Genesee and Wyoming Australia
Standard Gauge
Class operators: Australian National Railways/Genesee and Wyoming Australia
Built by: Toyota Motor Corporation/Aries Rail
Condition: Very Good
Entered service: 1996 / 1997
Withdrawn: December 2016
Entered the museum: 07.12.2016
Ownership: Port Dock Station Railway Trust
A hi-rail vehicle is basically a road vehicle that can operate on rail track and road. Hi-rail is an amalgam of the words Highway and Railway.
Hi-rail vehicles are converted road vehicles, which retain their normal road wheels, but are fitted with additional flanged steel wheels for running on rails. Propulsion is transferred to the head of the rail through the conventional road tyres with the rail wheels used to guide the vehicle along the track. The rail wheels can be lowered or raised by hydraulics, to suit the method needed.
This particular vehicle was built by the Toyota Motor Corporation in its Honsha plant, Japan in 1996 and exported to Australia. Upon entering Australia the vehicle was purchased by Australian National Railways and was converted to a hi-rail, and was used for track inspections.
With the sale of Australian National Railways in 1997, ownership of this vehicle was transferred to Genesee & Wyoming Australia. Between 2001 and 2004 this vehicle was used for inspections during the construction of the Alice Springs to Darwin railway. Between 2004 and 2016 this vehicle was used around Genesee & Wyoming Australia’s broad and standard gauge tracks in South Australia.
In December 2016 this vehicle was retired by Genesee & Wyoming Australia and generously donated to the NRM.