Australian trains : Huge trains, big power, smoking brakes

[sasop117]

if these brakes are controlled by air, it must take ages for them to come on

[Rocketboy1950]

@sasop117 Which is why the operators are switching over to electrical control so that every wagon gets the signal at the same instant. They will still be air of course but not reliant on brake pipe pressure being lowered and raised.

[corti1973]

them australian train cars are small...

[Rocketboy1950]

@corti1973 Yeah, the puny little things only hold about 100 tonnes of iron ore.

[sammy65ify]

tht almost looks fake

[Rocketboy1950]

@sammy65ify I can assure you that it aint. I stood there for an hour swatting flies and getting baked by the tropical sun to shoot it.

[NakedWombatStuff]

Love trains.

[kutless22974]

Are those locos similar to the ones in America or were the locos built here?

[Rocketboy1950]

@kutless22974 Imported from the US. Some have modifications like larger radiators to work in the Pilbara.

[humorista]

Rio Tinto ??? xD

Portugal -» Porto -» Gondomar -» Rio Tinto :)

[singletrackmatt]

Id hate to see any of these go into emergancy. Train be long gone by the time it stopped. It wouldnt need to at that point lol.

[shootingzen28]

This train would piss me off at a level crossing!

[100Ryangoodman100]

omg huge train o_o imagine if it was food XD

[IAISrailfanner]

Do the railroads in Australia still use ALCOs?Most of the ones in North America are gone already.

[Rocketboy1950]

@IAISrailfanner We still have quite a few in regular operation but their numbers are dwindling. I have an old clip which you can search "ALCOholics" which may interest you. Look up bwDVD on youtube, he shoots where most of them run.

[SuperTreyone]

that was massive, like what 250 carrages? shit, so long

[Rocketboy1950]

@SuperTreyone What, you haven't seen the BHP with 336 cars yet ? It's in the playlist.

[labhunter1]

Nice video. yes your trains are big down under. In the US the CN railroad is using distributed power to handle 180 car plus trains. So we are getting close!

[Rocketboy1950]

@labhunter1 We had an advantage in being able to build big from day one on the iron ore roads. Generally our trains here are nowhere big as those in your country. Nonetheless it's nice to have bragging rights :-)

[zelo1954]

Forgot to ask. Were you able to do all your filming from public roads - or did you need to acquire permits to travel on the private rail-access roads?

[Rocketboy1950]

@zelo1954 Permits are required for the mining companies roads but are readily obtainable at both ends. Most of my footage was shot from their roads.

[zelo1954]

I've just sat down and spent an hour watching all 21 videos in this playlist. They are all absolutely superb but this one is undoubtedly my favourite. I love the way you've set up that long ending with the front of the train in the distance directly above the rear which is just passing you. Shades of "Hey Jude". I've downloaded all 21 and concatenated them into 3 separate movies.

[tufnaman]

its like a 250 vagons wow

[MrBagman2007]

I loved the suggestion to take a three-minute coffee break.

[MrCraig1930]

I'm an old retired Santa Fe Railroad Engineer. I enjoyed watching your video. Great job.

[Rocketboy1950]

@MrCraig1930 Thanks and I hope retirement is being good to you, it is to me.

[VFB1210]

On the loaded train, how come every other car had a yellow front for a good portion of the train?

[Rocketboy1950]

@VFB1210 I don't work there but I do know that the cars are permanently paired. It may be an indicator for the auto coupler or the handbrake, I really couldn't say with any certainty.

[VFB1210]

@Rocketboy1950 Do you know if the cars are unloaded on a sort of rotary dumper? Here in the US such a marking would specify that end of the car (or in this case, pair of cars) as having the rotating coupler.

[Rocketboy1950]

@VFB1210 I believe that they are rotary dumpers

[Mechknight73]

@Rocketboy1950 They are, because I once worked for one of the hydraulic engineering companies that built some of the tippers. They work in a similar way to the cane trains of Queensland; clamps grip the hopper by the wheels, and the hopper is flipped 180 degrees.

