BHP Iron Ore trains, heaviest in the world. Pilbara, Western Australia

Way out in the Pilbara region in the north of Western Australia, BHP operate a network of iron ore mines, processing facilities, and port facilities. A rail network with over 1000 kilometres (600 miles) of track connects these facilities around the town of Newman with the ports at Port Hedland.
These train are not quite the longest in the world, although BHP railways does hold the record of operating the longest train in the word (7.3km 99k tonnes in 2001 • From the Archives: Wor...
), they are likely the heaviest at around 42,000-43,000 tonnes per train. They are also some of the longest at just under 3000 metres (1.85 miles) each.
These trains operate with four EMD SD70ACe locomotives, two at the head end and two more mid train in Distributive Power mode, and with Electro Pneumatic brakes.
By my calculations they carry about 32,000 tonnes of iron ore (net), and with the spot price currently around USD100 per tonne they're carrying about USD3.2m of product per trip.
I will have a part 2 of this video that will have the trains on the steep grades around the Chichester and Hamersley ranges.
01:00 - Tabba, two trains meet on the flat lands 50km south of Port Hedland
06:15 - Turner, 110km south of Port Hedland
10:00 - Abydos, some moderate hills start against empty trains about 130km from Port Hedland
12:50 - Spring, a loaded train descends easing grades about 180km south of the ports

[@user-vf4pu8qp9d]

I lived in Exmouth WA Mum and Dad came over one year and got photos of one of these engine's on a float being trucked up to Headland.

[@mikefleming8352]

I worked at the London Ontario Canada shop that built these units. They were monsters.

[@Dorfk1nd_666]

The sound of those wagons give me goosebumbs😂

[@kelstra1997]

I find it incredible that just four locos can haul something so enormous

[@gt-lv3zo]

as i understand it, the gradient is down hill all the way from the mine to the port

[@xnatov2334]

because of the traction from steel going on steel is greater therefor more loads can be hauled

[@amtrakmidwest4830]

Well good ol american loco's do the job much better than standard australian locos and their loading gauge

[@jordanalexander615]

Aren't those America made locomotives? Looks like big GE possibly EMD

[@jamesduff6937]

@@gt-lv3zo i've heard that too.

[@bradcook2436]

Thanks my Son drives these trains for BHP, great to see them in operation. Thanks

[@seanirwin1303]

You must be proud

[@ishtiaqahmedqamar8771]

Perhaps, most fascinating and adventurous job of your son. I am sure you might have enjoyed journey with your son in engine cabin...take me with you.... Love from Pakistan ❤️

[@lachiecatt5960]

thats so awesome Brad. i,m really interested in working as a loco at BHP. how did your son get accepted, as the compeition is high? thanks

[@anilsagar5]

This is the longest train I have ever seen.

[@markj.9177]

Holy crap that gave me goosebumps thinking about how much kinetic energy that has!

[@thatplaneandtrainguy6309]

Hey Mark, I worked it out at 43000 tonnes travelling at 60kph to be a tad under 6b joules. (but don't hold me to that).

[@yxx_chris_xxy]

​@@thatplaneandtrainguy6309 I think you are exactly right -- the kinetic energy of 43000 tonnes at 60kph is 6 gigajoules. On paper, these four locomotives could burn up to 3200 kW * 4 * 450/60hrs * 3600 = 345.6 gigajoules. So 340 gigajoules go into making the beautiful sound. Of course, this is an extreme oversimplification (starting with the assumption that acceleration and deceleration is immediate, that the engines run at full power all the time, ...).

[@ImMasteR_Shorts]

@@thatplaneandtrainguy6309 How Many Wagon Is Total Have?

[@hstath80]

And consider that BHP have had several runaways averaging 130km/hr

[@ianmccluskey2293]

I saw one of these 53 years ago. It took me just over an 3/4 hour (Dirt roads back then) to pass this thing. I am amazed that in 2020, I'm very glad to see that they're still very much operational.

[@ianmccluskey2293]

This is a fully loaded train. I wonder how many MT wagons are on a retune trip to the mine.

[@michaelhayden725]

I lived in Port Hedland from 1971 to 73. At the start of the mine (then known as Mt Mewman Mining) the mine site was Mt Whaleback. Now I understand they are some 30 of more metres below natural ground level. Oh and the line is now duplicated - 250 miles times 2.

[@geoff_vadar]

@@ianmccluskey2293 just came back my daughter and SIL work for BHP; they are unit trains, I believe 268 "wagons". They loop through the car-dump and head right back to Newman, the only disconnections are if they separate at the mid-engine for siding in PH until the timing is clear going south. The entire line between Newman and PH isn't completely 2 track, so they have to stop the empty going south to allow the north bound loads to pass, and there is only so much space apparently, that and crewing schedules I'm told.

