Charbon Coal 1992 - 1995 (+ 2008 Update)
Charbon Colliery, which opened to rail traffic in June 1986, is located on the Mudgee line. This line branches from the Main Western Line at Wallerawang, and was opened in three sections, the first Wallerawang - Capertee in 1882, the second Capertee - Rylstone in 1884 and the third Rylstone - Mudgee in 1885.
As well as the coal and cement traffic generated by numerous coal mines and cement works that were located along the line, the Mudgee line provided passenger services to the communities that operated such facilities. Passenger services ceased in 1985, and sadly there are now only three users of the line, the Kandos Cement Works at Kandos, Charbon Colliery at Charbon Junction (a couple of kilometers short of Kandos) and the biggest user, Baal Bone Colliery, at Baal Bone Junction.
The line travels through some of the most picturesque country in the state of New South Wales, and features many 1 in 40 gradients in both directions. During the 1992-1995 period, haulage of coal from both the above collieries to Lithgow railway yards was largely the domain of the 80 Class diesel-electric locomotives, and this video portrays these big ALCO V12 turbocharged/aftercooled 2000 Horsepower 4 cycle machines working hard in quad operation hauling typically rakes of thirty two 100 tonne gross coal wagons between Charbon and Lithgow.
In the 1990s, beyond Lithgow to the export loading port of Port Kembla, 85 or 86 Class electric locomotives normally provide the motive power to climb over the Blue Mountain Ranges, where 1 in 33 gradients are common. This is the subject of a further video, Crossing the Blue Mountains.
Approximate run time: 80 minutes.