The Flickr Railpage:Livery=10 Image Generatr

Australian Railroad Group's DA6, with 869/851, load a grain train at Cummins on the 3'6" gauge Eyre Peninsula network in South Australia, on 3 September 2003.

DA6, was an Alco DL531 export model, built for the South Australian Railways by AE Goodwin in 1960. Originally numbered 836 it entered service on the broad gauge.

In 1996 it was rebuilt by AN with a chopped down cab, renumbered DA6, and transferred to the Eyre Peninsula narrow gauge (1067mm) network. It was later renumbered 905 by Genesee & Wyoming Australia and was one of the last locomotives used on the EP grain network before closure.

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At Adelaide Freight Terminal, Islington, then SA Transport Minister, Barbara Wiese, and National Rail Managing Director, Vince Graham, prepare to wave off australian National locomotive BL34 with the first National Rail Corporation crewed interstate working on 8 November 1993.

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Australian National loco EL56 waits departure from the Adelaide Rail Passenger terminal, Keswick the Sydney bound Indian Pacific bound on 24 October 1993.

Fourteen GE-powered 3000hp EL class locos were built for Australian National (AN) by Goninan in 1990/91. Following the privatisation of AN in 1997, the class were sold to the Australian subsidiary of Chicago Freight Car Leasing (later to become RailFirst Asset Management). As of late 2024, only a handful were seeing regular use.

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On 3 February 1995, Steamranger's preserved 930 class Alco 958 pauses at Balhannah in the Adelaide Hills while its heritage consist is given a quick once over.

With the impending conversion of the Adelaide to Melbourne route from broad gauge to standard in the first half of 1995, the assets (all broad gauge) of heritage operator Steamranger were about to be isolated from much of the network.

A number of transfer moves were made to move rolling stock from the society's Dry Creek depot in Adelaide to various locations on the Victor Harbor Tourist Railway.

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On the Tailem Bend to Pinnaroo line, Australian National, broad gauge Alcos, DA5/833 are seen near Sherlock, South Australia, on 17 August 1995.

At the time I thought its load of V/Line hoppers were carrying grain for drought affected areas of Victoria, but have had subsequent info that it may have been barley bound for Geelong?

From Pinnaroo the train would be be taken forward into Victoria by a pair of V/Line T class locos.

At this time the tracks here were broad gauge, but the line was converted to standard gauge in 1998 to link in with the interstate rail network at Tailem Bend. Unfortunately this prevented any further such movements into Victoria, as the track on the other side of the border remained broad gauge.

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Someone must have stumbled across some unused tins of green paint in the shed....and 831 got a nice new set of number boards.

The daily stone train from the Barossa Valley to the soda ash plant at Port Adelaide nears the end of its journey behind Genesee & Wyoming Australia Alcos 831/841 - 29 September 2008,

Surprisingly these locomotives had been recently repainted in a slightly modified version of the corporate colours of their previous owner Australian National - a decade after the sale of the business!

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Found this one in the bottom of the sock drawer - Australian National broad gauge Alcos 838/852/844 shunt the silo road at Hamley Bridge on Tuesday 1 February 1994 while working a Saddleworth to Port Adelaide grain train. This was the only time I managed a shot of a train shunting here.

No trains here anymore, and the silos have also recently been demolished.

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In 1993, Australian National purchased five second-hand, broad gauge T class (G18B) locos from the Victorian state government operator (plus one extra for spares). After a short period running around in their former V/Line livery the class was gradually repainted in AN colours and reclassified 'CK' - widely reported as the initials of the AN manager that pulled off the deal.

On 2 September 1998, CK5/CK4/CK3 near journey's end as they negotiate the back blocks of Port Adelaide, South Australia, with the daily loaded limestone train from the Barossa Valley to the soda ash plant at Osborne.

Ownership transferred from AN to Australia Southern Railroad in November 1997; here the AN logos have been removed, but they are yet to receive their ASR ‘badges’. All three would eventually be transferred to Whyalla, South Australia, for narrow gauge (1067mm) duties on the iron ore ‘tramway’ there.

