Lachlan Baker Photography
Original
9003, 9004 and 9002 lead HV370 loaded coal from the Hunter Valley coal loader, located on the Newdell-Liddell coal loop to PWCS Kooragang in the Port of Newcastle, seen at Branxton at 1200 on Saturday the 1st of July 2023.
The 90 class face an uncertain future due to their lack of ECP braking capabilities, a technology which ARTC intend to make universal on coal trains on their network within coming years, a technology that the 90s cannot have fitted outside of a major rebuild. Coupled with the continued obsolescence of their DC traction package and their extremely heavy weight (by Australian standards) of 164t or 177t (the latter weight is a modification fitted to several examples which allows their tractive effort to be equal to that of a unit with AC traction) makes them too heavy to work anywhere outside of the Hunter Valley coal network (Narrabri-Newcastle) with little exception. What will happen is unclear as Pacific National have made conflicting statements and actions regarding whether the locomotives will be rebuilt or withdrawn from service in the near future, with members of the class coming in and out of storage, although none as of the time of writing (03/07/23) have been scrapped. In addition to normal coal services, since 2020 three 90s at a time have been dedicated to banking duties for loaded coal trains over the steep Ardglen Bank. These locomotives are based at Chilcotts Creek loop (with Aurizon's bankers based there as well) when not required.
Original
9003, 9004 and 9002 lead HV370 loaded coal from the Hunter Valley coal loader, located on the Newdell-Liddell coal loop to PWCS Kooragang in the Port of Newcastle, seen at Branxton at 1200 on Saturday the 1st of July 2023.
The 90 class face an uncertain future due to their lack of ECP braking capabilities, a technology which ARTC intend to make universal on coal trains on their network within coming years, a technology that the 90s cannot have fitted outside of a major rebuild. Coupled with the continued obsolescence of their DC traction package and their extremely heavy weight (by Australian standards) of 164t or 177t (the latter weight is a modification fitted to several examples which allows their tractive effort to be equal to that of a unit with AC traction) makes them too heavy to work anywhere outside of the Hunter Valley coal network (Narrabri-Newcastle) with little exception. What will happen is unclear as Pacific National have made conflicting statements and actions regarding whether the locomotives will be rebuilt or withdrawn from service in the near future, with members of the class coming in and out of storage, although none as of the time of writing (03/07/23) have been scrapped. In addition to normal coal services, since 2020 three 90s at a time have been dedicated to banking duties for loaded coal trains over the steep Ardglen Bank. These locomotives are based at Chilcotts Creek loop (with Aurizon's bankers based there as well) when not required.