GOODBYE 9002 & 9012

 

It looks like it is time to farewell our beasts of the coal roads.

  The New South Wales 90 Class locomotives were purpose-built for one job—hauling enormous coal trains through the Hunter Valley—and they have been doing it with remarkable reliability since entering service in 1994. Built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in London, Ontario, Canada, the class was designed to deliver exceptional tractive effort rather than outright speed. Weighing in at 165 tonnes and powered by the legendary EMD 16-710G3A engine, they remain the heaviest diesel locomotives to operate on the New South Wales network. Their immense weight restricts them almost exclusively to Hunter Valley coal traffic, but that's exactly where they belong. They may not be the most glamorous locomotives on the rails, but when there's a mountain of coal to move, the 90 Class has long proved that there's simply no substitute for raw muscle.

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9002

Named: Michael Wendon

Builders #: 1374/918266-2

Service: 5/1994

Scrapped: 6/2026

Age: 32 years, 1 month

9002 9014 9022 - Empty Coal - Hunter River

Photo: Brad Peadon

9002 9004 - Special Tour - Singleton. 

Units were brand new at the time.

Photo: Bradly Coulter

9002 9012 9004 dead hauled behind 8241 8258 

for storage in Werris Creek. 

 4525G Grain - Thornton

Photo: Bradly Coulter

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9012 (Also reported to be gone)

Named:

Neil Brooks, Peter Evans, Mark Kerry & Mark Tonelli

Builders #: 1384/918266-12

Service: 6/1994

Scrapped: 6/2026

Age: 32 years

9012 90xx - Empty Coal - East Maitland

Photo: Brad Peadon

9012 90xx - Empty Coal - Hexham

Photo: Brad Peadon

9012 9005 - Coal To Pt Waratah - Warabrook

Photo: Brad Peadon

9012 - Peek A Boo - Maitland

Photo: Brad Peadon

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MORE DELECTABLE RANDOM HELPINGS

Another dive into the bowels of the archive!

One of those rare times when you turn up just in time to grab the shot.
For once luck was on our side as got up on bridge, pulled out cameras and the Indian Pacific rolls on by.

4461 4701 4458 power up for the final stretch to Sandgate as they pass an up Newcastle service.
The 44s are now both in storage at Goulburn and believed to be for sale.

Once a big part of the suburban Newcastle seen, the spuddy sets have now gone.
This particular set has been preserved.

Warabrook wheatie.

Warabrook cement.

9012 9005 lead a up coal towards Port Waratah at Warabrook station.

Intermission

Bordertown Hotel - South Australia

Kilbride crossing.

Train photo locations don't come much better than Bombo.
Shame about the topic and that the whole scene has now been defaced with overhead wiring.

Bordertown railway yards.

~~ NEATH RAILFAN WEEKEND NUMBER ? ~~

PART 1

Ahhhhhh yes it was that time again, its spring, a time when a young man's thoughts to love and a foamers thoughts turn to the Hunter Valley.

While not really a weekend, given this was a one day venture north to sit in on the inaugeral meeting of the 'Merriwa Railway Society', much opportunity was taken to consume the Hotels fantastic food and delightful 'alcoholic' beverages, during a sampling of Colonel's finest orchestral instrumentation from the nearby gentlemans convenience.

As it was likely to be the last time I can drag my rapidly decaying frame to East Maitland prior to the most glorious of all hackspots, Pitnacree Bridge (aka Houro's Bridge), being destroyed by a brand new bridge catering for the ever growing needs of humanity. I thought this would have to be the go for the first few shots of the day.

Now I am not going to sit here and type up a whole pile of sightings for you to quickly persue through and soon forget about. Nah stuff it - I can't be bothered.
So instead - please devour the following selections of gunzel porn taken on the dribbly cam which will appear over two parts.

NOTE: I hold no responsibility for expansion of personal

body parts while viewing the following!

Just in case anyone cares - our first sighting was this flamin thing!

The Colonel brings along a sample of his new gunzel rag.
To be released in 2012

PL5 48120 48137 pass through East Maitland with one of two services out of Pelton

that morning. The afternoon services were cancelled.

NR92 NR83 NR52 scream through East Maitland with a load of containers

bound for the 'Shakey' city of Brisbane.

The excitment of the earlier Huntercar was way to much for Nathan and Colonel.

The elder-statesman of Hunter railway photography, Mr John Hourigan

as found in East Maitland waiting to pounce on the next exciting combination!

9005 9022 8241 up coal rooooooooooar through East Maitland 20kph.

A Broken Man - 8am and still no Bundy!

Buggar, didn't I just show this one?

Must have come back for a second run through.

8237 8217 8210 Down empty coal passing through East Maitland.

Yes, it was getting very hot. As a safety precaution much fluid was consumed.

Perhaps a little to much was consumed in retrospect!

Anyway, eventually 8226 8254 8129 9007 took centre stage with a rake of coal

headed to port.

Cooties, 3112 and the World Famous Colonel!

All members of the 'Neath Hotel Railfan Group', Facebook and AA.

5010 5004 make a welcome change to the endless Pacific National passings.

Despite being a hot and sunny day, the moon did make a brief apearance.

~~ COMING VERY SOON IN PART 2 ~~

In Part 2 we shall sit in on the inaugeral meeting of the 'Merriwa Railway Society', visit the Richmond Vale Railway and head on back to East Maitland for the final hours of daylight.

12126

You come back again - ya here?

~~ HUNTER HOLIDAY HIJINKS ~~

and NEATH WEEKEND #11

** NOTE: As always, high-res copies of all photos are available for any
magazine who may wish to use such **

PART 2 OF 3

Welcome back to Part 2 of what is 'now' a three part series.

The reason for the sudden increase in size is due to an awesome Neath night and an extra morning lineside that was not expected. Now, you tell me of any railfan who dosen't have an increase in size when lineside!!!

In part one of story, our heros had just finished at Pitnacree Bridge and were off to meet the world famous John Hourigan at Victoria Street.

But first, a quick last look at the Pitnacree Bridge location.

9024 8217 8254 8241 down empty coal at Pitnacree Bridge 12.34

Could this be the bridge to replace 'Gunzel Bridge' at Maitland?
It already seems to be marked for its most famous regular attendee.

Before to long we were being greated by the man himself, local identity and long-term friend Johnno Hourigan.

BL26 BL33 4836 603 on a down ore goes flying through Victoria Street as a sea of foam coats the locomotives in question!

Oh my god - that was bloody awesome!
What a sight - Wheres the Kleenex?
My god - what could be better than that?

Hmmmm yeah your right - this is marginally better!
The seat I mean, shame that rather developed woman got in the way.

Yes - well anyway, soon enough and there was more train action to be had as 9207 G529 G519 8205 come through with another loaded coalie at 14.46.

2753 2703 - down pass - 15.32

9005 9020 9010 - up coal - 15.51

9018 9004 9025 down empty coal at Victoria Street.

Rear shot of these interesting seats.

8243 9031 G543 9214 pass an up Exploder just to the east of Victoria Street.

8111 hauled the strangest movement of the day, if you don't count MrNathans rather odourous death cloud after three Snickers Bars (apparently had to give em up for Lent).
It was seen here hauling a short rake of coal hoppers of many different varieties, the reason for such is still unknown. All hoppers were empty.

Victoria Street station has not been to diffaced by moderisation!

Victoria Street - Down train arrives.

Two ladies who have possibly caught a train sometime in the life, but don't really have much to do with this post other than their being good to look at.

Stay tuned for PART 3

* Neath Night *

* Morning Around Newie *