NR34 & NR78 Condobolin NSW. Wed 16th Apr 2025

Описание: The sun has just risen, not yet an hour ago as NR34 & NR78 pass through Condobolin with 3YN2 Whyalla SA to Newcastle NSW steel products service, running six minutes early. This once regular service is now a hit and miss affair. The "NR" class are the usual roster for this service, sometimes just one, two, or three units depending on the tonnage hauled.

The steel train service 3YN2 operated throughout 2025 on an irregular basis with traffic picking up later in 2025, problems with the steelworks at Whyalla SA was the main problem affecting this train. The steelworks suffered operation issues as well as financial issues during 2024 and 2025.

The video was conducted from the site of the former "Fuel Siding", you can see the pipeline in the foreground which runs under the main line. The "Fuel Siding" and fuel storage facilities have long since been removed, they harked back to an era when all fuel products came to rural NSW by rail.

Condobolin was once a thriving rail hub, now a shadow of its former self. Numerous sidings and locomotive handling facilities have all gone, including the depot turntable. Even the Railway Museum closed down two or three years back.

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 GE's, 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.

NR34 was handed over new on the 04th of July 1997 and NR78 was delivered new on the 17th of March 1997 by Goninan's at Newcastle NSW and Bassendean WA respectively.

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.

In October 2021 Pacific National placed an order for 50 new C44ESACI "Evolution Series" locomotives, to become the "94" class, with CIMIC UGL at Newcastle NSW. The order was worth AUD $297 million.

Locomotives 9401-9404 first appeared in April 2024 but were placed in storage, it wasn't until late 2025 that they were introduced to service. The "94" class will gradually replace some of the current "NR" class.

Did you know? When the "NR" class came out many "train spotters" said it would end the variety of trains to record and thus the demise of the hobby due to the "NR" class being so "common". Both the "train spotters" and the "NR" class are still active and with us today.

0715hrs on Wednesday 16th of April 2025.