RTL 1 in Gippsland Part 2 (Western Star locomotive)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- Part 2 of a collection of scenes showing RTL 1 (Road Transferable Locomotive No. 1) in use on the previously disused Sale - Hillside (near Bairnsdale) line in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. This Western Star truck was built for use as a locomotive and was the only one light enough to traverse the Avon River Bridge at Stratford at the time log trains started using the line. Today passenger trains also run on this line, but it had been out of use for several years, due to the condition of the Avon River bridge.
Sorry, due to a technical problem, sound is in the left channel only.
More info and photos at www.gunzelgalle...
All recorded history now..............
Brilliant footage, thanks and cheers!
The truck had been in storage for several years and was recently sold and reactivated. Last I heard it was hauling works trains (ballast) in Adelaide, South Australia. It seems unlikely it will ever haul revenue trains again.
We have "hi-rail" vehicles too. But this one is much more than a hyrailer. It was actually built as a locomotive. It could haul trains, but not trailers on the road. I believe the concept originated in Canada.
Great footage. am just disappointed i missed it run for real
It did work around Shepparton for a while before being used in Gippsland. Also a few odd jobs (non-revenue) around the system including storing surplus rollingstock on the then disused Ararat line.
totally awesome video showing a tottaly awesome truck I am not sure but I think I have seen RTL1 in operation somewhere other than gippsland also great to see footage of gippsland line again
Last time I saw ANYTHING like this was on the Fremantle freight line in Perth. It was a yellow Mack bonnet cab, which I can only assume it was some kind of rail tester. Had a normal truck cab at the front, and a rail maintenance style cab at the rear. Which in this case, it was being driven from, as the truck cab was whizzing down the track backwards
1:33 I like how back in those days they would leave the old Teardrop bells (along with other m-bells) alone when they reactivated decommissioned crossings, whereas now days they cheap out and replace them with e-bells.
@emdB67 One of the problems always associated with road/rail vehicles tyre wear - as the railhead is only around 2" to 4" across & therefore ALL tractive effort is applied to just a small section of the tyres tread PLUS any slippage excessively burns the tread away also & as the driver acknowledged on the earlier info- it was easier for HIM to simply use the truck's brakes (BUT that also meant excessively wearing the tyres for braking wheras if he SHOULD have used the westinghouse WAGON brakes)
@QUIX4U I should clarify - He was referring to when running without a train. Locomotives usually have an independent brake just for the loco and one for the whole train. The RTL was set up like this - but the driver said the independent air brake was a bit pointless as it was easier to just press the road brake pedal. With a train behind it though, I'm sure that wouldn't have been very effective. :)
Timber approach trestle on one end needed work and piles under wrought iron spans at the other end. The timber decking on the main steel spans was also replaced. Check page 5 of the Gippsland section of my website listed in the info to the right of the video. Also a page on RTL photos there too.
Awesome video.
@GayBoyRunning As it could haul 15 empties and 5-6 loaded in Gippsland, it did do some trips by road. It also had the advantage in Victoria's radial network that it could be driven by road from one line to another parallel line, saving a lot of time. Not sure if this was done much though.
Just Track currently own RTL1 and will be used on the Inland Rail
project hauling ballast wagons to flood the newly laid track , will see a lot of work soon .
A good record of a unique experiment - now gone.
That is awesome, ive seen a few of those around here for BNSF
The front and rear railway wheels only keep the truck on the rails. The power is through the normal rear road axles.
Absolutely awesome.....
Great video!!! 5 stars!!!
It had to be registered as it did also travel on public roads. See 9:09. Yes, I understand it went through tyres real fast. This of course made it unroadworthy, although it would probably have been fine for rail use.
@GayBoyRunning Unfortunately this one saw very little actual revenue service. The three months covered by these videos was, to the best of my knowledge, the only regular revenue-earning service it ever saw. It did do some grain haulage earlier in its career, but I gather this was mostly for trials etc. It had been in storage most of the time since these videos were made, other than the occasional odd-jobs around the system.
It has recently been sold to new owners.
Although these seem a good alternative to using a N or T class locomotive I always thought that there was insufficient freight traffic through Gippsland to warrant them. All the sidings between Tralagon and Bairnsdale are being torn up
The tyre wear on the RTL was more to do with slipping when trying to get a train moving than from braking as the Westinghouse brakes on the wagons / cars would be enough without using the RTL's brakes.
@kjbmtc The ONLY real reasons they used a ROAD "truck" (heavy vehicle)- was because they normally have airbrake equipment (vacuum &-or compressed air) ALREADY installed, PLUS these vehicles are usually sufficiently STRONG in their chassis framework- to handle heavy haulage AND one more thing was required... a vehicle with the ability to "slow" a rake of wagons .. as that too - was also of some importance. BUT the main one- was simply to use A TRACTOR (of sorts) to pull a rake of wagons- "period"
@DounutCereal Goods siding (loop) at Fernbank.
@kjbmtc WHY? Unlike roads- Railway lines are relatively flat.
ONLY "stationary_inertia" is needed to be overcome (to START wagons rolling) & then 1 just keeps the power ON - to slowly buildup speed - thus even a 1970's NZR 6man 16hp B&S powered "motor trolley" would've done the same job (albietly with a hell of a long time between initial movement & full speed with almost half of Australia needed for an emergency "braking" distance but yes ANYTHING will pull railway wagons along a railway line)
The trouble with railways is the government doesn’t like them. Far too much cost for maintenance to the track plus moving freight by rail means double handling of the freight truck to train to truck. It is cheaper for government to pass the costs on to the private sector and let them build bigger and bigger trucks Hence most of the sidings in Gippsland are disused or being torn up. The government prom
Cool, Thanks
Soo this Hi-Rail truck wasn't used for "work train" service? Just occasional revenue runs? Here in the US that's what we use them for, pulling work trains and usually crane service.
1:50 That Tear Drop Bell Is Wearing Out And It Would Of Been Replaced By Now As They Drop Like Flies
What were those points for at 2:55 ?
what technically was wrong with bridge anyway?
heh crazy name for this truck that goes on the rails lol over in USA we call it a hyrailer LOL