Re: Fate of 85/86 class

[Greg Rudd <grudd@mail.usyd.edu.au>]

Barry Campbell wrote:

> Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
>
> <snip>
>
> >As to the costs of running electrics vs diesels there is something wrong
> here
> >although I dont know what.
> >When the 85/86 s were bought , and indeed the same argument would go for
> the
> >original 46s,the price of diesel would have been the cheapest it has ever
> been
>

I seem to recall that in the original analysis for the Blue Mountains
electrification that it was stated by the various branches of the railways that
electrification was by far the cheaper alternative than dieselisation of the
route in running costs.  With the added advantage been that Australia has
basically an almost endless supply of coal vs a finite supply of oil.


> >as Govt railways didnt then pay any fuel excise.
> >Fuel excise for railways is a relatively recent thing,being originally
> levied
> >as a road usage tax by the Keating Govt.
> >If diesel is cheaper today than electricity ,then maybe we should be using
> >diesels to haul cityrails trains,and Qrail should dismantle the
> electrification
> >on the main north.
>
> And, in fact, two or three years ago I heard stories that that would have
> been the most economical thing to do. (Actually not build it rather than
> dismantle it). Modern diesels are cheaper to run than having to install
> overhead etc.
>
> Barry Campbell