This presentation is a ‘2 year delayed’ follow-up to ‘Botany Line & The Veterans’. The first portion of this DVD-R is a digitally converted master copy of the original VHS version of ‘Botany Line Revisited’ detailing operations on the Botany Line in the late 1990s after National Rail had taken delivery of its NR class. As with conversion of the former DVD-R presentation, the second portion is a 40 min review covering, in this case, 2011 operations on the Botany Line.
With National Rail having taken delivery of many of its NR Class, the late 1990s saw the return of leased 80 and 81 Class to their owner, Freight Corp. The majority of the 80 Class were initially placed into storage, the notable exceptions being the five units retained at Werris Creek for Ardglen banking duties. The 81 Class returned to general service and dominated freight haulage on the Botany Line, displacing 442 and 49 class which too were placed into storage. As traffic grew in NSW and train tonnage increased, Freight Corp were forced to release 81 Class to the other statewide requirements and return some 80 Class to Sydney local freight working, the latter with which 48 Class were struggling. They were from time to time supplemented with 422 and 442 class, many of which were at this time stored at Werris Creek and Chullora.
The saving grace for the Botany Line has been the ever increasing amount of intermodal freight to Port Botany, with thirty to fifty wagon trains becoming common. With the Ampol, Sims Metal and Kelloggs siding all ceasing operation, the only non-intermodal trains on the Botany Line in 2011 are the Boral stone trains. PacNat’s former Old Botany Goods Yard has closed, the New Botany Goods Yard and Bunnerong Exchange Sidings have become essentially a four track reception/departure road for other private operators serving the Patricks, CTAL and P&O terminals at Port Botany, with some new operators appearing (POTA, Qube Logistics, Coote Industrial/Greentrains/Engenco, Freightliner) while others have ceased operation (Austrac, Freight Australia, Silverton and Patrick Portlink).
Locomotives seen in action in this presentation include GL, MZ, NR, RL, VL, X, 422, 44, 442, 47, 48/830, 49, 80 and 81 Class.
Approximate run time: 104 minutes.