Southern & Silverton Rail

Southern & Silverton Rail

Cs1 in the Silverton Rail livery introduced in July 1998
Industry	Railway operator
Founded	1886
Headquarters	Broken Hill
Parent	Qube Logistics
Website	www.silverton.net.au

Southern & Silverton Rail is an Australian rail operator providing freight haulage, hook and pull, terminal and shunting services, maintenance and first response/recovery services. It is accredited to operate in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.^[1] From February 2006 until March 2007 it was an operating division of South Spur Rail Services, before both were sold to Coote Industrial. In June 2010 it was sold to Qube Logistics.

History

The Silverton Tramway Company was formed in 1886 to build and operate the Silverton Tramway, a 56-kilometre (35 mi) long 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge railway running from Cockburn on the New South Wales/South Australia state border to Broken Hill. Over the years it operated 26 steam locomotives before purchasing three diesel locomotives in 1960/61. Following a new 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge line being opened in February 1970 by the Federal Government the line was made redundant, and the company concentrated on operating shunting services to the mines industry in and around Broken Hill with its remaining two diesel locomotives.^[1][2]

Having purchased a number of locomotives from FreightCorp and AN Tasrail, in 1995/96 Silverton Rail leased six locomotives to National Rail for use on Adelaide to Melbourne services as bankers to Tailem Bend.^[3][4]

In August 1999, Silverton Rail began operating iron ore services from Cobar to Narromine as a subcontractor to National Rail and relocated the majority of the fleet to Parkes Roundhouse.^[5][6] In August 1999, it also began operating trip workings in Sydney.^[7] In August 2000, Silverton began operating grain services from Nyngan to Sydney.^[8]

In February 2006, Silverton Rail was sold to Western Australian based South Spur Rail Services.^[9] The locomotives and rolling stock were sold to the Allco Finance Group and leased back.^[10] Silverton Rail was rebranded as Southern & Silverton Railway.^[11]

In March 2007, South Spur Rail Services was purchased by Coote Industrial.^[12] Following Allco Finance running into trouble, Coote Industrial was able to buy much of the former Silverton rolling stock in January 2008 through controlled subsidiary Greentrains.^[13] In June 2010 South Spur Rail Services was sold to P&O Trans Australia.^[14][15]

In April 2011, Qube Logistics acquired outright control and majority ownership of P&O Trans Australia.^[16][17] Qube Logistics purchased New South Wales freight operator Independent Transport Group in June 2012.^[18]

Fleet

442s3 in the Silverton Rail livery introduced in May 1984

In 1990 Silverton purchased two ex Australian National 830 class from AN Tasrail followed in December 1994 by six New South Wales 48 class and New South Wales 442 class locomotives.^[19][20] Also purchased for parts were two 830s and three 48s.^[19][21]

In June 2002 a FreightCorp 45 class locomotive was purchased from Great Northern Rail Services and returned to service as 45s1.^[22]

A former Genesee & Wyoming Australia 930 class had entered service with Silverton by August 2002 as 44s1 while two former FreightCorp 44 class entered service as 44s2 and 44s3.

In March 2003, twenty-four 80 class locomotives were purchased from FreightCorp with four returned to traffic. Around the same time nine C class locomotives were purchased from National Rail with seven placed in service and two sublet to Pacific National.^[23]

Other acquisitions were eight 85 and forty 86 class electric locomotives from FreightCorp.^[24][25] All were scrapped without use.

See also

• Silverton Tramway

References

• Roberts, Lew. Rails to wealth. Privately published, Melbourne, 1995.

External links

• Company website