EL63 pushing the XPT up Cowan bank - January 2001

[@vsvnrg3263]

what a score! this gets my clip of the month award.

[@ChopperV-8807]

Seems the EL's have got plenty of oomph. Nice scenes Bevan

[@jchm380]

its amazing that locomotive than handle a lot from the back and front...wow

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

That my friends is a hellva lot of horsepower at work. Great driving. 😎😎

[@TrainTrackTrav]

This situation sure put that EL through it's paces.

[@realjohnboxall]

I've seen a V-set push an Xplorer once around there somewhere many years ago.

[@sector5514]

V sets are real powerhouses

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

I really enjoyed your video I wish you success my friend God bless you.

[@SJOBrien8906]

That's some serious power!

[@sylviaelse5086]

"And don't get in my way again!"

[@kennyriach]

Bet that was the fastest an XPT went up Cowan Bank. Reminds me of seeing two filthy 48's dragging the Armidale Xplorer up through Tamworth one afternoon!!

[@theborge442]

The EL did well, was it only one power car that failed on the XPT?

[@johnsergei]

EL, looks like the XPT, pulls like a locomotive.

[@AUSSIETRAINDRIVER]

IT Actually does sound like the rear xpt car was powering also.

[@captainboing]

nice catch

[@RangaTurk]

The rail equivalent of the children on the school bus scene in the 1971 Dennis Weaver movie Duel directed by Steven Speilberg but perhaps not in this case.

[@rearspeaker6364]

those passengers sure have a lot of baggage!!

[@michaelsnedden6758]

Instead of scapping the 422 could have put the xpt carriage on the 422's

[@tomnewham1269]

So can I ask why did the XPT fail going up Cowan Bank?

[@Angus1966]

better question , why did an XPT crash at Wallan Victoria

[@tomnewham1269]

@@Angus1966 The driver was speeding.

[@Angus1966]

@@tomnewham1269 The XPT being propelled in this clip passing sounded like flat wheels on every carriage .

[@tomnewham1269]

@@denisovanhybrid9610 the official findings from the crash states that the driver was speeding.

[@andrewr2825]

Isn’t it funny (unless you’re a passenger on the XPT) that these life expired glorified diesel multiple units still fail and are often replaced by buses (sorry, coaches) 18 years after this video!! Pretty good catch though!! Nice one👍🏻

[@johnsergei]

A DMU is the Xplora/Endevour railcar. Where you have to put up engine noise & vibration for the whole trip. The XPT passenger cars ( no relation to the British HST Mk3 cars) are still as quiet & smooth as a train gets, in Australia ( far supirior to Vicrail/V Line Z type cars, also built in the early 1980s. The XPT however ( & the Z cars) were fitted with dreadful seats, fixed, no recline & many facing backwards. New seats have been fitted but I find them still quite poor. & apart from more XPT stock in the early 90s ( owned by NSW & not joint stock) no new interstate rolling stock has been built since the final Indian Pacific cars in 1975. Do you think the government is trying to tell us something?

[@jeffmoore6208]

I think you might mean the V/line N cars , Z class were from the 50's and 60's.@@johnsergei

[@johnsergei]

@@jeffmoore6208 Yes, the N cars. They are so alike the N cars that I really had too look hard to see that they were not refurbished Z cars when they were new. Soon, though, refurbished Zs appeared and I could clearly see they were the real Z cars. (largely from the intirior) The N cars to me seemed ok but nothing to special. At the time (1982) I first rode the Indian Pacific & that was like being in a well appointed hotel. Newer & well above the decor or other trains, including Southern Aurora & The Overland (sleeping cabins are much the same but the IP cars were more elegant inside) Then in 85 I rode the XPT, the cars were so smooth & quiet, I didn't notice the speed & though it seemed very modern, the seats were dreadful. Not a patch on comfy Sydney Trains V sets (& cattle class coming there too) Yet Vs are only medium distance trains I'm not keen on DMUs & dread the Exy's replacement by them. Well, the lines won't be electrified will they? The Endevour/Exe railcars are noisier inside than V/lines V/Locity & less powerful. To beat a V/Lo up to speed you'll need a modern electric. The XPT would be 200m behind in 2 minutes. I utterly dislike those 90s NSW DMUs. noisy, & though one of fastest Australian trains at the time, they have been soundly beaten there too & have aged quickly.

[@jslasher1]

Time to retire the XPT services for good. Scrap them as soon as the promised (?) replacement equipment arrives.

[@graemeforssberg3986]

I understand that the XPT's now getting on a bit in age, are under consideration for renewal. The NSW XPT's are a derivative of the British rail HST 125 however, although the XPT,s are capable of speeds well in excess of 160km/h, the suspension needed modification to cope with our track work.i have read somewhere that one was tested to just in excess of 190km/h however the majority of our trackwork, being not up to the standard of British rail trackwork, the XPT,s are limited to much lower speeds. There has been enormous improvements made to trains overseas, I think that a lot of the "off the rack" trains available are now very high speed (capable of 300km/h+) our track work may require some serious track work upgrades. A costly exercise indeed.

[@stuew6]

Double Duty not easy way