Returned from the West

[mufreight]

Loco DFZ 2406, previously QR 2306 was returned from West Australia by ARG to be returned to service in Queensland for ARG.  The loco arrived at Redbank to be further modified so that it will again conform to the Qld loading gauge on 21st September.
Sister loco DFZ 2407 departed ARG Forrestfield, West Australia by road on 8th October and is expected to arrive at Redbank possibly by Tuesday 13th.
It is understood that both locos will revert to their previous numbers in the 2300 class when returned to service for ARG and they will remain in ARG colours.

[mufreight]

Another loco has been repatriated from the west with DFZ2407 arriving at Redbank by road at 3.20pm today 14/10/09 from Forestfield WA where it left on Thursday.
This unit will be unloaded AM tomorrow and will be placed straight on to its bogies which arrived earlier in the week.
Like sister unit DFZ2406 it will be modified to conform to QR loading gauge and prepared to re-enter service as a 2300 class for ARG



Photograph mufreight 14 Oct 2009

[ozbob]

Some photographs courtesy of ARG and mufreight of DFZ 2407 taken at Hughenden coupled between 2846 and 2845 and now in service,
together with sister loco DFZ 2406 for ARG Qld on the Townsville ? Mt Isa line.







Photographs ARG  November 2009

[Jon Bryant]

Bob/Mufreight, why were these sent to the west in the first place as I note they are being repatriated?  Is ARG (QR) replacing them with new engines in the west and thus freeing them up to return to QLD? 

[mufreight]

A number of at that time surplus QR diesels were sent to West Australia to meet the upsurge in traffic over there on the NG system following the purchase of ARG by QR.
The locos were modified to make them more suitable for WA operations.
With the take over by ARG of bulk operations from QR on the Mt Isa line more locos were needed there over and above those involved in the handover from QR and two of the modified 2300 class locos, now in their modified form as DFZ class locos with upgraded traction equipment provided the quickest answer and the traffic levels in WA were such that ARG could release them, it will be of interest to see if with the operation of additional trains by ARG on the WA NG system for iron ore traffic there is a further need for ARG to acquire more NG locos in the short term.
As more deliveries of 4100 class locos are made to QR and PN takes over some of the coal traffic there will again be surplus diesel locos here in Qld which would then mean that some of those locos displaced which would be suitable for ARG operations could then be sent over to WA for use there.