Junee Railway Workshop Explained

Junee Railway Workshop Pty Ltd
Industry:	Railway operator
Location City:	Junee
Homepage:	www.jrw.com.au

The Junee Railway Workshop is an accredited rail operator that maintains and repairs locomotives and rolling stock from its base at Junee Locomotive Depot.

History

Junee Railway Workshop was formed in January 1995 as Austrac Ready Power. It purchased a number of former FreightCorp locomotives and leased the disused Junee Locomotive Depot. In June 1995, it completed the overhaul of two 442 class and one 45 class locomotives for lease to BHP, Port Kembla.^{[1] [2]} It also signed a contract to rebuild engines for BHP.

In August 1997, Austrac became the first private operator to sign a track access agreement with the Rail Access Corporation.^[3] In November 1997, Austrac began operating a service from Griffith and Junee to Port Botany using 48 class locomotives.^[4] Austrac adopted a livery that was a reverse of that of the US Erie Lackawanna Railway.^[5]

In February 1998, NB1872 and NB1873 were purchased from Westrail.^[6] From August 1998, the Griffith services ceased with Austrac commencing a Sydney to Melbourne service as a joint venture with V/Line Freight.^[7] This ceased in May 1999 following V/Line Freight being sold to Freight Victoria however by then, Austrac was operating log train services from Junee and Tuggeranong, grain services from Quandialla as well as metropolitan trip workings in Sydney.^{[8] [9]}

In late 1999, Austrac recommenced a three times a week Sydney to Melbourne service with four leased Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia EL class locomotives and from December 1999 containerised grain services from Willow Tree were operated.^{[10] [11]}

In July 2000, Austrac commenced a weekly Moree to Melbourne service replacing the service from Sydney.^{[12] [13]}

On 21 August 2000, the three Austrac operational arms went into voluntary administration.^{[14] [15]} It ceased trading in August 2001.^{[16] [17]} The Australian Traction Corporation Pty Ltd changed its name to Junee Railway Workshop Pty Ltd in 2004. retaining the Junee depot lease and 48 class locomotives.

Since April 2010, Junee Railway Workshop has been overhauling a fleet of eighteen 48 class locomotives for GrainCorp along with an ex South Australian Railways 830 class for its own use. The ex Austrac 48s have been hired to other operators including El Zorro.^{[18] [19]} \

Notes and References

1. Austrac Ready Power Supplies First Leased Locomotives Railway Digest July 1995 page 14
2. First Austrac Locomotives Enter Service after Official Hand Over Railway Digest August 1995 page 9
3. Austrac Signs NSW access agreement Railway Digest August 1997 page 14
4. Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 724 February 1998 page 74
5. New Austrac Loco Paint Scheme Unveiled Railway Digest December 1995 page 13
6. Motive Power Railway Digest April 1998 page 38
7. Austrac Commences Sydney - Melbourne Service Railway Digest October 1998 page 9
8. Railway Digest August 1999 page 5
9. Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 744 October 1999 page 390
10. Railway Digest February 2000 page 31
11. Chicago Freight Car Leasing Update Railway Digest March 2000 page 10
12. Austrac's Melbourne - NSW North West Service: Forerunner of Inland Railway? Railway Digest August 2000 page 7
13. Railway Digest October 2000 page 39
14. Austrac Financial Woes Railway Digest December 2000 page 8
15. NSW Freight Corp to be sold Railway Gazette International October 2000 page 627
16. Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 780 October 2002 page 396
17. Farewell Austrac Operations Motive Power issue 24 October 2002 pages 26-33
18. http://www.jrw.com.au/locos.html Locos
19. http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&operator=Junee%20Railway%20Workshop Junee Railway Workshop