Written By: Thomas McIntosh
Photos By: Thomas McIntosh, Dean Jones and Thomas Bulic
Page Last Updated: 23/6/20
One of two cotton trains that QUBE operates is the Narrabri Cotton train. It isn't a consistent train, it can run every day for a few weeks and then not run for the same amount of time. It largley depends on whether or not there is cotton to be moved down from the north to Botany.
When the train heads to Narrabri, it runs as 1565N. The time of departure varies quite substantially but usually it is a night runner up north. It snakes through the northern suburbs of Sydney and makes it way up the Central Coast, through Newcastle, into the Hunter Valley and beyond to Narrabri. It runs at 5166N returning to Botany.
QUBE uses pretty much all of their fleet on this service at some point, anything from their RLs and VLs to the 442s and 80s. The wagons used on this are typically 40ft and 80 wagons, I'm unsure which ones they are.
When the train heads to Narrabri, it runs as 1565N. The time of departure varies quite substantially but usually it is a night runner up north. It snakes through the northern suburbs of Sydney and makes it way up the Central Coast, through Newcastle, into the Hunter Valley and beyond to Narrabri. It runs at 5166N returning to Botany.
QUBE uses pretty much all of their fleet on this service at some point, anything from their RLs and VLs to the 442s and 80s. The wagons used on this are typically 40ft and 80 wagons, I'm unsure which ones they are.
1107-1106 lead a late running 5166N through Flemington. (9/7/19)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
CM3316-CM3301 with #1565N at Werris Creek. (18/7/18)
Photo By: Thomas Bulic |
A map showing the typical route across NSW.
Photos of the Narrabri Cotton Train
CM3305-CM3315 lead #1565N through Meadowbank. (24/1/19)
Photo By: Thomas Bulic |
RL303-VL351-1431 lead #5166N through Mascot. (24/4/18)
Photo By: Dean Jones |