[nihongo02341]

@VFB1210 I would that is it.

[lfroland1]

its very long

[atsf3780]

how steep is the grade?

[Rocketboy1950]

@atsf3780 I'll pass on that maybe one of the locals will answer it.

[enzogrella1]

oh my god...it s so big......

[Stubs26]

I challenge someone to count how many cars that train is pulling...

[semtex84]

@Stubs26 234.

[skinnyshit8888]

HOLY JEBUS

[vk7ttt]

Everything in the outback is big. People from outside Australia might not realise that the Kangaroos are so big that they don't have to wait for the ore trains to go passed....They just jump straight over them.

[Rocketboy1950]

@vk7ttt Too right, I had one knock my car over when it misjudged the height.

[vk7ttt]

@Rocketboy1950 A few years back I was talking to an old aboriginal bloke who told me that when he was a young fella he lassoed a huge wonbat and it pulled him from just west of Alice Springs to Uluru before it stopped....It sounded a bit far fetched to me but he seemed genuine.

[Fernandofrances1]

How heavy is the loaded one?

[nihongo02341]

@vk7ttt Wrong. The Ore trains kill kangaroos. They are big but nowhere near as big as these massive trains.

[anderberger]

almost makes me wanna pay a lot of money and hop on a plane for 14 hours

[Rocketboy1950]

@anderberger That will get you to the east coast and then comes the hard part. The Pilbara is very remote. You can certainly fly in there by large commercial jet but accommodation is outrageously expensive and you would need to hire a camper van ( small/compact mobile home ) to get around to see the rail operations. But hey, come on over there's plenty of room and advice is free.

[anderberger]

@Rocketboy1950 i would actually really love to but i am a poor teenager one day i will though its on my bucket list to visit australia

[MxG97150]

Très belle prise de vue, et le deuxième qui arrive, c'est la classe.

Gilles (St Martin French Caraibes)

[MrWolfgangamadeus]

Those are empty cars.

No big deal

[MrWolfgangamadeus]

@MrWolfgangamadeus

Yet, rail transport of heavy freight is the most efficient.

Just sayin': Wolf

[Rocketboy1950]

@MrWolfgangamadeus Do you think they run them empty both ways ? Try watching a bit longer and you might notice the 234 loaded cars going the other way. They are hard to miss, they would be the ones with the smoking brakes as suggested in the title.

[MrWolfgangamadeus]

@Rocketboy1950

Ups; I got busted

Ok, I'm gonna' watch the whole thing now and I'll get back to ya'!

[MrWolfgangamadeus]

@Rocketboy1950

Ok; I guess my last genteal reply did'nt make it past the tight wads. Nuff' said.

Rocketboy1950.You need to study the Law of Gravity!!

It takes more HORSEPOWER to move 'Things 'uphill then it takes to move them down. Therefore the BRAKE DUST. All I'm saying is: HORSEPOWER uphill,braking downhill!!!

BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!

[dmberrigan]

You wanna know what's the best part about this video (besides those trains)? That sweet ass fly at 5:47!!

[Rocketboy1950]

@dmberrigan and a very tasty little chap it was :-)

[dati1992]

the are more than 235 waggons imposibble

[Rocketboy1950]

@dati1992 No there are only 234, have you seen the BHP trains with 336 yet, they are in my videos as well.

[Tvimadur]

obviously sucks to wait on railroad crossings

[WhLoWo]

Ca .250 Waggons, nice Video! Thanks for uploading :)

[BARRIEMOREBARLOW]

For the love of God, bring on the flange lube.

[Rocketboy1950]

@BARRIEMOREBARLOW YouTube don't allow that sort of stuff do they  :-)

[adrianopinheiro79]

muito bom o video !! parabéns, abraços.

[Rocketboy1950]

@adrianopinheiro79 muito obrigado eu agradeço o seu comentário

[ossiesixtysix]

why 234 cars on each?  is that a load limit and don't these trains normally have helper locos in the middle and/or back?

