Road-Rail Western Star

This was a 1990s experiment which failed.
The idea was for something smaller and cheaper than a fully-fledged locomotive, capable of moving small rakes, and transferring by road to a different work location. That was the sort of need which didn't exist.
The unit langished for several years, then was offerered for sale.
People in this forum commented on the voluminous paperwork which formed the contract of sale: nothing like the contract for the sale of a pure truck.
I don't know if the purchase did proceed, or what has happened to the unit.
It was coded RTL1.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

This unit was used to pull timber freight from Bairnsdale to Geelong,once a day with 3(I think) freight wagons when the Bairnsdale line was reopened before passenger trains were allowed back on the line.Used to watch it going through Fernbank,going south in the mornings when putting the kids on the school bus.Was fascinated by it as I had just mooved down south after driving roadtrains up north.

I remember seeing it crossing the Princes Highway near Rosedale in the late 90's with a rake of 5 wagons and moving at a fair speed. I know passenger trains weren't running then so it took me by surprise when I saw the crossing lights going and this beast bouncing down the rails.

I will have to consult notes in my own magazine.
IIRC the log traffic was the only revenue job it ever did, but no further west than Traralgon, where the wagons were transferred to a freight train with other loading.
It was tested with grain wagons on the Shepparton - Dookie line before commissioning, but was never used for mini rakes of grain anywhere.
It was used to place wagons being stored on the then-disused Ballarat - Ararat line (since cleared and reactivated).
As a machine, it worked. IIRC the Dookie test loaded it to the point of slipping.
The Bairnsdale task became redundant when the line was reopened for loco-hauled freight trains. There was no other task.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Sale link here

www.hcvc.com.au/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1310451270

I think it finaly was sold to a private contractor in south Australia

Gents

If you need any more info let me know, my mates driver actually drove it up and down the line

67mustang

Hi Mustang,
Did it have an Allison in it or RR?

Bruce
Just spoke to Alan it had Allison with a Detroit the problem with it was when it rained they couldn't get any traction
67mustang

Were the traction problems due to its relatively light weight (by rail standards) or the the detroit spraying the damp rails with oil?