Railway Digest Magazine Apr-15 Back Issue

North West Frontier
Australia’s Pilbara region in the north west of the continent is a place most Australians are not likely to visit in their lifetimes unless, like Queenslander Alan Graham, they possess a fondness for heat, dry landscapes, red dust, and manmade machines that challenge comprehension. Through the generosity of a good friend, who had joined the then fledgling Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) Port Hedland based workforce back in 2007, Alan was able to experience railroading in the Pilbara – home of the world’s heaviest haul railways.

Maintaining the timber bridges
Queensland Rail has about 1035 timber bridges in use on its open lines, with 74, including footbridges, in south-east Queensland, and they can be found on all lines other than the Mount Isa line. Alan Shaw spends a day in the field with one of the highly-skilled teams that help keep these bridges in good shape.

Bairnsdale to Melbourne – The Drivers’ Experience
Rod Avery returns to his home town of Bairnsdale, largest city in Victoria’s East Gippsland region, for an unforgettable ride on the footplate of N475 City of Moe, as it hauls train 8410, the early morning Bairnsdale passenger service, to Southern Cross Station in Melbourne.

The RTAA/Sydney Trains Clyde Field Days 2015
Now a bi-annual event on the rail industry calendar, the Rail Track Association of Australia and Sydney Trains event was once again held at Sydney Trains Clyde depot, in late February. The event provides an opportunity for manufacturers, contractors, suppliers and engineering companies to promote what they have to offer the local rail industry. Shane O’Neil reports.