[@user-vf4pu8qp9d]

Roadtrains are big in Australia

[@krdcountrytv]

Great to see this often forgotten part of Australian railroading. I'll get there one day!

[@speedymouse2859]

"Often forgotten" in which way? Model RR mfger making models, regular articles in local magazines covering it, brass models that sold out all the time....

[@JishyFishy4106]

EMD 710 howl can be heard sooooo clearly!

[@anthony851]

Interesting to see that the bells stop when the barrier arms are not moving Your channel deserves more subscribers, I've subscribed after watching only this video. Anthony.

[@jamesduff6937]

amazing footage.. thank you for sharing this.

[@aaronryherd6607]

Awesome job!

[@GabrielEduardo-rb8xw]

Loved your video! I am really big fan of those railroads in the Pilbara region.

[@thatplaneandtrainguy6309]

Thanks Gabriel, there's a part 2 coming in the next few weeks for you.Your channel looks great too!

[@timw6928]

That's a very heavy product , not a bad show 👍👍

[@richarddutchholland4780]

Highest paid train drivers in the world $240,000 a year 🚂

[@Gio-ue8ps]

I luckily bought some stock in Bhp, Rio, & Fcx. Metal prices are really starting to rally here.

[@borntoclimb7116]

Nice footage

[@HollowBroski]

Nice Video.

[@gm16v149]

What gets me is how quiet the EMDs are, I was at the rail crossing about 70 kms north of Auski on the Roy Hill road last month and you can hardly hear the engines. Compare that to Rio’s GEs that you can hear for miles, they don’t seem to have much muffling at all.

[@thatplaneandtrainguy6309]

I know, forget the EPA, the louder the better for me! PS: great burgers at Auski!

[@ericbleasel5907]

I miss the Auski,expensive but at night a beacon in the wilderness for a hot coffee and chat with other travellers.

[@ahfez]

Even the sound of it is terrifying...

[@jamesduff6937]

that's what i thought too. It's very visceral.

[@andreasantoalioto]

I am a geologist in Italy. Famosi that pilbara iron ore for make pellets. Great video.

[@michaelhayden725]

Given the length of this train you would not want to get caught at on the level crossings, you could be there for 10 or 15 minutes

[@Survivor1547]

Nice dpu units.

[@moefugger]

At the crossing i was counting cars and i was around 80 and you moved the camera !! Appears to be around 110 between locomotives tho :)

[@hollandp9606]

My uncle surveyed this line.

[@thatplaneandtrainguy6309]

It would have been a tough environment to work in back in the 60s, but its an awesome landscape that really grows on you over time.

[@Flogge11]

Was speaking to an iron ore train driver, said had a top speed of 75 kmph and an emergency stop took 2.5 kilometres.

[@jamesduff6937]

how on earth could the driver see 2.5 kilometres ahead anyway. God knows how he could stop for anything.

[@user-kp2rr8xf7x]

@@jamesduff6937 It's desolate out there, no cars, no trucks just kangaroos. on the track

[@nathanroberts355]

I grew up in mt tom price iron ore mining town back in 1980.s and the two owned by Hamersley iron ore mining company and Pannawonica had robe river iron associates and mt Newman mining company companies

[@patrickrancourt4782]

Grrrrr8 !!!!!

[@davo3138]

Yea not a bad rail road, twin Track carrying almost 300 million tonnes PA.....

[@randallmacdonald4851]

So, how to I explain to people that I watched this entire video and I'm not obsessed? (Well, okay, I'm obsessed.)

[@thatplaneandtrainguy6309]

LMAO! Tell them you're not the idiot who made it.

[@chrisstaylor8377]

Saw the first train into Paraburdoo ,we had a party

[@adambahouche366]

That sounds like a railroad crossing to me

[@tuggaworsley4281]

A case of ‘seen 1 , seen ‘em all’ (with the exception of the autonomous 1 that got away in 2018) . . ! Surely someone has some good footage of that ‘induced’ derailment , no ?

[@rons4778]

At least they keep the cleaning of their locomotives up compared with their Rio Tinto neighbours which are disgraceful can’t keep the outside appearance up you have to wonder what the rest of the maintenance is like

[@nathanroberts355]

Iseen these trains from port Hedland and fuicane island bhp iron ore mine site at mt tom price and mt whaleback iron ore mining towns

[@nolantherailfan5048]

What happened to the ACE's that ran on these trains

[@produKtNZ]

How do the locomotives mid-way receive power / braking signals from the head-end units?

[@SebisRandomTech]

Radio.

[@ph11p3540]

It's called distributed power technology. It heavily computerized and each engine exchanges data with each other as well as GPS and satellite uplink. 30 year old technology. These trains don't look advanced but they sport technology that can turn them into remote controlled or fully autonomous vehicles. In fact, one rail line in Northern Territory is autonomous on most of it's rail line. Only needs human drivers when near the destination.

