LOADING THE APEX TRAIN - The Hanson Aggregates Train at Kilmore East

Welcome to Schony747 trains on Wednesday featuring the Hanson "Apex" aggregates train here in Victoria.
The train commonly known as The Apex is hauled by Qube on behalf of Hanson Cement. Hanson has a loading facility based at the Kilmore East Quarry which is based in Country Victoria. There is an independent siding which is accessed by crossing both broad gauge and standard gauge tracks. The aggregates is then transported to one of the companys sites served by rail at Brooklyn and Westall. The train normally runs twice a day and 5 or 6 days a week. The video focuses on the rail operation at the loading facility based at East Kilmore.
Most Victorian Railway Enthusiasts know the Apex Quarry Train. For those that know the train and for those that don't, you will enjoy this presentation. Have a great week - Brenden S.
New Uploads Weekly - Trains, Planes, Trams
Filmed Hanson Quarry Kilmore East
Filmed in 4K
Links:
Facebook: / schony747
KZbin: / schony747
Storyful: www.storyful.com
Photos:
www.brendenschonfelderphotos.com
/ brendenschonfelderphotos
Email Enquiries:
[e-mail]

[@TPW900GP35]

Sure love that EMD sound! Sounds just like an American SD40 series! The turbocharged 645 engine is probably my favorite.

[@Schony747]

I don't know the ins and outs of all locos and specs, I just like the sound.

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Great video. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day.

[@brucewilliams8714]

A striking opening shot, on full zoom, great thinking. The whole thing is excellent coverage. Thanks Brenden.

[@Schony747]

Thanks Bruce! Thanks for your contributions

[@andrewpalm2103]

Excellent video, as usual. I always enjoy seeing the "first and last mile" of freight operations. Cheers from Wisconsin.

[@Schony747]

Hi Andrew. It's always that last bit that is the most interesting. Everything else is just the same linesidw view. Thanks for your contributions.

[@AndrewCastlemaine]

Thanks for posting this. A very interesting vid

[@Schony747]

Thanks for having a look 😀😀

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Nice video mate one day I will be able to see the APEX stone quarry train.

[@donalfinn4205]

That loco sure looks powerful?☘️👍

[@Schony747]

The G class which was built for V/Line in the 1980s. All the info is here - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/V/Line_G_class

[@markfryer9880]

Thanks for this video. Very interesting. Mark from Melbourne Australia

[@Schony747]

Thanks for jumping on board

[@MrValhem265]

GREAT UP BRO, WAS WONDERING What the loading part of hansons looked like cheers Brenden.

[@Schony747]

Thanks Robbie 😀😀

[@mce_AU]

Nice.

[@gerrym75]

I see this train run past my office in Flinders St nearly every day. Often wondered where it was headed. Thanks for sharing

[@Schony747]

Well there you go! You must have a good view as well.

[@nygellabelle2193]

This is a huge loads! Nice video

[@Schony747]

Thanks for having a look

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Great insight, informative and well documented, thanks Brenden, I learnt something today! The single "G" class must be near the prescribed load limit too.

[@dapto234]

Thats what I thought also..only 24 wagons ..any more and 2 locos probably needed.

[@peterhearn3297]

I just watched a old video with C504 and T363 on that quarry train back in the 1980s!!! I never knew that the Victorian Railways would use a C class on that train.

[@mickryan2450]

Ive actually been a pilotman thete several times in 80 90

[@G516R700]

nice video mate

[@Schony747]

Thanks 😀😀

[@thebops4180]

Awesome. Up there with the best of them!!! Must weight a little more once fully loaded LOL

[@Schony747]

Apparently weighted to 128 tonnes for the Broad Gauge for each wagon.

[@andretrens]

wow, what a nice video, congratz.

[@Schony747]

Thanks for having a look 😀😀

[@jordanmuldoon1670]

Those aussie locos are absolute beasts

[@Schony747]

Yep and many of these work horses are over 40 years old and still providing reliable service

[@TPW900GP35]

According to the specs I’ve just read, it’s more like an American SD50 without all the US EPA silencing; as opposed to my previous post where I likened it to a US SD40 series!

[@Schony747]

Any EMD sounds great. It's so familiar to many people.

[@panoscoach310]

Awesome 👍

[@Schony747]

Thanks for having a look 😀😀

[@gravelydon7072]

4:15 No loop track, just a runaround track. What most would call a passing siding in the US. Which also explains the needs for a double ended loco. If it had a loop track there would be no need to swap the loco from one end to the other.

[@neilcrawford8303]

Australia probably use the same terminology as in the UK and Europe. We call them a run round loop, or if it's on a single running line at a station for instance where two trains cross paths, it's a passing loop. A siding to us is usually a dead end spur in a yard or off of the mainline.

[@Schony747]

That would be referred as a bubble loop in Australia. The train runs in and follows the loop re enters the same mainline track without changing the loco position.

[@barrysmith1651]

I did that a few times lol ,i even derailed it at Wallan lol ,we used to change over and run it to springvale to unload it

[@clayton4115]

there is also a siding at Brooklyn how often did you go to Brooklyn?

[@ctiley2212]

One of the better dust suppression systems I've seen, a pity it isn't across their whole network.

[@Schony747]

It works really well!

[@louiskats5116]

Good day Brendan, Great video for sure. I remember when this train was near new that was February 2016. Just got back from Bali holiday & my first day back at work at Qube I had to jump into the twin steer Acco tanker of Qube & rush to Hanson Quarry at Brooklyn to fuel up the loco’s. Qube hadn’t worked out how to fuel up the Apex train since the loco’s didn’t come to base to get fuelled up. That Acco with a 20 speed Spicer box in it, puts hairs on your chest trying to drive in over the Bolte & Westgate in peak hour traffic, with a full tank of diesel. I remember being impressed on the graffiti free wagons but that didn’t last long. Apparently the wagons came from WA. Did it for a week or so eventually fuel up at Dynon whilst returning from Westall. Great opening scene all the cross over. Do the express SG have to slow down whilst crossing over the diamond. That G 512 is that Qube or Rail Power ? Cheers Louis 👍

[@Schony747]

Thanks for telling the story! It's great to hear these stories. G512 is Railpower.

