ON JUNE 28 Australia’s BHP Iron Ore Railroad completed a successful trial with the longest and heaviest test train to operate using ECP electronic air brakes. Formed of five General Electric Dash 8 diesel locos and 240 laden iron ore wagons, the 2·5 km long train had a gross weight of around 33500 tonnes.
As part of a trial of EPx wire-free braking equipment and Locotrol distributed power controls supplied by GE Harris, the test train made a 600 km round trip from Port Hedland to Yandi mine and back. This proved the reliability of the radio links on uphill and downhill runs, and whilst passing through the 550m loading tunnel at Yandi mine.
- On June 28 the Federal Court ruled that Hamersley Iron’s railway was part of the production process, and not a rail service capable of supporting a ’declaration of access’ as demanded by Robe River Mining (RG 7.99 p443).