[@rodgeranderson4922]

Pain in the arse if you have to wait at a crossing on the way back to camp after your shift tho. Not so bad waiting at the start of you shift but the guys wanting to get to camp aren't so happy.

[@saneleselby9771]

Would love to drive one of these one day,who can make it possible for me i'm used in driving 75 and 65 cars here in RSA.

[@Spica1000]

Just imagine if that thing comes off the rails! Take bloody weeks to clear!

[@ianrx122]

Actually clearing the track and relaying doesn't take long. They bring in the big dozers and excavators and literally push it all aside. Later they decide if they are going to recover any of the ore cars.

[@yabbadabbadoo8225]

How many dudes with spades does it take to fill that lot?

[@rv1251]

Valio valio Australijai ,Australijai valio!!!

[@hypothebai4634]

Is a "tonne" the same as a metric ton? That is does 1 tonne = 1Mg?

[@gregsmith4102]

1 tonne = 1000kg = 1 million grams It is very close to a long ton.

[@jarrodmeakin5747]

Trains are 4 x SD70ace putting out 4500hp, 270 ore cars for an empty weight of 6800t fully loaded from Yandi is average of 41200t, Mac is 42,500t and Newman 43,000t. Max network weight is 43187 tonnes. After this the trains need special permission to run with extra locos or have ore cars cut off.

[@thatplaneandtrainguy6309]

These numbers are mind blowing, sure puts it in the extreme railways category.

[@-watermelonking]

4 SD70ACE's can put out 17,200HP

[@kanga1234567]

@@-watermelonking I'm sure he meant each

[@geoff_vadar]

@@thatplaneandtrainguy6309 in turn, they push out 4-5 ore boats a day full of ore. Takes 30 hours to turn an ore carrier. there are over 30 anchorages 20km off shore, which if you check the ship tracking apps, they show them all taken; the turn of ships through the loading process is insane, 285M BHP tons in 2022, nearly 580M total for the port between FMG and BHP, shooting to expand to 660M!

[@andrewjoyce7789]

Would that be a full ship load in one train?

[@ianrx122]

We calculated once that it takes about 5 or 6 trains to fill a ship depending on the size.

[@plamenbuzinski2583]

Very cool 🇦🇺🦘

[@AHSTravelog]

270 coaches

[@MaestroPlatz]

269 vans and 2 loco.

[@TechnikMeister2]

25 full trains a day...about one an hour, 24/7/365. It's about $7 million per train in iron ore. Thanks China!

[@Track_Tranzit]

Australia*

[@jamesduff6937]

he thanks China for buying Australian iron ore. China is the biggest buyer of Australian iron ore.

[@apuuvah]

You got your work cut out for ya when you greese all of 'em wheel bearings, mate. Unless you have central greaser lines.

[@apuuvah]

Wait, me thinks every cart has one central greasing point.

[@gamerjay6624]

sealed bearings mate ,they aren't touched until axles come off bogie for pm and machining

[@RiDankulous]

No shops or houses for hundreds of kilometers. I don't know if there's a place at least down in the lower 48 states of USA that have that thinly populated an area. Desolate.

[@traceybonds8794]

.. No grungies outback doing graffiti on these old dogs.. Working hard only..

[@mkay1957]

Neat stuff there. That area looks like parts of the American west, except for less mountains and different vegetation. I hope they aren't selling that iron ore to China.

[@randompersononyoutube5673]

Unfortunately, they probably are

[@TheAbderaman]

looks like the united states nobody can imagine that is actually northwest australia

[@gregsmith4102]

Australians can. And we can see the difference quite clearly.

[@alexwood5425]

Which bit of the us? Alaska, Rhode Island, Florida?

[@TheAbderaman]

@@alexwood5425 the locomotives are american in australian desert and it gives some similarity to the nevada or the arizona plains except the red soil colour and plants that are native to australia , and the locomotives were bought second hand from the US and crossed the pacific by ship

[@smartliving4464]

@@TheAbderaman BHP purchased some 19 second hand locos in 2003 that dated from 1996, but only because of expected long delays in securing new ones. In 2006 they started to receive the first of 105 new EMD locos to update their entire rolling stock.

[@bungalallyO]

There goes Australia, to China.

[@cuba3433]

Australia Stop to sale mineral to CHINA ?. China has the most Big mineral reserves in the world ??.

[@supermarkie624]

It’s super cool and weird how American this is

[@nathanu.2061]

I see why they can haul so much because everything’s flat

[@greghenwood8094]

No not quite right Tom Price is the highest town in western Australia

[@EmmanuelRaphaelNtollo]

Pov tu viens de trash

[@scottmaltby4511]

And Who is BHP? Rothschild. ☠️🇬🇧☠️

[@kelvinpalattao1169]

The last rail was 135 in total so amazing.