Railway Digest Magazine April 2025 Back Issue

Manildra Grain Wagons
Agribusiness and flour miller, Manildra Group had relied on Pacific National for their grain and grain product trains, but by 2024 they felt that they could run their own trains more economically, so they selected Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) to operate their trains, and purchased a fleet of new locomotives, new grain and flour wagons and new 19-metre container wagons, used for grain products such as starch and flour. Peter Clark, with the help of photographer Dave Haden, takes a comprehensive look at the three new types of grain hopper wagons – MGGH, MGIG and MGHH – now in regular use on Manildra's trains.

Rail operations in WA after the 2024-2025 grain harvest
The West Australian grain harvest for 2024–2025 has been somewhat of a surprise. On Monday 3 February 2025, Cooperative Bulk Handling (CBH) issued a final tonnage amount of 20.359 million tonnes, the third largest crop ever received in Western Australia. On the Western Australian narrow-gauge system, rail plays a large role in moving a crop of this size, as Phil Melling explains in words and pictures.

NSW TrainLink New Intercity Fleet Mariyung EMU (D Set cars)
John Beckhaus provides a detailed outline and description of the new Mariyung EMU trains which will operate across the Sydney Trains electrified Interurban Network. A brief description of this network is provided along with details of the present rollingstock which have been in service since the 1970s and the new Mariyung trains.