Western Victorian Railfan Guide
Click on a logo to view an operators services.
 QRNational |  Great Southern Railway |  El Zorro  Pacific National  Genesee & Wyoming Australia  S.C.T.  Australian Rail Track Corporation |
The information provided here is a compilation of commonly available information, personal observations and contributions, and is not intended to be official or is it necessarily complete.
Special acknowledgements to the ARTC, Gheringhap Loop, (Gheringhap Loop Mirror Site) and the above operator's websites.
Additions and Corrections to this infomation are welcome via this address - wangara@wimmera.com.au
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| QRNational / Interail| Web Link
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QRNational operate an intermodal service between Melbourne and Adelaide on behalf of P & O Trans, currently utilizing a stable of owned and hired units. This service provides the most variety in motive power of the regular services on this route.
August 2008 saw them take over the opreation of the Horsham intermodal servicee, formally operated by Pacific National as trains 9791 and 9792, usually in the form of attaching and detaching loading at Horsham from their regular Melbourne to Adelaide trains three times per week. Occasionally if required they have operated a dedicated train between Melbourne-Horsham-Melbourne.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | CLP, CLF, 2819 |
| Other Locomotives Used | --- |
| Hired Locomotives Used | G, LDP |
| Days | Vic. No. | Aust. No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun - Fri | 9754 | *AM6 | Adelaide to Melbourne | Containers | Various |
| Mon - Sat | 9753 | *MA6 | Melbourne to Adelaide | Containers | Various |
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| El Zorro Transport Solutions|
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This company has begun to fill the void left by Pacific National's reduced intra-state services in Victoria, particularly grain haulage on behalf of AWB Lmited. Their current tasks on this part of the system includes transporting grain between locations in New South Wales, mid north South Australia (Mallala) and Victoria (Dimboola and Appleton Dock).
Motive power continues to be dominated by hired units from CFCLA (EL, S and TL classes), the Seymour Rail Heritage Centre (GM36, C501) and SCT (G class).
September 2008 saw the start of a thrice weekly minerals sands train on behalf of Iluka Resources between Portland and Melboune, returning regular scheduled traffic to the Maroona to Portland line for the first time in many years. Initially the motive power has been El Zorro's own T386 and a hired SCT G class hauling a rake of around 21 conflats with two containers on each.
Mid 2009 has seen El Zorro commence ballasting operations in conjunction with the sleeper renewal program between Serviceton and Dimboola, initially from Callington in South Australia but had moved to MIram near Kaniva by the end of July.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | T |
| Other Locomotives Used | --- |
| Hired Locomotives Used | C, G, EL, GM, S, TL |
| Days | Vic. No. | Aust. No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tu, Th, Sa | 9767 | ---- | Melbourne to Portland | Empty Mineral Sands | Various |
| Mo, We, Fr | 9768 | ---- | New South Wales to Adelaide | Loaded Mineral Sands | Various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | Appleton Dock to Dimboola | Empty Grain | various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | Dimboola to Appleton Dock | Loaded Grain | various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | Geelong to Dimboola | Empty Grain | various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | Dimboola to Geelong | Loaded Grain | various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | Adelaide to New South Wales | Empty Grain | various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | New South Wales to Adelaide | Loaded Grain | various |
| As required | ---- | ---- | As required | Ballast | various |
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| Great Southern Railway | 
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| Web Link |
GSR currently operate the only passenger services on this line, the Overland between Melbourne and Adelaide three times per week, with daylight services now in both directions. Pacific National provide the motive power to haul these trains
Additional services can operate in conjunction with big events in Melbourne, such as the AFL finals if an Adelaide team is competing.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | NR |
| Other Locomotives Used | --- |
| Hired Locomotives Used | --- |
| Days | Vic. No. | Aust. No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tu, Th, Sa | 8701 | *MA8 | Melbourne to Adelaide | Overland | Single NR |
| Mo, We, Fr | 8702 | *AM8 | Adelaide to Melbourne | Overland | Single NR |
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| Intermodal| Web Link
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Pacific National was formed by the merger of National Rail, Toll and Patrick Rail, along with Freightcorp from New South Wales, and have since added ATN and Freight Australia to their stable.
Pacific National's Intermodal division operate container and steel trains on this corridor and between all mainland state capitals, excluding Darwin.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | NR |
| Other Locomotives Used | AN, BL, DL, XRB, 81 |
| Hired Locomotives Used | --- |
PacNat Intermodal services are domiated by the 119 strong NR class, members of which exclusively lead these trains. Trailing units come from PacNat's own AN, BL, DL, NR, XR, XRB and 81 classes.
Most trains feature two or three units, although occasionally quads or quins are sighted.
