Rail Observations 2023

[Linto63]

Will this be the year that the D sets finally enter service? And how many K and V sets will still be operating at the end of it?

[boronia]

Devonshire Street Tunnel closure

Devonshire Street Tunnel will be closed from 8pm Monday 2 January to 5am Monday 16 January 2023. Please follow signs for alternative routes.

For more information on the project, head to https://atlassiancentral.com.au

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FlLBs4HXEAE ... me=900x900

[Linto63]

A new XPT power car has entered service, XP2019 presumably being a rebuild of XP2018 that was involved in the 2020 Wallan derailment.

[Benny95]

Anyone know what’s going on with Hunter Car J1? Have not seen it in service for quite some time?

[ScaniaGrenda]

Anyone know what’s going on with Hunter Car J1? Have not seen it in service for quite some time?

I've been on Holidays way way away from the area so not seen it and I don't have answers but if it's the way a lot of things are going in this world at the moment perhaps it's suffered a mechanical fault awaiting repairs.

The J sets will soon be reaching 17 years of age (tho I can't find an exact year of when they were built, Wikipedia tells me 2006 despite them entering service in 06?) so they are starting to somewhat show their age, I suppose it isn't out of the question they'd be reaching the point of where faults will appear although that's a bit how your going for me to even be saying given we've got Endeavors still running which are older than J sets.

as I said I don't exactly know, If it's vanished I suspect it's definitely down to some major mechanical problem. I'll keep an eye out for it

[Aurora]

According to that wiki article, entered service from November 2006, so the sets are 15/16 years old.

[jpp42]

A new XPT power car has entered service, XP2019 presumably being a rebuild of XP2018 that was involved in the 2020 Wallan derailment.

Interesting, what's up with the renumbering? Out of respect to the crew who died in the accident, retiring the old number, like they sometimes do with flights that crash?

[boronia]

Yes, partly a respect issue, maybe partly superstition related.

From an accounting viewpoint, XP2018 was probably written off due to its age; "repairing" it as a new unit allows the costs to be capitalised, rather than coming out of a maintenance budget.

[boronia]

Seems the Indian Pacific is currently running only between Perth and Goulburn. Bus subs between Goulburn and Sydney.

One of the staff told me it is because there are no paths available in that section.

I'm guessing it is to save time, on account of the diversion via Victoria?

[Linto63]

Has been happening since the Parkes - Broken Hill line was washed out a few months ago. The extra time taken travelling via Melbourne does not allow enough time to turn the train around and maintain its Adelaide arrival time, hence it terminates at Goulburn.

[Fleet Lists]

That would be in line with the 14th November - 24th January inclusive - Sydney to Broken Hill Xplorer service cancellation.
https://transportnsw.info/alerts/details#/ems-10103

[boronia]

A bit of a "shunting accident" at Port Botany today.

[Fleet Lists]

One of a number of availanle links https://www.9news.com.au/national/train ... 2950cc4557

[Benny95]

Anyone know what’s going on with Hunter Car J1? Have not seen it in service for quite some time?

I've been on Holidays way way away from the area so not seen it and I don't have answers but if it's the way a lot of things are going in this world at the moment perhaps it's suffered a mechanical fault awaiting repairs.

The J sets will soon be reaching 17 years of age (tho I can't find an exact year of when they were built, Wikipedia tells me 2006 despite them entering service in 06?) so they are starting to somewhat show their age, I suppose it isn't out of the question they'd be reaching the point of where faults will appear although that's a bit how your going for me to even be saying given we've got Endeavors still running which are older than J sets.

as I said I don't exactly know, If it's vanished I suspect it's definitely down to some major mechanical problem. I'll keep an eye out for it

Run V777 (Newcastle to Maitland) My God it’s none other than Hunter J1 . It’s returned from the dead. Only 5 months later….

[ScaniaGrenda]

Run V777 (Newcastle to Maitland) My God it’s none other than Hunter J1 . It’s returned from the dead. Only 5 months later….

I've been commuting since early January and was keeping a constant eye out for J1 and never came across it, although I heard of a broken down train at Waratah yesterday afternoon. Oddly nothing mentioned on Transport Alerts or the Twitter feeds for it.

Edit: it's on run 738 to Newcastle Interchange Currently.

[Stonesourscotty]

D sets testing west of Penrith during the day today hauled by an ssr loco had carriages 9310 and 9410 in the consist. Both where in an Aboriginal livery both have now headed city bound at 12:40 currently at St Marys

[boronia]

Set 31 did a run from Central to Springwood under its own power yesterday?

[Stonesourscotty]

How many carry the Aboriginal Livery on the Lead Cars?

[Benny95]

Run V777 (Newcastle to Maitland) My God it’s none other than Hunter J1 . It’s returned from the dead. Only 5 months later….

I've been commuting since early January and was keeping a constant eye out for J1 and never came across it, although I heard of a broken down train at Waratah yesterday afternoon. Oddly nothing mentioned on Transport Alerts or the Twitter feeds for it.


Edit: it's on run 738 to Newcastle Interchange Currently.

That broken one I think I saw that night on the AnyTrip App as J6

[ScaniaGrenda]

So one vanishes for months on end, then just returns only for another to break... guess we'll be seeing ol J6 again in about 6 months or so.

[lunchbox]

GLENBROOK TUNNEL
Blue Mountains City Council has called tenders for surveying services for what it calls "Lapstone Hill Tunnel". The survey will clarify land tenure and facilitate design and construction of planned recreational facilities and infrastructure in the area. (Ref. SMH 24.1.23)
2016

[Stonesourscotty]

Onboard B35 on Penrith-Gordon and I've noticed alot of the "waratah swaying" normally associated with A sets on the western line is missing. Did they improve the build quality on the B sets compared to A sets or did they improve the slow line between Penrith and Blacktown?

[gascoyne]

This pic was clipped from the aerial shots in the NSW government map site - https://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/ ...

katoomba.png (208 KiB) Viewed 6952 times

Stopped in platform 1 is what appears to be a lone passenger carriage. What is it?

[boronia]

Might be a MTPV track inspection vehicle?

[PG1]

On closer view it appears to be a single V carriage by the colour of the front and the positioning of the doors