Foreign Invader
GWN004, a 3'6" gauge loco (Queensland's gauge) is sitting in the afternoon sun at Paget on the outskirts of Mackay in North Queensland. This loco is now owned and operated by One Rail Australia who have taken over the former operations of Genessee and Wyoming Australia, a successful American shoreline operator.
GWA operated much traffic on the former South Australian Railway network and in particular, what is currently the standard gauge system. These "narrow gauge" locos actually operated out of Whyalla hauling iron ore from the local mines to the steel works. The company decided to get into the coal business in Queensland and the class which is technically the same as the Aurizon 4100 and Pacific National 83 class and built in Queensland in Maryborough have been transferred to the Mackay area (Goonyella system) for this traffic. I am not sure where they are fitting in and what mines or contracts they will service.
The strange thing is, to replace them in Whyalla, several former Queensland Railways/Aurizon 2170 class have been repatriated from South Africa where they went after sale from Queensland a number of years ago. Like members of the same class also repatriated for use by Watco on grain, freight and perhaps in time other freight in Queensland, they have returned home to Australia to serve out their days.
Foreign Invader
GWN004, a 3'6" gauge loco (Queensland's gauge) is sitting in the afternoon sun at Paget on the outskirts of Mackay in North Queensland. This loco is now owned and operated by One Rail Australia who have taken over the former operations of Genessee and Wyoming Australia, a successful American shoreline operator.
GWA operated much traffic on the former South Australian Railway network and in particular, what is currently the standard gauge system. These "narrow gauge" locos actually operated out of Whyalla hauling iron ore from the local mines to the steel works. The company decided to get into the coal business in Queensland and the class which is technically the same as the Aurizon 4100 and Pacific National 83 class and built in Queensland in Maryborough have been transferred to the Mackay area (Goonyella system) for this traffic. I am not sure where they are fitting in and what mines or contracts they will service.
The strange thing is, to replace them in Whyalla, several former Queensland Railways/Aurizon 2170 class have been repatriated from South Africa where they went after sale from Queensland a number of years ago. Like members of the same class also repatriated for use by Watco on grain, freight and perhaps in time other freight in Queensland, they have returned home to Australia to serve out their days.