Re: Steam design challenge 2000

["Kevin Sewell" <kevinsewell@optusnet.com.au>]

OK. So that's one person whose total lack of imagination prevents them from
thinking of anything except black & white. Merry Christmas Bill. You were
probably ecstatic to find out there is no Santa Claus when you were a kid.

Anybody else out there who does have a modicum of imagination?



Bill Bolton <billboltonREMOVE-TO-EMAIL@computer.org> wrote in message
6p494tsiu2hjt2uopu9rqtv5t1bk0vtvi9@4ax.com">news:6p494tsiu2hjt2uopu9rqtv5t1bk0vtvi9@4ax.com...
> "Kevin Sewell" <kevinsewell@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>
> > ? Assume high quality maintenance in a quality servicing centre and a
ready
> > supply of parts.
> > ? Assume current mainline gradients and speed restrictions can only be
> > improved by 5% (and not more than XPT permissible speeds).
> > ? Assume maximum possible convenience for crew and servicing staff.
> > ? Assume current NSW loading gauge can only be improved by 5%
> > ? Assume able to haul passenger trains of 500 tonnes on Sydney - Melb or
> > Syd - Bris routes.
> > ? Assume carriages will perform to same standard as loco. You may also
want
> > to spec carriages. In many cases around the world the carriages and loco
> > were a matched set (e.g SOP, Coronation Scot, SP Daylights)
> > ? Assume current comparability between cost of coal and fuel oil. Ignore
> > acquisition/delivery costs.
>
> Assume its a waste of time.
>
> > I believe its a cop-out to say "just go with diesel". Experience on
other
> > railways in the world indicated (particularly in the earlier days of
diesel)
> > that good steam design made dieselisation marginal. What can this
learned
> > forum come up with?
>
> For start, we are no longer in the "early days of diesel", let alone
> in world where railway operations have anything much in common to
> those of 50 years ago.  So whatever research was done then is hardly
> likely to have any relevance to today's railway operations.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill
>
>