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PT.25: THE PH.BARA IRON ORE RAII..WAYS THE EVOLUTION OF ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Despite what you may think about Australia's federal and state railway systems, the biggest and best railway systems in this country are privately owned. These railways are all in the Pilbara region, in the far north of Western Australia. By BRYAN MAHER Here is a quick quiz on Australian railways: where are the heaviest trains? Or the longest? And who uses the biggest locomotives? Where's the best track? And which rail system moves the most net tonnage of one commodity annually? If you are thinking of the Victorian or NSW systems, you are wrong. The railways in question are all in the Pilbara iron ore region of Western Australia. Western Australia is the biggest state and has the most remote capital city. Many readers may also be surprised to learn that WA has the nation's longest and heaviest trains, the biggest locos and the best track. Imagine a 31,000 tonne train, 2.3km long, with 240 wagons hauled by three head-end diesel electric locomotives, travelling for 8 hours at a steady B0km/h, almost nonstop. Trains of this size run several times every day in the Pilbara. The Pilbara The half million square km Pilbara region lies on the extreme western side of Australia. It is an arid mountainous area extending roughly 750km north to south and 700km east to west. To the east lie 92 SILICON CHIP forbidding regions like the Little Sandy Desert and the dry Lake Disappointment. Northwards, only 60km away, is Marble Bar, claimed as the hottest town in Australia. To the north east lies the Great Sandy Desert. A thousand kilometres to the south are Perth and Kalgoorlie. On the northern limits, the developed sea ports of Dampier and Port Hedland are gateways to interstate and overseas shipping transport. Deep in the Pilbara where its severe climate threatens any traveller are the Hamersley, Chichester, Opthalmia, Kenneth and W alburg ranges. Inside these desolate mountains are huge deposits of copper, tin, asbestos, manganese and iron ore. The iron ore (iron oxide, hematite, Fe2O3) in these ranges is remarkably pure with as much as 64 % iron content (possibly the world's richest metal concentration). While iron is the second most abundant metal on earth, about one tenth of the world's known iron ore deposits are in the Pilbara. The mines A handful of large mining companies have opened up the rugged Pilbara region. Iron ore mines are well established at Paraburdoo, Mt Tom Price, Mt Newman, Mt Whaleback, Pannawonica, Goldsworthy and Shay Gap. Most of their production is shipped to Japan, amounting to about half that country's ore purchases. Other production goes to Australian and European steelworks. New developments continue to open up more areas. Only a mining prospector could think up a name like McCamey's Monster Mine, which commenced iron ore production in March this year (1989), at 2.2 million tonnes per year. The Hancock Prospecting Company has arrangements to supply iron ore to Czechoslovakia and Romania, with expansion contracts tipped to involve Poland and all Eastern Europe. These countries prefer the Pilbara's very pure iron ore to the previous low grade Russian ores. The BHP company plans to supp- ly the Newcastle and Pt Kembla steelworks with ore from their new Marillana Creek mine. Supplies from this mine will replace the present Koolan Island ore mine when it cuts out in three years time. The brand new Channar mine, a development of Hamersley Iron with the Chinese government, will supply up to 10 million tonnes of rich ore to China every year - this despite China already having the world's second largest iron ore reserves (their ore is of much lower purity than ours). Railway companies As always happens in today's mechanised world, large mines beget large railways. Three private railway systems were built and operated by the three major mining companies. All continuously haul the high grade ore to the seaports. The companies, Cliff Robe River Iron Associates (CRRIA), Hamersley Iron (HI) and Mount Newman MOST IRON ORE TRAINS in the Pilbara use three locos at the head-end and three at the end. A typical train has 240 wagons and a gross weight of over 30-,000 tonnes. The lead loco here is a rebuilt Alco model rated at 2.686MW. Railroad between them have over 1300km of heavy standard gauge track. Any one of the three companies' railways can claim many Australian records. The Hamersley system has the capacity to shift 56 million tonnes of ore a year on one single track. Though perhaps not an Australian