Re: Fate of 85/86 class

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

"The Railway Rasputin II." wrote:

> > 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.
>
> Back then yes but apparantly technology has made diesel power more
> efficient, so the "experts" say.
>
> rgds

Remember that a high voltage Ac ie 25kv/50kv electrification is far more efficient
than a 1500v dc electrification both in terms of infrastructure and in electricity
consumption.  Thus a modern electrification should be still more efficent than diesel
system.  Another point that should be made is that the Netherlands is rebuilding its
1500v dc system to 25kv 50hz  over a period of aprox 20years.  I am sure that these
arguments would have been put forward to them. Because if what these experts say is
correct, they would be starting to tear down their 1500v system and replacing them
with either dmu for passenger work and EMD/GE diesel locomotives for freight work.

In the period concered electric locomotive technology has also improved as well.
Remember, three phase Ac drive has been around in the electric locomotive world since
the late 1970's with the units that BBC built for DB.   The real improvements in
diesel technology have been the introduction of electronic fuel injection and
computerized management systems coupled with more efficent turbocharger design.

See ya

-greg