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Australian National's broad gauge Alcos 845/839 seen stabled at Apamurra, South Australia, on Tuesday 10 December 1991.

Would have knocked off work early to drive out to Apamurra for, if my memory serves me correctly, a 1700hrs departure to Monarto South. On this occasion got out there only to find the train had been cancelled, though my notes don't mention why?

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Following on from the pic uploaded a few days ago, Australian National Alcos DA3/603 are just arriving at Yongala, South Australia, where they will place their 10 empty hoppers for loading at the local grain silos on 28 February 1997.

DA3, formerly 835 built with a high nose, was involved in a level crossing incident later the same year and subsequently scrapped.

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The shadows are lengthening as Australian National EMD- powered locos BL32/BL34 wheel Melbourne bound 697 superfreighter around the big curve at Callington, South Australia, on 18 December 1989.

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Australian National Alcos DA3/603 placing grain hoppers for loading at the Jamestown silos, South Australia, on 28 February 1997. The train had originated at Port Pirie, and would continue with 10 hoppers to load at Yongala.

DA3, formerly 835, was involved in a level crossing incident later the same year and subsequently scrapped.

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In 1986 the state of South Australia celebrated its sesquicentenary. The federally owned Australian National, which was headquartered in SA, formed a special Jubilee train that travelled around the state on both broad and standard gauge.

On 18 March 1986, ALCo 955 is seen hauling the train through Ambleside en route to visiting towns on the broad gauge branch lines out in the Murray Mallee.

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On 30 January 1997, Australian National (AN) locos CLF6/ GM38/ GM45 depart the Port Augusta power station with the empty coal train bound for the mine at Leigh Creek.

A lot has changed since then, the federally owned AN being sold off by the end of the year and the power station closed in 2016, and later demolished. CLF6 remains in service with Aurizon.

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A 270km round trip for a couple of usable images?

On 21 March 1989, Alcos 942/832 wait for the crew (sleeping soundly in the local pub) to book on at Robertstown to pick up the eight hoppers of loaded grain from the silos.

Due out at around 1700hrs, the empty train had run late that morning so in the end didn't depart Robertstown until the last rays of sun were almost gone from the sky.

Note the ancient derrick style goods crane.

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On 23 December 1991, Australian National broad gauge BL31/BL27 emerge from sleeps Hill tunnel, in the Adelaide suburbs, with 2AM5 Adelaide to Melbourne superfreighter.

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Australian National broad gauge ALCos 965/832 wait to depart Roseworthy, South Australia, with their loaded Tarlee to Port Adelaide grain train on Sunday 15 December 1991.

The semaphore signals in the background were a removed by work gangs two days later when they became redundant when the train order working boundary was moved south to Gawler.

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Australian National broad gauge (5'3") ALCos 931/836 cross the River Light bridge at Hamley Bridge, South Australia, with a loaded grain train from Owen to Port Adelaide on the evening of 28 January 1993.

Both locos were originally built for the South Australian Railways under licence by A E Goodwin of Sydney; 931 (model DL500B) in 1956 and 836 (DL531) in 1960.

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Australian National broad gauge Alcos 844/705 pass the impressive grain silos at Lameroo, South Australia with eastbound freight 5AM7 on 20 April 1995.

For two weeks in April 1995, a daily return pair of Adelaide to Melbourne freights were diverted over the lightly trafficked Tailem Bend - Pinnaroo - Ouyen broad gauge route. This was to allow the main Adelaide to Melbourne railway line to be gauge converted from broad gauge (5'3") to standard gauge.

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Australian National's DA6, was an Alco DL531 export model, built for the South Australian Railways by AE Goodwin in 1960. Originally numbered 836 it entered service on the broad gauge.

In 1996 it was rebuilt by AN with a chopped down cab, renumbered DA6, and transferred to the Eyre Peninsula narrow gauge (1067mm) network. It was later renumbered 905 by Genesee & Wyoming Australia and was one of the last locomotives used on the EP grain network before closure.

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