NR106 & NR97 Condobolin NSW. Wed 26th Mar 2025

Описание: NR106 & NR97 with a late running Perth-Sydney intermodal service pass through Condobolin in western NSW not long after sunrise on a stormy Wednesday morning. The train is actually running on the Wednesday steel train 3YN2 timetable right to the very minute.

The video was conducted from the former "Fuel Siding" site, back from a time when all fuel products went by rail in NSW to rural depots.

The municipality of "Condoubolin" was proclaimed on the 20th of May 1890 when the population was just 742, it wasn't until the 25th of February 1949 when the name was changed by government gazette to "Condobolin."

Condobolin was made famous by Sgt W. C. Beech a WW-1 veteran who designed and built the first periscope rifle on the battlefields of Gallipoli in Turkey.

The NR class revolutionised the Australian locomotive scene when they were introduced between 1996 & 1998 for the then National Rail Corporation as a purpose-built high speed express intermodal locomotive.

Gone were the old glass analogue air pressure, fuel, oil, temperature and turbo gauges in the cab, in their place was a "colourful" touch screen display and fancy bar graphs. Also abolished was the traditional Westinghouse brake stand, replaced with desk top controls.

A total of 120 were built with the first 60 at Goninan's plant in Newcastle NSW (NR1 to NR60) and another 60 were built at their Bassendean WA factory (NR61-120) under licence from General Electric in the USA. The GE brand was to become a standing force after years of EMD, ALCO, English Electric and Caterpillar dominance around Australia.

Many were skeptical about the GEs, but over the years they have taken market dominance in the high horsepower end of the freight locomotive market and have a proven track record for fuel efficiency and reliability. The Goninan built GE loco's have established themselves well as market leaders and technologically advance innovators.

Designated GE model Cv40-9i series, the NR class today are seen as very basic and "so yesterday" compared to the latest GE product, the C44aci EFI series, bristling with the most up to date technology plus numerous bells and whistles. NR106 was handed over new on the 06th of August 1997 and NR97 was delivered new on the 13th of June 1997 both were built at Bassendean WA.

The NR class is powered by a 16-cylinder fuel injected four stroke turbo charged GE 7FDL-16 prime mover delivering 4,000hp and a published track speed of 115KMh. To conserve fuel there are three power levels applicable to the tonnage being lifted: 2,850hp, 3,560hp and 4,020hp. The class first ran on the 18th of September 1996, so many are around 25 years of age.

There is no doubt they have covered many millions of kilometre's and some as starting to show the signs of aging, cabin body rust being the most visual and also the odd failure in service. In 2002 the federal government sold off National Rail and it was purchased by Pacific National which included all the NR class locomotives plus rolling stock.

Overhauls commenced in June 2006 with the locomotives being virtually stripped and rebuilt to ensure a few more years of hard work is obtained. Weight is 132 tonnes, length is 22 metres with an axle load of 22 tonnes, tractive effort (starting) is 521 Kn and tractive effort (continuous) is 388 Kn at 23.3km/h.

0720hrs on Wednesday 26th of March 2025.