SERVICES| Days | Vic. No. | Aust. No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo - Sa | 9701 | MA5 | Melb-Adel | Super | NR-DL |
| Mo - Sa | 9702 | AM5 | Adel-Melb | Super | NR-DL |
| Su - Sa | 9711 | MP5 | Melb-Perth | Super | NR-NR / NR-AN |
| Su - Mo Th - Sa | 9712 | PM5 | Perth-Melb | Super | NR-NR / NR-AN |
| Mo - We Sa | 9714 | PM6 | Perth-Melb | Super | NR-NR |
| Tu Sa | 9715 | MP7 | Melb-Perth | Trailerail | NR-NR |
| Tu Fr | 9716 | PM7 | Perth-Melb | Trailerail | NR-NR |
| Mo - Fr | 9755 | MA3 | Melb-Adel | Patricks | NR-XRB-NR |
| Tu - Fr | 9756 | AM3 | Adel-Melb | Patricks | NR-XRB-NR |
| Tu Fr | 9764 | AB6 | Adel-Bris | Super | NR + AN/DL/NR |
| Tu Fr | 9827 | BA6 | Bris-Adel | Super | NR-NR |
| Tu Fr | 9765 | MP4 | Melb-Perth | Toll | NR-NR |
| Su - Mo | 9821 | SP2 | Syd-Perth | Steel | 1, 2 or 3 NR and occasionally AN or DL as trailing unit |
| Tu - Fr | 9821 | WP2 | Port Kembla-Perth | Steel | 1, 2 or 3 NR and occasionally AN or DL as trailing unit |
| Su Tu - Sa | 9822 | PW4 | Perth-Port Kembla | Steel | 2 locos - NR + NR or other trailing unit |
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| Rural & Bulk|
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The last presence of this operator on this part of the system is in the form of irregular grain services loading at locations along the main line and as far as Warracknabeal on the Hopetoun branch. The Yaapeet branch and the rails north of Warracknabeal appear to currently be off Pacific National's radar. All services operate only as required.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | G, XR |
| Other Locomotives Used | --- |
| Hired Locomotives Used | --- |
| Days | Vic. No. | Aust. No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As required | 9721 | --- | Geelong to Murtoa/Dimboola & Beyond | Empty Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9722 | --- | Murtoa/Dimboola to Geelong | Loaded Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9781 | --- | Yaapeet Branch | Empty Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9782 | --- | Yaapeet Branch | Loaded Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9783 | --- | Portland to Dimboola & Beyond | Empty Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9784 | --- | Dimboola to Portland | Loaded Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9785 | --- | Portland to Murtoa or Hopetoun | Empty Grain | G-XR |
| As required | 9786 | --- | Hopetoun or Murtoa to Portland | Loaded Grain | G-XR |
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| Specialized Container Transport| Web Link
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Specialized Container Transport operate trains between Melbourne, Adelaide and beyond to Perth, and are made up of their distinctive vans with some containers. SCT now provide their own line haul with their fleet of former PacNat G class and new SCT class locomotives for their Melbourne to Perth Services.
As more of the SCT class have come on line durig 2008, most of the distinctive white G class units have found work on hire to other operators, including El Zorro and QRNational along with a couple of interstate assignments.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | SCT |
| Other Locomotives Used | G |
| Hired Locomotives Used | --- |
| Days | Vic. No. | Aust. No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo Tu Fr | 9751 | *MP9 | Melbourne to Perth | Louvre vans and containers | 3 x SCT |
| Tu Fr Sa | 9752 | *PM9 | Perth to Melbourne | Louvre vans and containers | 3 x SCT |
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| Genesee & Wyoming Australia| Web Link
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Genesee & Wyoming Australia operate what was formally the Australian Railroad Group's South Australian operation which was owned by a joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming International and Wesfarmers. On this line GWA operate the South Australian intra-state grain services on the main line as far as Wolseley, and the Loxton and Pinnaroo branches - theoretically also on the Apamurra line although this line is in effect closed. They also operate a containerised mineral sands service between Mindarie on the Loxton line and Pelican Point.
They have also operated trains from Pinnaroo, via Tailem Bend to Geelong or Appleton Dock.
MOTIVE POWER| Common Locomotives Used | CLF, CLP, GM |
| Other Locomotives Used | ALF, 22 |
| Hired Locomotives Used | --- |
| Days | S.A. No. | Aust No. | Origin and Destination | Consist | Motive Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As required | --- | --- | South Australia to Geelong or Appleton Dock | Grain | Various |
| As required | --- | --- | Geelong or Appleton Dock to South Australia | Grain | Various |
| As required | *K21 | --- | Pelican Point to Mindarie | Mineral Sands | Various |
| As required | *K22 | --- | Mindarie to Pelecan Point | Mineral Sands | Various |
| As required | *R81 | --- | Adelaide to Tailem Bend | Grain | Various |
| As required | *R82 | --- | Tailem Bend to Port Adelaide | Grain | Various |
| As required | *K41 | --- | Adelaide to Tookayerta (Loxton) | Grain | Various |
| As required | *K42 | --- | Yookayerta (Loxton) to Port Adelaide | Grain | Various |
| As required | *L51 | --- | Adelaide to Pinnaroo | Grain | Various |
| As required | *L52 | --- | Pinnaroo to Port Adelaide | Grain | Various |
| As required | *Q81 | --- | Adelaide to Wolseley | Grain | Various |
| As required | *Q82 | --- | Wolseley to Port Adelaide | Grain | Various |
Services also operate to intermediate locations on these lines, with the train numbering system as follows...
- First Number - Day of the week (1 - Sunday.....7 - Saturday)
- Second Number - Route Code -
- J - Apumurra Line
- K - Loxton Line
- L - Pinnaroo Line
- Q - Coomandook to Wolseley Line
- R - Tailem Bend
- Third Number - Destination Code - Number of location along line
- Train Sequence Number - 1 for first down train, 2 for first up train, 3 for second down train...
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| Australian Rail Track Corporation| Web Link
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The Australian Rail Track Corporation controls the track between Melburne and Adelaide and is responsible for all maintenance on the line. The do not operate their own trains, but contract this to other operators which currently (July 2009) include Pacific National (sleeper delivery) and El Zorro (ballast).