[Ausloco] ATN

["Robert Bushby" <romanabt@tassie.net.au>]

ATN have their corporate HQ in Melbourne and have been quietly working away
on prospects on the mainland since setting up there. They were one of the
contenders for V Line freight. Even though they missed out, it is fairly
obvious that they have not lost interest over there and are still working on
making their presence felt. And it looks like it might be imminent with the
L's at last about to appear.

One of the things about privatisation is that we now obviously have railways
being run by people who see trains as a business and a way of making an
honest quid - not an extension of politics and the public service. ATN are
working at it in Tassie - they could use quite a few more wagons and locos
down here at the moment, and are picking up traffic from the little guys as
well as the more traditional big customers. Every container wagon on train
36 into Burnie at a late 10.30am was turned around and sent south again that
night on 35 - not a spare wagon left in the place. This is now normal
practice at all their terminals with container wagons.

As one of their operations staff said to me the other day, "the little guy
today, might be a big guy tomorrow". My reply was, yep, TNT started with one
truck (so did Linfox and K&S and a few others to!). Looking after their
customers is now their number one priority.

The future's looking good, and "Mexico" ain't that far away to see all the
technicolor and vintage locos running around - the more the merrier! And who
ever heard (dreamt) of an EL at Moree - they were built for the Nullabor,
you silly people!

An EL at Ardglen - I'd like to see that!

I can feel a national loco shortage coming on!!!

Rob Bushby
South Coast Extended (HO - NSWGR)
(under construction)
Queenstown, Tasmania.
romanabt@tassie.net.au


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