Thread: Pilbara Ore Horse working hard!

Yes helper is an American term for additional locomotives and they can be mid train or at the tail end .
Generally they use a distributed power system that remotely controls other groups of engines . As mentioned mid or rear marshalled bank engines are not at the head end to prevent overloading of the drawbars/couplers . With big loads the in train forces can be huge .
I understand FMG banks loaded trains out of their mines in some places and the rear units drop off and return once the train is up and running and beyond rising grades .
Years ago I "fired" on coal trains out of Lithgow and often was banked as far as Zig Zag where the grade reduced .

Actually another location out west where trains were banked was from Molong to Orange East fork . I think it may have been the only place double header Garretts were used because of the 1:40 grades . This is a quite scenic stretch of line in daylight and a quick trip westbound for express freighters and the IP to just short of Molong . Very slow east bound for full load steel trains that often do it tough particularly on the bank out of Borenore .

A .

The Hammersley Range is around 700m ASL and I believe that the lines were routed such that the run down to the coast at Headland and Dampier was basically downhill all the way. So once clear of the pit the loaded trains enjoy a very economical run to the port/s. And of course, coming back empty is not such a problem.