[Rocketboy1950]

@ossiesixtysix They get a push out of one of the mines otherwise no helpers on Rio trains. BHP run a set of locos for every 112 cars.

[tovemaersk]

Awesome! and come on really what does it matter it looks like smoke to me and makes sence that it was, heavey trian+gravity+friction=smoke??­?

[CSXCP55]

I guess if you were there, and smelled smoke, then that is what it was. But honestly, I would get out fast if it were brake smoke. Couldn't the older brake shoes still contain asbestos?

[Rocketboy1950]

@CSXCP55 I would think that the use of asbestos would be very much frowned upon these days. I did drive suburban EMU sets back in the 70's that smoked so much I couldn't see past the second car in the mirror if the brakes were fully applied at 70mph.

[markification]

@CSXCP55 I don't know much about train brakes but automotive brakes still contain asbestos to this day, They did ban asbestos for a short time in the early 90'S

but they repealed the ban within a year. I am a mechanic, so I looked up the facts.

[CSXCP55]

If it was smoke, then why did the cloud remain at the same location, and not move forward with the cars?? It was dust.

[Rocketboy1950]

@CSXCP55 Optics play tricks. It was wafting up out of that cutting and that was where the light was catching it at its densest point.

[cupofsoda]

DUST YOU GAY FAGGET BITCHES

[Rocketboy1950]

@cupofsoda Smoke you fucking moron. If it was dust it would be there all the time. It only appears when I pan right which was a little after the brakes were applied. I was fucking standing there. I heard the brakes go on and saw the smoke start after things began heating up.

[atcwiz]

@Rocketboy1950 dust hmmmm never saw blue dust before..... small minds come small words.......cupofsoda should be cupofshit.........IDIOT

[GayBoyRunning]

@cupofsoda can you know swear this is a public channel you fuking stupid fukwit !!

[penitent2401]

i assume the only way to stop these trains in emergency is to use the radio? since by the time the driver sees it then it'd be too late to stop?

[jackovendetta]

Hey guys,this is an empty train heading up the bank.No dynamics or brakes.I drive them so you know were I stand.Jacko.

[LordFabs]

@jackovendetta Yeah, then a second fully loaded train goes down the hill

[Rocketboy1950]

@jackovendetta Watch the whole thing Jacko they crossed in front of me.

[EarlRausch]

Thanks for the great post !

I do know that here in the US the locos will spray sand for better traction. Could that have been sand?

what ever the case it was awesome.

And man those road trains that you guys have are awesome !! Trucking down under 3 was great.

Thanks for the good work !!

[yash421]

@EarlRausch. You are right.. sand is one of the main components of traction control. Dynamic breaks are on the locomotives, not on the cars. If you apply breaks on the cars going down hill you will derail the train. Dynamic breaks are on full blast on these locos. thats were the smoke is coming from. car breaks are applied at a minimum level.

[EarlRausch]

@yash421

OK I got ya now, The light came on inside the old noggin. Thanks for all of your input !

I sure hope that people and industry truly embrace the usage of trains They are a great asset!

I wish you nothing but the best of luck !. Stay warm up there :)

[cupofsoda]

i see dust not smoke

[Rocketboy1950]

@cupofsoda Those brake blocks are smoking I can assure you.

[penitent2401]

@cupofsoda the soil are red in colour, it would have been red if it was dust, not grey. and the first train would have kicked up alot of it it it had been dust on the tracks

[theslashmetal]

huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge

[david40686]

Simply amazing video. 

[SuperPhil1956]

nice train i prefer SD 70s 4,400 horses

[nevadagunslinger]

Where is that? It looks a lot like Wyoming around Evanston/ Green River, but that is not an American train, the cars aren't marked right for one of ours.

[Rocketboy1950]

@nevadagunslinger It's in Australia

[19may0001]

i would love to see something like this long de-rail, classic

[Rocketboy1950]

@yash421 You clearly haven't got a clue how they work.

