RHJY Mineral Sand Wagon

 

 

RHJY 29100F at Carrington.                                                                            Stephen Carr

 

In late 2005, Pacific National was awarded a contract to move mineral sands from the ‘Bemax Mining’ plant west of Broken Hill to Port Adelaide. It was decided to rebuild 30 NGMA grain hoppers that had been in storage on disused branchlines in northern NSW. A prototype, NGMA 28962F was converted in December 2005 and was recoded RHJF originally.

In early 2006, the long stored ‘blacks’ were moved from Moree to the ‘Varley Engineering’ workshops at Carrington in Newcastle. Modifications made to the vehicles included, the fitting of XCF 70t capacity bogies, CCSB’s, air-operated bottom discharge doors and ground-operated roof hatches.

The hoppers made their way from Newcastle to Broken Hill starting in May 2006, but as yet have not entered service on the train. Currently the sand is moved in ore containers of NQHX Container wagons.

 

Date Introduced: 2006.

 

Running Numbers: currently 15 are known –

28634C, 28697X, 28856E, 28953H, 28962W, 29089F, 29100F, 29130G, 29181J, 29252B, 29255F, 32089Y, 32115V, 32124U and 32158L. More will be added as they come to hand.

 

Length: 11.8m  Tare:   22t                   Capacity:          70t                   Gross:  92t

 

Bogies:             XCF - Although the carry a ‘Y’ as the 4th code letter, they are only permitted to operate up to 80 km/h

 

Coding:

-                     Prototype coded RHJF, recoded RHJY.

-                     All others have only ever been coded RHJY.

 

Colour Scheme:

-                     First conversions were painted in FreightRail blue with PN Logo. Bogies are black.

-                     Some later wagons have been painted in Pacific National ‘Rich Blue’ and do not have the PN logo.

 

Operation:

Although they have not yet entered service, they have been tabled to be used as a single rake of 30 wagons. The service being augmented by the current rake of containerised wagons.

 

Modelling:

-                     They could be converted from an AR Kits FWH wheat hopper kit.

 

 

 

Finished RHJY’s waiting for movement to Broken Hill at Pt Waratah Yd.          Brad Coulter

Only the white roof hatches open. The original wheat hopper (blue) hatches are sealed.

 

 

A close up view of the bogie and air-operated discharge door mechanism.         Stephen Carr

 

 

An unlettered rake attached NY3 Steel service at Macarthur.                Josh Beveridge