Freight Victoria Update!

["Freight_man" <freight_man@hotmail.com>]

Well I guess you all been wondering what is happening down here!

            The yanks have had about 9 months to work things out and The
Union is about to start Negotiating our New EBA, so interesting times are
just around the corner....
Anyway the Company is in the Black! No additional funds were needed from US
of A and income is greater than Expenditure already. Giant savings have been
obtained by doing away with 90% of Head Office! Just about everything is
being done Electronically by a few clerks in each Country Depot, and one or
two people in Melbourne tie it all together.
The New Office is small and Freight Victoria no longer need contribute
millions towards the running of Transport House.
              The first thing they did was to sort out the trains, where it
was possible combine smaller trains and only run those that were Economical.
Look at all product and renegotiate charges where necessary. As an example
last June and July saw thousands of tonnes of Super Phosphate go by Rail.
The charges were very low, and knocked the Truckies for six, but the train
to Wodonga was clearly under utilised and it started its journey at Geelong
and went right past the Super Sidings. V/Line would not carry it, we did and
made more than 2 million dollars profit, for virtually no extra outlay. You
all know about the wood..now that is a real success story.
              The loss of two G Class Locos at Ararat was a body blow, as we
are seriously
under powered, and our contracts in New South Wales will need extra G Class
working.
So what to do?  Well a lot of stored unserviceable Locos were accepted as
part of the
take over. You cannot run imported second hand US Locos on Australia's East
Coast, but you could use second hand components to revitalise our own
Locomotives.
These are examples and I am not saying what is being done, only what could
be done.
And I am unsure how many Locomotives were in storage, I think that actual
facts might
be too Commercial to talk about, but we can imagine......Long Term...
4 wheel Flex Coil Bogies ex GP type Locomotives could be fitted to T and Y
class Engines.
The Y would need considerable modification because of the old GE bogie
turntables.
The Y could receive GP Fuel Tanks, and 8 cyl Engines Ex T Class.
 considerable body mods]
The T could receive New Alternators and 12 cyl Engines Ex USA
Some G Class could receive New or 2nd Hand 3600HP Power Packs
The New X , and Even 2nd Series X, could receive the G Class Power Packs and
other bits and pieces as required.
Short Term........
Return the H Class to the BG and send them to Geelong to release the G (s)
from the Grain Loop. Transfer these G Class to the SG for New South Working.
Guess the H will be doing what they were designed for......humping [almost]
Return all T Class to Service, One will go to Junee for wheat working to
Kolomin [spelling?]
One will go to Wodonga for Pilot Working, but will be replaced with a Y
Class, being refurbished.
You are likely to see lots of different workings, and Quad T and P workings
should be the norm soon.This will further release G Class Locomotives for
NSW. Apparently New Contracts in NSW will spread our Power even further
North than Junee.
 I have even heard that Quad Y is a possibility, they would work well at
Echuca running trains to Denni. and Walcool.
And of Course who is going to operate these trains...we are now officially
recruiting Drivers and Second Persons..[so why are you still here...Go for
it}
Rod ;o)
 http://hobsonmodelrail.rrdepot.com/
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