Re: [Ausloco] Re: 86 class electrics active again

["Chris Miller" <cmiller@primus.com.au>]

Hello all,

On 25/7 Alexander Brown wrote:

>         For a class in dire straits, 86 class usage has actually
>steeped up on the Illawarra of late.  With CA16 late Friday night 21/7
>(banked by 81 to Waterfall) with 2 other services spotted on Monday
>24/7. What is quite interesting is that although the 86's were under
>power heading south, most have come back d/a on wheat services. Does
>anyone have a reason for this other than power costs.  If an electric
>loco hauls the train down, who hauls it back? My only assumption at
>the moment for using 86's at all is loco shortage due to the grain
>harvest, after all last time 86's were used in numbers on the coast
>was last November.


Grain trains to Inner Harbour normally have 2 x 81 class, but with grain
trains running via Enfield (due to Mountain closedown), they require an
additional 81/82 ex Enfield.  However, the return empty only needs 2 x 81 to
return to the country.  On some days the extra locos were removed off a
number of grain workings at Inner Harbour, giving enough diesels to work a
coal train.
Diesels need to be worked to the country on grain trains for the next loaded
leg.  As diesels will be working the grain trains anyway, surplus 86's being
returned to Lithgow on grain trains will simply be attached dead (trains
will still be under the load).
As mentioned in other e-mails, diesels are the preferred motive power, the
86's are mainly kept as back-up.  So when 86's are seen working, it is
likely to mean that FreightCorp is getting plenty of business!

Anyway, most 86's did in fact return ex Inner Harbour working.  In the week
up to 25/7, I found only 2 instances of 86's running dead attached:
Saturday 22/7  9821  8251-8168 + da 8617-8614.  No electric hauled trains
departed this day.
Monday 24/7  9821  8145-8146-8165 + da 8609-8629.  On this day CA15 was
diesel hauled but CA35 was hauled by 4 x 86's.
Also on Wednesday afternoon 26/7 8647 was returned dead to Lithgow for
maintenance.
Other electric hauled departures:  Tuesday 25/7 CA15 4 x 86, CA35 3 x 86;
Wednesday 26/7 CA15 4 x 86; Thursday 27/7 CA35 3 x 86.

Bank engine working is out of favour these days.  The locos required for the
most restrictive section are usually attached for the through journey, hence
the 4 x 81's mainly used on Inner Harbour's Western coalies.  4 x 86's on 42
wagon coalies require a bank engine Enfield - Waterfall, while 4 x 81's
don't.  This is another reason why 86's are only used when diesels are
short.
The mountain (Unanderra - Moss Vale) re-opens on Monday 31/7 at 1800, so it
is probable that 86's will soon be rare again on the Illawarra.

Hope this has been of some assistance.
CM


--------------------------------------------------------------------<e|-
Get a NextCard Visa, in 30 seconds!
1. Fill in the brief application
2. Receive approval decision within 30 seconds
3. Get rates as low as 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Fixed APR
http://click.egroups.com/1/6631/9/_/_/_/964885937/
--------------------------------------------------------------------|e>-

If you wish to reply to this email, please check the "reply to" address. It will automatically reply to Ausloco. If you wish to send a personal reply to the author of this email please remember to change the "reply to" address.

Rules, guidelines and other Ausloco information:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dougk/ausloco.html

To unsubscribe from Ausloco, send an email to:
Ausloco-unsubscribe@egroups.com