record for total system capability, it must go close to a record for what one pair of steel rails can carry. Harnersley Iron Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd is the largest of the companies in the Pilbara, producing half the state's total iron ore output. This is a big contribution to Australia's total production of 108 million tonnes a year. Everything needed at the mines, from fuel or oils to machines, must be transported nearly 400km from the seaport at Dampier. And every tonne of iron ore produced has to be carried the same distance to the coast. The Hamersley reserves contain 8 billion tonnes of the best iron ore. There are two mine sites, one at Mt Tom Price (one of Australia's largest known ore deposits) and the other at Paraburdoo. At present capacity, these two mines combine to produce 46 million tonnes a year. Hamersley Iron has also built a plant to make iron ore pellets for the export market. Harnersley route Hamersley Iron's one and only main line is nearly all single track. On the most difficult section, Paraburdoo to Mt Tom Price, loaded trains face a steady climb, the ruling gradient being a consistent NOVEMBER 1989 93 However, a quick calculation of the power needed to haul 24,00ot to 30,000t of train [plus 1200t of locos) up that modest gradient shows that over 16MW (22,000hp) is required! When the train gets to Mt Tom Price, the tail end locos are uncoupled and the train proceeds with only the three head end locomotives over the next 288km run to Dampier. On this section the grade is gently downhill except for an 18km-long uphill gradient of 0.3% about 80km from Dampier. Returning empty trains from Dampier face an uphill climb over all the 288km to Mt Tom Price (740m above sea level) except for the 18km downhill section, 6 7km out. A total of 56km of dual tracks have been built on three sections. This allows full and empty trains to cross without stopping. Passing loops allow trains to pass each other on the remaining single track sections. In general, unloaded trains stop and wait for loaded trains to pass. This saves considerable time and fuel by avoiding unnecessary acceleration of heavily loaded trains. More than eight loaded trains per day make the trip to the seaboard from the mines, five from Mt Tom Price and three from the newer Paraburdoo loading points. At 75km out from Dampier the Hamersley line crosses over the CRRIA tracks which run from the Pannawonica mines to the coast. Mt Newman Mining THE PILBARA RAILWAY TRACKS are the heaviest and best maintained in Australia. They have to be, since they carry such enormous quantities of ore. Hamersley's tracks have carried as much as 52 million tonnes of ore in one year. 0.42 % over most of the 98km route. Three head-end diesel electric locomotives haul the train of 180, 210 or 240 wagons with three banker locomotives pushing at the rear. These trains are so long that head and tail drivers rarely see each other. As the head locos start, the driver at the front tells the driver in the tail locomotives, by radio, to apply power. This radio contact continually advises which controller notch is to be used in ac94 SILICON CHIP celerating to full power (8th notch), steady running, power down and braking. In the event of an emergency brake application by the head end driver, the reduction of air pressure in the train brakeline cuts the power in the tail end locos. Now you may ask: why six locomotives on a grade of only 0.42 % ? It doesn't sound much of a grade does it? After all, the grade on the Blue Mountains is 3 % to 3.3%! The Mt Newman Mining company was formed to win ore from the Opthalmia ranges, principally from the Whaleback-Newman mountain group which contains one of the world's largest concentrations of hematite. Work began in 1967 to prepare the minesite, loading facilities and heavy standard gauge railway. The system was opened for production two years later. Another two years on and the production rate exceeded 12 million tonnes a year, shipped to steel works in Newcastle, Pt Kembla. Europe and Japan. This new industry gave rise to a . new town 8km from the port to people and the structure of the industry. From Paraburdoo mine to the nearest city, Perth, is almost 2000km by rail and sea, and only about 300km shorter by road. In this (usually) dry, bleached, dusty atmosphere, locomotives and rolling stock need constant maintenance and repair. This means that the mining companies must be self-sufficient in spares, heavy workshops with engineering support, design, computing and reference facilities. The infrastructure and recreational amenities for all staff must also