Transnets longest freight train in the world test run a success

[karnuffel]

Surely the train in the picture is not the train in question and just some random pic..?

Looks similar to the one from Sishen. IIRC they only had two locomotives in the front and then a few more down the line....

Pretty damn impressive IMHO. Good to see some successes in the media too.

 

[Frequent visitor]

A thing of real beauty. Do we have any Nigel Gresley type engineers these days?

 

[ponder]

A thing of real beauty.

Check out this local beauty,

The guy covers the restoration on his channel.

 

[Frequent visitor]

I have a facination with trains. Love them.
Would still use them if the pasanger rail were not in shambles. The gautrain makes me exited. And the old steam guys!! Wow. I wish old cecil finished his cape to ciaro line! imagne going on an african train ride. would love it. Currently the Rovos ( not that I can afford it) only goes to Dar es Salaam. from there you take little planes to and safari hop to ciaro.

We used the Shosholoza Meyl a few years back, tourist the first time, and premiere classe the second. Both great.
We have done the Gauteng one too, but a bit slow for the money compared to the UK: not bad though.
We do 200 miles plus from our home station in Wales to London Euston in 2 1/2 hours. It usually costs around £120 for us both: I have a disabled railcard. You can go there and back, travelling on to Putney, in the day.
We have done some preserved ones too in the UK. The last was Caernarvon to Portmadoc at nearly 40 degrees C. It was narrow gauge, and the locos were SA built Beyer Garretts! Immaculate too.
Sorry, way off topic But I can't resist one more from a friend who went from Gare du Nord in Paris to London, changed trains there, went on to Sheffield, and got out of his taxi at home 4 hours after leaving Paris.

 

[Frequent visitor]

Check out this local beauty,

The guy covers the restoration on his channel.

Magnificent! My wife's grandfather after joining up with General de Wet at 14 years old, became a loco driver in and around Bloemfontein until he was boarded. They don't make them like that any more. Thank you so much for telling us of it.

 

[theratman]

Imagine getting stuck at a crossing waiting for that train to pass!

 

[Lord Farquart]

Surely the train in the picture is not the train in question and just some random pic..?

Pretty sure you are right. 242 wagon train has 2 locos at the front, one between 114 and 115, another between 228 and 229, and two at the back.

 

[Compton_effect]

Impressive. I've seen the 3km long ore train that runs from Zouerate to Nouadhibou in Mauritania.
It is a lot longer than you imagine.

 

[wikusm]

Imagine getting stuck at a crossing waiting for that train to pass!

In the 90s before the new road between Langebaan and Saldanha was built, we would wait about 10+ mins for broken up sections of these trains to pass before you could cross. Glad those days are over!

 

[theratman]

In the 90s before the new road between Langebaan and Saldanha was built, we would wait about 10+ mins for broken up sections of these trains to pass before you could cross. Glad those days are over!

I've seen a few of those at Saldanha, crazy. I waited 5min in the states for a long and slow grain train but it was at night and in the a** end of nowhere so just got out the car and stretched. I'd love to see the depots or setup that unloads these cars. Unless it's just the usual time consuming process.

 

[cr@zydude]

It was great to see Transnet pull this off. SA held various narrow gauge records over the years, but our manganese guys really need more export capacity.

PE harbour is meant to move the manganese section to Coega, but I don't think that the railway line is done yet.

 

[upup]

It's Transnet not prasa. They are slightly better. Some of their stuff still works

Every few kilometers on this track (100-150 km) is a support station where workers are to support the line.

 

[kilos]

Remember the Transnet 1989 record with the following

South African Transport Services are today toasting a world record for the longest and heaviest train ever run - a 7.281km monster that travelled 861km from Sishen to Saldanha Bay.
In all, 660 fully-laden ore trucks, nine electric locomotives, seven Diesel engines and three other cars made the journey, which began at Sishen at 12.45 on Saturday afternoon and ended at Saldanha at 3.40pm yesterday.

 

[Rkootknir]

Surely the train in the picture is not the train in question and just some random pic..?

Looks like the tail end of the current iron ore train going on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Class_15E. The 15E is only used on the Sishen line.

 

[Gordon_R]

Updated story, seems successful test will become the new standard:

World record: Transnet just launched a four-kilometre long train, with 375 wagons | Business

It is designed to travel 861 km between Sishen in the Northern Cape and Saldanha in the Western Cape.

www.fin24.com

 

[The_Librarian]

Every few kilometers on this track (100-150 km) is a support station where workers are to support the line.

How do they support the line? With wooden blocks or what?

I am imagining a couple of guys lifting and holding the rails up as the train passes

 

[Urist]

cool.. Well done Transnet.
Imagine waiting for that at a crossing.

 

[Supervan II]

FTR, the line in question is a dedicated line for export ore only so this feat is a bit moot (No crossings/stations, etc). The Cape Gauge speed record, however, was done on a normal route which includes gradients, curves, switches, stations and the like - quite outstanding really.

Back in the '70s it was deemed an achievement to have a consist of 108 ore-laden wagons, being pulled by 6 x Class 34 diesels! Problem was that other traffic, eg passenger trains, needed priority.

 

[Supervan II]

I have a facination with trains. Love them.

Then this is for you! Soul of a Railway

 

[Mar Vin]

I stilk think the gravy train tops them all.

This made my day