Peppertree Quarry at Marulan South on the Main South Line. Interspersed between operational freight trains featuring 22, 31, 81, 82, 93, 6000, NR and X Class locomotives are Tangara, Oscar and Endeavour passenger traffic.
Approximate run time: 105 minutes.