RTL 1 in Gippsland Part 2 (Western Star locomotive)

[GayBoyRunning]

do they still use RTL's

[emdB67]

@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.

[GayBoyRunning]

@emdB67 Are ok. Well RTL's look very efficient for moving freight wagons.

What i mean is that the truck & come off rail & go it next location with out going back on the line.

[emdB67]

@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.

[bullyfrog08]

That is awesome, ive seen a few of those around here for BNSF

[DounutCereal]

What were those points for at 2:55 ?

[emdB67]

@DounutCereal Goods siding (loop) at Fernbank.

[flammabletube]

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

[emdB67]

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.

[ironstang74]

Now thats a truck

[kjbmtc]

so am i correct in thinking that the main source of tractive effort came from the drive axles??? that thing must've had the mother of all drive shafts...

[QUIX4U]

@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)

[QUIX4U]

@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"

[studeystudebaker50]

never thing like that,amazing good video-so what did the truck have for a transmission,was there iron wheels inside the regular trucks wheels,I see the front was up in the air-were the tires running on the ties or the tracks

[emdB67]

The front and rear railway wheels only keep the truck on the rails. The power is through the normal rear road axles.

[CGT867]

A good record of a unique experiment - now gone.

[Skyhawk501]

i still want this truck in HO or in real life!

pity FA/PN dont use it anymore

[Mechknight73]

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

[47xxyOz]

I love how it has a rego sticker on it. That's kind of funny when you think about it. Nice concept, but I understand it had isues with tyres

[emdB67]

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.

[QUIX4U]

@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)

[emdB67]

@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. :)

[emdB67]

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.

[jagerfaust2009]

All recorded history now..............

Brilliant footage, thanks and cheers!

[microbusss]

what technically was wrong with bridge anyway?

[emdB67]

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.

[microbusss]

heh crazy name for this truck that goes on the rails lol over in USA we call it a hyrailer LOL

[emdB67]

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.

[guitar446]

cool footage

[Skyhawk501]

the RTL is somewere now after being stored in Dynon for how long

wonder how much they want for it?

[norlag]

Great footage. am just disappointed i missed it run for real

[NR54trailerail]

Great video!!! 5 stars!!!