Re: 3526 anyone?

["chris@enet21.com.au" <chris@enet21.com.au>]

That is a  fair enough explanation.

regards

Chris

Matthew Geier wrote:

> In article <C8Rl4.51$i33.547964@news0.optus.net.au>,
> David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote:
> >Rod Gayford (rjaygee@smartchat.net.au) won a Nobel Prize for literature by writing:
> >> The 57's at one stage were trialled on the Sydney to Albury passenger trains
> >> and were easily able to maintain the tabled speed.
> >
> >They were easily capable of maintaining the overall schedule of a 38, with
> >some sectional differences. What they lost on the flat they made up for in
> >the hills. The 57 reportedly took the Riverina Express "frighteningly
> >fast" up Bethungra.
>
>  What the RTM is worried about isn't its speed, as much is how much wear
> of the running gear will occur.
>  The 57's only did one or 2 runs on the express trains, they didn't do it
> long enough to show up any maintence implications of running at those
> speeds. There is no long term data.
>
>  What scares the RTM board, is that after spending millions to get it
> running, including getting corperate sponsers, they will find that sustained
> high speed running is causing undue wear and tear on the motion and that they
> will have to mothball it to prevent further damange, long before they have even
> started to get any payback for the money spent. Sponsers could even start
> demanding their money back as they didn't get what they paied for!.
>
>  Really the only option would be to restore it with modern lubricated roller
> bearings through out, and get computer similations done to balance the motion
> accurately. Then you get into a whole new argument over changing the locomotive
> from what it was in railway service. (ie the still ongoing argument over
> modifications to the VR R class steamers!)
>
>  The 57s were only ever a goods engine except for their brief blaze of glory
> on the crack express trains. Since there is only operational maintence data
> for their goods hauling roles, its only for those slow speeds there is any
> guarentee of operational reliablity.