Railway Digest Magazine July 2022 Back Issue

The CBH (WA) Grain contract – The Watco years
In 2010 Cooperative Bulk Handling (CBH) in Western Australia put out a request for proposal for the haulage of grain on the Western Australian (WA) rail network. After considering several proposals CBH announced that United States-based short line operator Watco was the successful bidder for the CBH grain haulage contract. Following on from his article ‘The CBH Rail Haulage Contract’, in our March 2022 issue, Phil Melling relates the interesting story of ‘The Watco years’.

Troubled Gawler rail line electrification project completed
Following a decade plus of delays, on Sunday 12 June, the first public electric services operated over the 42km-long Adelaide to Gawler Central rail line in South Australia. The occasion also marked the resumption of services after an 18-month complete shutdown to enable the electrification works to be completed. Mark Carter and John Kirk report.

New Qube wagons for Steel and Grain traffic
Qube took over the Bluescope steel traffic on the East Coast, from Port Kembla to Brisbane, Melbourne and Westernport from Pacific National on the first of January this year. This and an increase in grain traffic has led to many new freight vehicles joining the Qube fleet, ranging from flat wagons for steel beams to paired grain hoppers. Peter Clark takes a look at these new acquisitions.

Wimmera Weekender
Seymour Rail Heritage Centre (SRHC) ran a successful tour to the Wimmera area of Victoria on the weekend of 21 and 22 May. It was not surprising that it was fully booked, given that it has been many years since this “grain only” line to Hopetoun has seen a passenger train. Graham Crichton went along for the ride.

First train at Cowra station for almost 13 years
“Three Cheers for the LVR!”, was the cry that sounded at Cowra railway station just after 11am on Saturday, 28 May. As Lawrance Ryan reports, there was good cause for celebration.