be provided and maintained. Environment ALL COMPANY-OWNED LOCOMOTIVES are maintained in tip top condition. They are specified for heavy duty work in very hot and dusty conditions and their motors are required to deliver full power for many hours at a time. These are EMO SD50S locos rated at 2.7MW. house staff of the railway and loader. worthy. This railway also extends to Shay Gap. Mt Newman route Robe River The Mt Newman railway runs direct from the mines 426km northwards to the ship-loading facility at Port Hedland on the Indian Ocean. The railway hauls its iron ore trains over typical Pilbara country. While stiflingly hot and bone dry most of the summer, during a cyclone the line is beset by destructive gales and torrential rain, with rivers in roaring floods. On the way this line crosses the Opthalmia and Chichester ranges, the Yule River and three of its tributaries. A railway also runs eastwards from Port Hedland, crossing the De Gray River to the mines at Golds- Cliffs Robe River Iron Associates opened its ore mine at Pannawonica in the western Pilbara, just south of the Robe river. Their railway, also of heavy standard gauge, runs northeast 200km to the port at Wickham on Cape Lambert. The route crosses the Robe and Fostescue rivers, on through the Mt Leal .National Park, to cross the Hamersley line on an overbridge 75km southeast of Dampier. The arduous Pilbara climate is taxing on humans and machines alike. Most of the year the rainfall is almost nil, with bursts of torrential downpours, sometimes 100mm/ hour during cyclones, bringing the yearly average to 330mm/year. Winds of up to 210km/hr are experienced for sustained periods in the cyclone season. Added to the tropical conditions in summer is the bitter cold in the mountainous regions in winter. The Mt Tom Price mine is 750 metres above sea level while Mt Newman is at 1055 metres. How do you keep trains running continuously when temperatures range from zero in winter to 74 ° C in summer? Can locomotive diesel engines and electric traction motors be expected to cope? Of course. Isolation All three railroad companies and their employees feel the great outback isolation. This affects both Large locomotives The three railway companies all use modern, very powerful loco- THE DIESEL ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES used in the Pilbara by the iron ore mining companies are much bigger and heavier than diesel electrics used elsewhere in Australia. When originally delivered, the 2.05MW Alco C-628 loco was the most powerful diesel electric in Australia. NOVEMBER 1989 95 ◄ ALL THE PILBARA RAILWAY companies have excellent workshop facilities for their locomotives. This is Hamerley's workshop near Dampier. motives based on American machines. However, the hot working conditions and the long runs at full power have dictated many improvements to the original designs. At various times, Hamersley Iron has used Alco class C628, C636 and M636, General Electric C36/7, and EMD (General Motors) SD50 Super series diesel electric locomotives. Five Alco C628 Co-Co diesel electric locomotives, each of 2.05MW (2750hp) and weighing 178 tonnes, were built in the USA and shipped to Hamersley Iron railway in 1965. At that time, these were the heaviest and most powerful diesel electrics ever exported from the United States. With a length of 21.3 metres, a width of 3.1 metres and a height of 4. 7 metres, these locomotives were (and still are) much larger and heavier than could be run on any of the Government-owned railway system in Australia. Originally they were used singly hauling ore trains, then in multiple as production of ore increased and longer trains were required. All C628s were decommissioned in 1981/82 as newer locomotives like the more powerful Alco C636 became available. In 1968, Alco of USA licensed the A.E. Goodwin company of Auburn, NSW to build locos using Alco designs. Goodwin subsequently manufactured Alco C636 locomotives for all three Pilbara iron ore lines. Developing 2.460MW (3298hp) at the traction motors, these C636 class locos could haul even longer trains than the C628s. In 1975, in the winter months, the Mt Newman railway created an Australian record with a train of 230 ore wagons hauled by five head-end C636 class locos. The train had a gross weight of 31,000 tonnes and was 2.3km long. Trains of this size have since become common on all three Pilbara railways. However, this has only been made possible during the summer months by upgrading the ALL THREE MINING COMPANIES in the Pilbara use very powerful locos based on American designs. Two Alco C-636 locos are shown here but longer