[@dannysydo2026]

This is a very great video and a great insight into loading an aggregates train. Would a balloon loop make loading easier?

[@Schony747]

Not on this location as there isn't the space required. The current set-up works well and has done so for decades.

[@johnlalor6493]

Occasionally I get the run up there to deliver welding gas to the maintenance boys but never fluked the train being there at the same time enjoyed that thanks,as a side note does anyone know when the Kilmore East poured it's last beer ?

[@Schony747]

Mid morning arrival depending on the day and where it leaves from. Brooklyn is normally an earlier arrival 1020 through Broadmeadows. Coming from Westall about half an hour later.

[@GoldM4official]

Oh how i wish i caught it

[@Schony747]

There will be plenty of other opportunities

[@frankpeiffer5380]

Great video. Do you know how much each bin/truck carries?

[@Schony747]

Not sure. I'll ask the question on some rail groups.

[@AllenMacintyre]

Where do the dump it?

[@michaelbradley3372]

How is the weight into each wagon controlled? Loaded by eye, or is there something more sophisticated?

[@Schony747]

I'm not 100% sure. Wagons are rated for 128 tonnes and the wagons seem to be evenly loaded when departing so there would be something behind it.

[@louithefly]

Should be converted to standard gauge and able to have a train like that with empty carriages coming from Sydney back in load up and continue to save trips

[@Schony747]

Too hard when Westall is in the South East and it's all Broad Gauge. Brooklyn wouldn't be that hard to convert as it's close to SG.

[@louithefly]

@@Schony747 yeah

[@mickryan2450]

Rail does not revolve around sydney ffs

[@pauloconnor2980]

Is there a "Blinky Bill" at each end of the train or does someone have to swap ends with a single unit?????

[@blauer2551]

My buddy at CSX says they call them “freds”. Stands for F#

[@orgcoast5990]

What is broad gauge in Australia? Also, great video!

[@rileycummaudo8612]

Gauge is the distance between 2 rails, in this case in Victoria the gauge is broad and it’s 1,500mm

[@robbiewales3007]

Broad gauge is 1600mm or 5'3" or Irish gauge. It was the common gauge used all over Victoria and in parts of South Australia and southern New South Wales. A few lines in Victoria now have been converted to standard gauge, 4'8-1/2" gauge. The line into the handson quarry at Kilmore will eventually have a proper active level crossing replacing the passive crossing when the road gets sealed

[@orgcoast5990]

Thank you for your replies.

[@mickryan2450]

Its 1600 mm broad im ex vline trained 4 many years

[@SheltonDCruz]

how long from arrival to departure?

[@Schony747]

Normally a couple of hours. It actually depends on how quickly the aggregate is loaded as the train fits in between passenger train pathing.

[@johnparker7874]

Just how wide is the broad gauge.

[@Schony747]

1.6 metres or 5 foot 3 inches. The history can be found here - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge

[@damianmurphy1745]

Would want a derailment at 2:30 . That would be a messy blockage

[@Schony747]

Yeah it would hold up most of the East Coast!

[@jimpikoulis6726]

I wonder if Kilmore is the source for all track ballast

[@Schony747]

Most of the ballast over the last few years has been sourced from around Rochester near Echuca. That's where the Ballast trains have run from anyway.

[@jimpikoulis6726]

@@Schony747 thanks for that insight...

[@mickboakes7023]

Great video. Question. Why do railways worldwide attract the graffiti morons with their inane scribble? Just found your channel and have subscribed. Stay safe. Mick.🇬🇧

[@Schony747]

I suppose that cars like many of the grain cars you see in the video sit around for long periods making them an easy target. SSR broad gauge even went to the trouble of getting street artists to paint some of the cars to avoid the ugly stuff. Thanks for the sub. I hope you enjoy what's on offer 😀😀

[@mickboakes7023]

@@Schony747 Thanks for the reply. The mother, at the inquest of a graffitist that had been killed trespassing on the tracks into a major London station said he was ever so artistic. I must be missing something. Nice to see what’s going on down under. All the best. Mick🇬🇧

[@neilforbes416]

Geez, I hope it's not run by Pauline! LOL

[@top40researcher31]

@Neil Forbes Please Explain LOL

[@neilforbes416]

@@top40researcher31 LOL

[@rearspeaker6364]

who is Paulline??

[@neilforbes416]

@@rearspeaker6364 "Pauline" is Pauline Hanson, a far-right politician with extremely divisive views. Though born here in Australia(Queensland, actually), I do not want to claim her as "one of us"!

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@neilforbes416 thank you for your answer!!

[@marcelolimaneves8099]

Nossa Senhora castigando?

[@frankanddanasnyder3272]

Kilgore east what...

[@Schony747]

Sorry for the typo if that's what you picked up. Thanks for having a look

[@nongmar6340]

...and then I see it passing through Caulfield station arooouund midnight.

[@Schony747]

Or the early hours of the morning around 5am

[@nedoh2662]

How many tons per car?

[@genelland5779]

Weighed above gates, or track scales?

[@rearspeaker6364]

by the camera angle it looks like a 6% grade......

[@Schony747]

The actual quarry is pretty flat but the grade out of Kilmore East is pretty steep. I don't know the exact grade. Thanks for looking

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@Schony747 keep up the great work!!