94 Class Diesel Hydraulic Shunting Units (ex NSWGR 73 Class)

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These are rebuilt ex New South Wales Government Railways 73 class diesel hydraulic shunting units, weighing 42.5 tonne.  They were originally standard gauge. 
We operate 7 of these with four being set up for multiple unit operation.

The 94 Class locos are set up to run as a multiple unit with a remote control brake van. 
They are the most modern locomotives in our fleet and as you can see by the photos are a very modern design with no gauges except for the duplex air gauge showing reservoir pressure and brake pipe pressure.
Everything else is displayed on a touch screen monitor which has many different screens that the driver can select from.

94 class Traction screen
Traction Screen

Mostly they drive using the “traction” screen which constantly displays the status of both locomotives and the brake van.
This screen is constantly being updated with current information from the second locomotive somewhere back in the middle of the train and the brake van at the rear.
Using “distributed power” trains we are now hauling trains up to 1088 metres in length and weighing around 1900 tonnes when loaded.
Our track is restricted to a maximum speed of 40 kph and remember there are no brakes on any of the wagons, just the two locomotives and the brake van! 
The locomotives weigh 42.5 tonnes and produce around 730 hp. whilst the brake van weighs in at around 32 tonnes.

The brake van does have a bit of intelligence built in to it. It constantly monitors the direction of travel and speed of the lead locomotive and compares it with its own speed and direction of travel.
If direction of travel is different it assumes that the train has parted and automatically applies its brakes until the separated portion of the train stops.
It even carries and applies its own sand supply to assist with adhesion and operates its brake similarly to ABS braking on a car.    If the wheels skid, it releases the brakes and applies sand to get them turning again then reapplies the brakes.    (It will also do this when applying brakes requested by the driver).
Secondly if the speed difference between the brake van and the locomotive is greater than 3 kph for 10 seconds it assumes the train has parted even though both portions of the train are travelling in the same direction.
Once again it will go into a safe mode and apply its own brakes until it becomes stationary.

94 class Master Loco screen
Master loco
Screen		 94 class brake van screen
Brake van
Screen

The other two screen shots show a master locomotive screen and a brake van screen.
Drivers can do virtually anything from these screens,  from simple tasks like turning headlights on and off,  to applying park brakes or releasing couplings.
The monitor contains many other screens, for example, if over temperature, an alarm triggers a trend screen which will appear,  graphing for the driver how that components temperature has altered over the previous half an hour. There are also screens containing siding and loop capacities and load limits for trains on track sections.
Everything a driver would want except for the cricket and football! 

The few driving controls required (service brake, power/dynamic controller, emergency brake, sander and vigilance acknowledgment button). The few driving controls required (service brake, power/dynamic controller, emergency brake, sander and vigilance acknowledgment button).
The dash with controls for the second locomotive and the brake van. The dash with controls for the second locomotive and the brake van.

Last but not least, a photo showing the driving position and layout of the dash around the driver.

Driving position and layout of the dash around the driver
73 class locomotives as they were when in use on the New South Wales government railway network.   [Now class 94]

 

 73 class locomotives as they were when in use on the New South Wales Government Railway
 An empty train consisting of 2 x 94 class locomotives double headed leaving the Farleigh mill yard. An empty train consisting of 2 x 94 class locomotives
Two class 94 locomotives and brake van Two class 94 locomotives and brake van
32 tonne remote controlled brake van that is attached to the rear of a train and is controlled by the crew on the locomotive. This assists with controlling the trains as we do not have air through the train. Only brakes on the locomotives!
We operate 5 of these. 		32 tonne remote controlled brake van
A 94 class climbs Church Hill ahead of a looming storm. 30 x 6t bins is the load. Gross train weight 265 tonnes maximum. By this stage of the climb in the photo, speed is down to about 8 kph. A 94 class climbs Church Hill
Looking back along a distributed power train exiting Victor creek and powering on for the 1:100 climb over the 15 mile gradient. The second loco can be seen rounding the curve while the tail of the train and brake van is still out of sight crossing the creek. A distributed power train exiting Victor creek
The distributed power trains normally head out as a double header with a brake van on the rear of the train. The second loco is only a vehicle on empty trains; however the driver can apply the brakes or power on the second locomotive if required. Farleigh mill’s multiple units (94 class locomotives Cedars and Dulverton) are seen here marshalling an empty train at Carlisle loops approximately 1 km from the mill. 94 class locomotives Cedars and Dulverton are seen here marshalling an empty train at Carlisle loops
Cedars and Dulverton are seen here powering through Whites creek loop nearing the end of their run 42 km from Farleigh on the North Coast line. Shortly the crew will park up the second diesel while they shunt Ossa 13 and 14 siding where the train will terminate. The reason the second locomotive is shunted out is that to shunt these two sidings the train will stop in the middle of the Murray Creek bridge which has a load limit of 60 tonnes, before setting back into Ossa 14 siding. Cedars and Dulverton are seen here powering through Whites creek loop
1.  Slave unit [class 94] working in the Farleigh network. This shot shows Cedars at the head of the train nearing the crest of the 1 in 45 (2.2%) Government bank. The train consists of 170 x 6t bins with a 94 class locomotive at the head, a second 94 class locomotive mid train, and a 32t brake van at the rear. Gross train mass is 1392t and train length is 780 metres. Train speed here is down to about 10 kph. Slave unit [class 94] working in the Farleigh network
2.  The second 94 class locomotive, Dulverton is unmanned in mid train. 94 class locomotive, Dulverton is unmanned in mid train
3.  What comes up must go down! Cedars is already out of site as Dulverton commences to descend the 1 in 70 (1.43%) Azzopardi’s hill. Dulverton commences to descend the 1 in 70 (1.43%) Azzopardi’s hill
 


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