trains use three locos at the front and another three at the rear. engines and the cooling systems. Loco rebuilds The Hamersley Alco C636 class locos have now been considerably upgraded so that the diesel engine, traction motors and air conditioned driver's cab are more suitable for the hot, dusty climate. Many of these new Alco models were produced by Comeng in Granville, NSW and now feature extended range dynamic braking and Westinghouse air brakes. During the upgrade, many improvements were made to increase loco performance in the high desert temper- atures. These included increased oil and water pump rates, improved air filters and radiators, and modified engines. To allow consistent speed on the 4.5° curves in hilly sections, flange lubricators were fitted to the locomotives and the bogie middle axles were given more lateral play. These modifications, along with a better steel specification for the loco wheels, are expected to prolong wheel life to 500,000km. Diesel engine The Alco V16 4-stroke engines were upgraded using an improved NOVEMBER 1989 97 ,--------------, : AMATEUR RADIO I Hobbyists communicating world wide using state-of-the-art electronics. Are you a radio amateur but not a member of the WIA? Do you know what you are missing? Do you like using VHF/ UHF repeaters? Enjoy working DX? Want to preserve your ban s? THIS IS HAMERSLEY IRON'S fines loader at Mt Tom Price. The ore is loaded into the wagons from a slewing conveyor at about 5000 tonnes per hour for shipment to the port of Dampier. Join the WIA - the oldest and most experienced radio society in the world - always at the forefront of radio communications for hobbyists. Receive AMATEUR RADIO, the monthly magazine for members of the WIA, full of news of DX, clubs, satellites, technical articles and lots more. I • • • • • • I Other WIA services include: A wor1d wide QSL card service Weekly news broadcasts Classes for all grades of amateur licences Correspondence lessons available Meetings, contests, field days Representation for radio amateurs at Government level Learn more about the WIA and Amateur Radio Forward this coupon, or write to: WIA EXECUTIVE OFFICE P.O. BOX300 CAULFIELD SOUTH VICTORIA 3162 Hawthorn Road Registered address. Caulfield North, 316 Please send a WIA information package to: NAME: ............................................................ ADDRESS: ..................................................... . ................................... POSTCODE ................. ~-------------~ E003S1 98 SILICON CHIP turbocharger, redesigned pistons for more efficient combustion, and improved valve locations. At 1100rpm, the engine produces 2.909MW (3900hp) to drive the alternator. Allowing for electrical and fan losses, 2.686MW (3600hp) of electrical power is available to drive the traction motors, each of which is rated at 448kW. The complete locomotive weighs 192 tonnes. Load factors You may imagine that the engine and traction motors have an easy run with a loaded train on the downhill and flat sections but such is not the case. Any train of about 200 wagons has 1600 wheels, each causing some friction on curves. Then there are acceleration forces to provide, not forgetting the continuous uphill climb for 98km out of Paraburdoo. These factors combine to require full engine power for 98 % of the time on the journey from Paraburdoo to Mr Tom Price, and 3 7 % of the time on the remainder of the journey to Dampier. Empty trains use full power for 73 % of the time over the whole 288km from the seaport to Mt Tom Price. These ratios are much higher than encountered on other rail- roads, either in Australia or the USA. It means that a 1-hour power rating for the traction motors is meaningless. Motors must be designed to deliver full power continuously, a requirement not envisaged anywhere but on the Pilbara lines. All locos have wheel slip indicators, hump control and automatic sanding. The latest units are equipped for electronic control and feature digital recording of engine parameters. The driver can control the locomotives to minimise the concertina action of a long train in starting. On the latest units the driver can also set the loco control parameters for any one of the following requirements: (a) maximum traffic throughput; (b) minimum fuel usage; and (c) minimum system cost. Next month we'll look in more detail at these most efficient of Australian railways and see how they are helping to maximise our export effort. Acknowledgement Our thanks to the Hamersley Iron and Mt Newman railways, and to Comeng of Granville, NSW, for data, photos, drawings and permission to publish. [§;I