RTL 1 in Gippsland Part 1 (Western Star locomotive)

RTL 1 (Road Transferable Locomotive) was used twice in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. First in 1998 to haul some grain hoppers from Wurruk (just west of Sale) across Thomson River into Sale yard. This was for a drought relief train (flood relief by the time it arrived) and the use of RTL 1 appeared to be purely for the TV cameras. In November 1999, RTL 1 began to haul log trains between Sale and Hillside on the disused Sale - Bairnsdale line. Hauling between 4 and 15 wagons, it ran several trips a day (some by road in one direction) and the wagons were consolidated into a single train at Sale, hauled by conventional locomotives to Geelong. RTL 1 had been used due to the poor condition of the Avon River bridge at Stratford and was the only locomotive light enough to cross the bridge. The bridge was then strengthened and by the end of January 2000, T class and lighter were able to cross the bridge. The RTL operations on the line ended at that time.
Uploaded in low-res to improve uploading time.
Part two also available.
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
• Road
• Transferable
• Locomotive
• Western
• Star
• log
• train
• Sale
• Stratford
• Hillside
• Bairnsdale
• closed
• disused
• railway
• reopened

[guitboxchicken]

How does one operate this? Control stand? Gas pedal? I can't really tell from the video...

[emdB67]

@guitboxchicken The stand is only for the Westinghouse brakes. Both on the train and the locomotive - however, the driver said is was easier to just press the brake pedal when stopping the loco (truck) only. :)

[ritiprd]

WTF..is someone here who can explain me??

[emdB67]

Click the "more info" to the right of the video. It's all explained there with more on the link at the bottom of the description. Enjoy.

[my90tp]

puts a whole new meaning to road train

[GayBoyRunning]

lolz that RTL is both a road & rail train

[irishmanO1]

awesome

[cj382]

Well, you don't see this everyday. How many horses does this thing have anyway?

[QUIX4U]

@jdawgsworld Astually - works with anything .. so long as the main road driving wheels are the same gauge as the rail -(NZR used Suzuki 4wd trucks as inspector gangers trolley's in the 1990's as well as in 1974 a weedsprayer contractor modified a tractor by simply removing the rubber from his tractor's wheels - for difficult access areas along the rail corridor in Central otago (it ran foul on turnouts until rims cut_back & worked on "single" line only) plus NZ uses a variety of trucks nowadays

[harrisonaard1]

Crazy daisy!

[trainmaster500]

thanks for the info!

[emdB67]

@trainmaster500 The idea for this came from Canada. This one was built in Canada too.