Hunter Valley Coal Trains

The Hunter Valley network is Australia's equivalent of the US Powder River Basin, Multiple carriers run 8500 to 10000 ton coal trains between the open cast mines and the port facility near Newcastle. There are also passenger movements and other freight operations in the same area. East of Maitland there are 4 tracks, with 2 dedicated for coal trains and 2 for passenger and freight movements. When it is busy you can expect 2 to 3 loaded and 2 to 3 empty trains per hour east of Maitland. On the far northern end of the operation, there is an adverse grade from Willow Tree to Ardglen requiring manned helpers, seen at the end of the video.

[@TheSouthernytIRL]

The horn at 0:15 sounds like the same horns they use on the 4000 and 4100 up here in QLD

[@CarlosGonzalez-kt5be]

THANKS YOU FOR THE VIDEO..SALUDOS FROM NEW YORK.

[@dapto234]

HI great video enjoyed it a lot.That last freight train with the four helpers pushing was that ballast in the wagons and not coal.If it was ballast It would be a heavier train and would require the four helpers at the rear.

[@fmnut]

No, it's coal. I got the impression that all coal trains get pushed up this hill. They had a dedicated helper track at the bottom of the hill where the 4 pushers were stationed. Wouldn't need one for the occasional ballast train. Also the cars are not ballast cars.

[@thewombat7047]

I hear these monsters rattle past my house my son gets excited everytime

[@lutrains]

J'ai passé un bon moment.

[@donnsart9]

Mais oui

[@HunterValleyTrainspotting]

Great work

[@donnsart9]

Non - tres malle
..

[@msts1425]

Superbe vidéo, merci

[@rosemr1101]

Nice train n beautiful area..

[@arandonwolfnative3534]

Nice

[@JamesHunterPhotos]

Great video! Where was the shot taken at 29:00?

[@fmnut]

Ardglen NSW

[@flaminmongrel6955]

we have them here too pretty same

[@AndreiTupolev]

Some terrific action there. Enormous US style freights and pretty British style stations. Some interesting colour trees too. Are the GE's, those locos? They sound like it.

[@fmnut]

AndreiTupolev Some are GE's, some EMD's. The GE's have the dynamic brakes in a slanted housing closer to the cab, and the radiators just have a grid on top as the fans are internal. The EMD's have the triple fan arrangement over the radiators similar to US locos, but recessed into the body. After a while you can spot them easily.

[@mirjamcopic8719]

for this day it.s all good night from everybody who mine just like me

[@donnsart9]

What absolute bull-shit

[@arizonalurps5150]

Hello aMr fairbanks is gauge on this line 3' 6" ? Thx. You Old stormy

[@fmnut]

Matthew Kimzey No, this is Standard Gauge (4' 8.5" or 1435 mm)

[@donnsart9]

No - in fact this is world gauge 4' 8.5" or in metric 1.4231738 metres ;-)