This presentation, Ardglen Bankers Review 2019, covers the banking of trains (with a gross weight of up to 10,000 tonnes and consists of up to 82 wagons) across the Liverpool Ranges from Chilcotts Creek up to the Ardglen railway tunnel, in which area there is some 8 kilometers of continuous winding uphill 1 in 40 gradients.
Whilst the majority of the presentation is in the year 2019 featuring PacNat’s 92,93 and TT classes and Aurizon’s 5000, 5020, 6000, 6020 and CF classes, we view some FreightRail and FreightCorp operations with 35, 442,48, 80 and 81 classes in Ardglen banking operations dating back as far as 1994. This enables us to see the impact of new more powerful locomotives and larger capacity rolling stock on rail operations across the Liverpool Ranges.
We see the new Chilcotts Creek sidings (for banker storage) brought about by PacNat’s refusal to contractually bank Aurizon’s trains up the Liverpool Ranges, the new long passing loop at Chilcotts Creek where banking operation now commence (this previously occurred at Willow Tree passing loop) and changes in the Ardglen area, which includes lengthening of the passing loop, disconnection of the Ardglen Quarry line and a new High St road overpass.
Approximate run time: 105 minutes.