[yash421]

@Rocketboy1950 Sorry bud Traction control... I work GM locomotives division at St Catherines Ontario , Canada. live and learn. You will see my pics...,,, Do you know how traction controls work on a locomotive. The power of the locomotives are on the wheels not on the engine.. Did you know that for starters.

[Rocketboy1950]

@yash421 I got a fair fucking idea how they work. I have been a driver for 35 years. In dynamic braking the traction motors become generators. They feed the power to grids and fans to dissipate the energy they produce. This causes retardation of the wheels and hence braking. Yeah I know how they work and sand is not a part of the equation. Any wheels slide is regulated by a reduction in the motor/generator excitation. And I don't give a rats arse who you work for, you've got a lot to learn.

[LordFabs]

@Rocketboy1950 I think he had the sand idea from a game called railroad tycoon. Or at least, I hope that's where he got the idea.

[SuperPhil1956]

@yash421 i agree rocket boy this guy is a gunzel only with no train driving experience.

[yash421]

Notice the GE traction control in action on locomotives going up hill. Blasting off sand onto the wheels.

[twcatube]

nice shooting!!! A+ stuff. thx!

[torquelimited8115]

Just spoke with a driver and he said they are in full notch 8 dynamics and about 90kpa brake pressure going down that grade.

[Rocketboy1950]

@torquelimited8115 Probably meant a 90kpa brake pipe reduction. I'd be a bit concerned if I only had 90kpa in the brake pipe.

[deolynx5]

@Rocketboy1950 : Yes that is correct... reduction of 90 & full dyno's.

[formidable38]

Im very supprised how fast that loaded train was going down the grade! They must get through one heck of alot of brake shoes!

Nice filming as usual Rocket.

[Rocketboy1950]

@formidable38 I believe that those non metallic blocks last for quite a long time.

[formidable38]

@Rocketboy1950 Yeah, they stink too!!

[deolynx5]

@Rocketboy1950 Again correct

[littleguy2001]

@Rocketboy1950

Trains get shod every 30 days and around 200-300 shoes are changed at the one time, which isn't many considering theres 1872 brake shoes on the entire train..........

[Drivinfast247]

That seemed like a hell of a lot more than 234 cars!!

[Rocketboy1950]

@Drivinfast247 Well, 234 cars on each train

[chestybondrod]

There Lucky most the steep grades are on the way back to the mines when they are empty

[misskritt]

this is freakin awesome!!!!!! :) Some amazing trains! xx

[cisjohn2616]

I just can't believe how long those trains are.....How heavy must that be loaded !!!...Holy shit man !!!

[Rocketboy1950]

@cisjohn2616 234 cars x 120 tonnes plus locos. A little over 29,000 tonnes

[AustTubeYou]

These trains are bloody long. Many people may not know that this train is crucial to Australia's mining boom, bringing iron ore from the mines to the docklands to export at Port headland. Today, I will showcase this video for our train lovers, and for Australians to try and get their head around how huge the mining operations are in WA. We but videos on our autoplay for a day to promote good YouTube videos. Best wishes ATY!

[shebishobi]

so beutiful clip i love the envoirment and fotografy but some beutiful heart touching music will make it best

[loosenuts123]

and i thought australian trains were big

[dave3981]

@loosenuts123 ummm, this is Australia... Western Australia.

[flyingpigstuff]

Ahh the ubiquitous fly....

[bebuggered85]

234 emptys i counted

[Gavsta10]

Here in South Australia, Pt Augusta. We only get to 150- 200 carriages. But that is an awesome Video we have here!

[Kilofon1]

Oh my good is this a loooong train Oooh the next is coming lG from Germany

[sebasstien8]

que buen video loco

[ohiofarmer27]

Awesome video!...Thanks Mate!

[Floridaman98]

Any history of runaway trains?

[Rocketboy1950]

Not that I'm aware of. Runaway trains is more the stuff of Hollywood than reality. Having said that there have been a couple of spectacular bolts that I can recall in the US. Both down to bad work practices.

