RTL 1 in Gippsland Part 2 (Western Star locomotive)

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 http://www.gunzelgallery.hobbiesplus.com.au/rtl.htm

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• RTL
• Log
• Trains
• Gippsland
• Hillside
• Stratford
• Bairnsdale
• Sale
• railway
• western
• star
• road
• train

[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.

[DounutCereal]

What were those points for at 2:55 ?

[emdB67]

@DounutCereal Goods siding (loop) at Fernbank.

[bullyfrog08]

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

[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.

[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. :)



[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"