Re: Freight Victoria Update!

["< Tell >" <telljb@netozemail.com.au>]

"Freight_man" <freight_man@hotmail.com> wrote lots of
stuff attached 8 lines below:

Good news on rail from Victoria, we need more of this.

----Terry Burton
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> 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/
> Foundation President and Co-Founder
> Hobsons Bay Model Railway Club Inc.
> Operators of Australia's only 'Australian' Model Railway Show
> Every Easter in Melbourne.
> and my page
> http://hobsonmodelrail.rrdepot.com/rods
> 

----Terry Burton
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