[khaloona]

sir, where is this location ? this is amazing video

[Rocketboy1950]

North Western Australia. 'The Pilbara'

[Gavsta10]

@Rocketboy1950 Around Port Hedland way?

Wait i think my dad worked there last year.

[Rocketboy1950]

In the general area

[aussietraindriver]

@khaloona The pilbara, Western Australia

[EdMuirton]

Wow! Lined up very well Sir! Most enjoyed! Cheers!

[botijo]

uauu  how long...

[Rocketboy1950]

Rio usually run a 234 car train

[CODEMASTER4601]

these engines are american i know it

[Rocketboy1950]

Yeah but we let Americans into Australia :-)

[CODEMASTER4601]

hm......touche

[wildfire19861987]

@CODEMASTER4601 Yep they're american. General Electric C-44-9W's. The track must be pretty level for 3 of those to pull that big of a loaded.

[dave3981]

@wildfire19861987 They have bank engines that push them up the steepest grades near the mine site. Once over the steepest grades the bank engines cut off on the run and then return to the mine to push the next loaded train. The train is then on its own on the smaller grades and mostly downgrades to the port.

[13frontrow]

how do these babys compare in length to queensland coal trains.they also have more locos pulling em.

[Rocketboy1950]

I would suggest that they make the big Qld coal trains look relatively small.

[LordGeorgeRodney]

Right place right time.

Great sound quality! Great picture quality !

Frickin awesome!!

[jimmydcap]

Wow American style locomotives down under. Nice

[Rocketboy1950]

Yep, straight off the boat.

[Purrfectstranger]

More companies should be using rail and get trucks off the road. Great vid btw.

[Rocketboy1950]

The trucks obviously fit a niche that the railways can't fit in to and in Australia there are just too many places that don't even have a decent railway line anyway.

[Purrfectstranger]

yep I can understand that... It's such a shame though. It's like that here in NZ. It would be so much cheaper for taxpayers here and in Oz if tracks were laid into every obscure town. Better on the environment too. Rail systems are so under utilized.

[Rocketboy1950]

Oz is just too big and thinly spread. I'm not overjoyed at the big trucks being in the major city environs but they definitely play a major part in Australias transport role right across the whole country.

[wharbio]

Your vids are awesome, thanks!

[vaxter2]

thanks for sharing. be good to see these in person one day

[Rocketboy1950]

Get in the car, you're a lot closer to it than I am :-)

[vaxter2]

Yeah I will :)

[est86leo]

That Dash-944CW Trio is killing that grade! 5stars

[littleguy2001]

Quite amazing you generally hit the grade at 65kph depending if there's any speed restrictions and then doing 25kph at the top just depends, but there is a 65kph speed restriction on the grade because they had a few incidents with people coming down at 80-100kph with loaded trains!!

[littleguy2001]

234 cars long, and brake shoes have surprisingly good wear, we use 50mm shoes and they last generally around 6 months, the brand new Chinese wagons we have, some of those shoes are lasting up to 12 months! Brake shoes are changed every 30 days usually a couple of hundred each train.

Also the bank is a 2% grade.

[produKtNZ]

Anyone manage to count the wagons?

Either way - That's an amazing pull :-)

[tryhardparrot]

Top vid. Did you know that the second train was coming? The timing was perfect.

5 stars.

[Rocketboy1950]

Dumb luck :-)

[jflaviovidal]

Great, great, superb!

Man, you are strategist when you choose

the correct place to shoot long take of

locos ahead, while wagons are passing

by.

Sensational.

[cuzinitr]

Great video! 5*  Rich

[gm16v149]

This is your best one yet Rod. I was trying to work out where it is with the road there, is it just north of Tom Price?

Also, is it normal to be on the brakes like that? Dynamics won't hold them back? Can't say I've ever noticed them smoke them up like that.  Must cost a fortune in brake shoes.

[Rocketboy1950]

Not too far south of Karratha... maybe about 90k's... but could be wrong on the mileage, Certainly still on the bitumen before the Python Pool turn off.

Brake smoke is normal and the non metallic shoes last a long time.