The video Ardglen Bankers traced loaded bulk commodity trains (coal, grain and ore) with gross trailing weights of up to 4,200 tonnes, as many as 46 wagons and requiring as many as 7 locomotives with total tractive power of up to 12,000 horsepower as they struggles their way south climbing the steep gradients of the Liverpool Ranges between Willow Tree and the summit at Ardglen Tunnel. This presentation, Conquering the Liverpool Ranges - The Inside Story, provides a locomotive cab view of equivalent action viewed from the perspective of both banking and being banked across the Liverpool Ranges.
The presentation is divided into three parts. Part I covers a ride on triple 80 Class bankers as they position themselves ‘light engine” from Werris Creek to Willow Tree. At Willow Tree we view the internals of an 80 Class as we await the arrival of a loaded 4,200 tonne, 42 wagon Gunnedah coal train which we will be banking up to Ardglen. In Part II we connect to and bank the coalie across the Liverpool Ranges and return ‘light engine’ to Willow Tree. In Part III we are part of the train crew onboard a 2,900 tonne, 42 wagon loaded grain train powered by quad 48 Class locomotives as it is banked from Willow Tree to Ardglen Tunnel and then makes the steep descent down to Murrurundi. While most of this presentation is filmed from locomotive cabs, we have external views interspersed to show what our trains look like from a train spotter’s perspective.
Approximate run time: 88 minutes.