NR35 & NR120 Bogan Gate East NSW. Thu 21st Aug 2025

The journey to Perth WA continues, another three days away for Pacific National's express intermodal service 5SP5 running an hour late through Bogan Gate East in western NSW with NR35 & NR120 the motive power. The train passes over a private passive level crossing which leads to two farms on the other side of the line. Crossings like these seldom have names. A few years back a track work excavator was cleaned up by a passing train at this crossing, bits and pieces can be still found today. The GE Cv40-9i model "NR" class details: The NR class were specifically designed and built for high-speed point to point long distance intermodal express trains. Goninan's at Newcastle NSW built NR1 to NR 60 whilst their Western Australian factory at Bassendean built NR61 to NR120. The loco's were originally built for the National Rail Corporation, an Australian federal government initiative involving state government shareholders. National Rail lasted until February 2002 when it was privatised and purchased by Pacific National, along with the SRA of NSW freight network, then called FreightCorp, as part of the purchase deal. Pacific National are the largest freight rail operators in Australia, followed by Aurizon. The NR class are designated GE model Cv40-9i series using imported American technology from General Electric USA with the locomotives built by Goninan & Co under license from GE. Powered by a four stroke V16 turbo charged GE 7FDL-16 prime mover delivering just over 4,000hp and a published track speed of 115KMh. Nearing 30 years of age the NR class have been a success story and have proved to be a most reliable locomotive, however, in recent years some reliability issues have surfaced as the locomotives age. Pacific National started a fleet overhaul programme in June 2006 which will probably give them an extended life of another 10 to 15 years. All members of the fleet, many approaching 30 years old, have covered millions of kilometres since their introduction and paid for themselves many times over. High speed express freight locomotives have came along way technology wise since the introduction of the NR class. GE's latest product is the C44aci series, although based on the Cv40-9i series concept, vast improvements in technology and fuel efficiencies have been made. Currently 117 of the NR class remain in service, except for NR33 which was written off and scrapped due to the level crossing accident damage incurred at Lismore VIC on the 25th of May 2006. NR41 & NR79 were both scrapped after the Barrier Highway level crossing accident on the 31st of December 2023. To conserve fuel the NR class have a three stage horsepower setting activated in the driver cab, this is to provide only the power needed to the tonnage hauled at the time. Settings are: 2,850hp, 3,560hp and 4,020hp. The locomotives weigh 132 tonnes and have a 13,500 litre capacity for long distance non stop running between NSW and Western Australia across the famous Nullarbor Plain on the Trans Australia railway. Pacific National do not utilise "in-line" refuelling unlike SCT and Aurizon, however, many of the NR class are equipped for this function. NR35 was delivered new on the 30th of July 1997 and sister unit NR120 on the 08th of December 1997 built by Goninan's at Newcastle NSW and Bassendean WA respectively. Have you noticed? Many of the NR class no longer have the builders plate on the cab sides, removed during overhaul they have not been remounted. Also the "star" pattern livery configuration on the side of the locomotives walkway panel vary through out the fleet. Some have one star only, others two or three and some have none at all. Those with three stars are varied in how they are configured too. 1528hrs on Thursday 21st of August 2025.