Good Morning from the UK.

I am spending two weeks visiting my mother and sister in Port Macquarie from the middle of February and looking for some help at what time the container train passes through Wauchope in both directions. I believe it runs during the night and on a daily basis?! I also believe the steel train runs north through Wauchope on Fridays around 12h30, if some one can confirm that.

Presumably Tarro and Thornton are still good photographic locations for the Hunter Valley coal trains.

Many thanks for your help.

Your starting point would be to check out the ARTC Master Train Plan

http://www.artc.com.au/customers/operations/mtp/2017-01-22/

It contains the timetables for the North Coast Line (called NSW (Islington Junction) to Queensland (Acacia Ridge)) and the Hunter Valley.

You can use the Railpage Radar (www.railpage.com.au/radar/view) to track the trains on the day.

You actually want the Islington junction to telegraph point timetable.   (the NSW NCL is split into two timetable books due to the vastly higher numbers of trains between gloucester and maitland).   Most BM, MB, SB,BS trains are containers.  The WB, BW are steel trains.  Steel trains are slower and shorter than container trains, but still much longer than european trains.     Wauchope is a good location due to the high track speed.  

There are a few trains running through wauchope during daylight hours,  maybe around 1 per hour if including XPT's and things not on the published timetable.  
The trains being in the middle of the night is only applicable in northern NSW and in QLD.  Most freight trains arrive and depart the acacia ridge yard in brisbane between 9pm and 3am, and the XPT runs during the night and early morning here.  


There are plently of good places for looking at hunter valley trains, but Tarro is good as its a rare location you also get to see passenger trains at speed.

You actually want the Islington junction to telegraph point timetable.   (the NSW NCL is split into two timetable books due to the vastly higher numbers of trains between gloucester and maitland).   Most BM, MB, SB,BS trains are containers.  The WB, BW are steel trains.  Steel trains are slower and shorter than container trains, but still much longer than european trains.     Wauchope is a good location due to the high track speed.  

There are a few trains running through wauchope during daylight hours,  maybe around 1 per hour if including XPT's and things not on the published timetable.  
The trains being in the middle of the night is only applicable in northern NSW and in QLD.  Most freight trains arrive and depart the acacia ridge yard in brisbane between 9pm and 3am, and the XPT runs during the night and early morning here.  


There are plently of good places for looking at hunter valley trains, but Tarro is good as its a rare location you also get to see passenger trains at speed.

Many thanks for your help with the timetable, it confused me until I read your posting.