Re: [VIC] Standard Gauging

["Stephen Devenish" <johnnyr@bigpond.com>]

Gentlemen,

Having worked for both National Rail (Kinhill Connell Wagner) and John
Holland, I can say with some basis that the so called "Quick and Dirty: job
on the Maroona line was not originally planned.  The Melbourne to Adelaide
Gauge Standardisation Project (MAGS) was originally set a budget of
150million it soon was found after talks with the PTC and Vline that more
money would be needed.  Extra funding was granted and yet it was still not
enough.  So the decision was made to reduce the scope of work for some
sections.  The track work from Tottenham to Newport was designed and
redesigned a few times and I even had a go at getting a partial separate
Standard gauge line through.  With all the obstacles in the way and the
various needs i.e.. BG access to the Spotswood welder and SG access out from
the welder, the lack of space behind Newport station, residents at Railway
Pde and the rest of the small things that had to be accommodated before
everybody would sign on the dotted line.  These all washed away at the
dollars.

I could go into detail on what was cut, what should have been done and what
was done for hours but don't like to bore people.

The fact is that the job was to get a standard gauge line across the state.

The problem was that since the Federal government was funding the project it
was seen to be a cash cow, there was also a lack of interest from the State
governments in both SA and Vic..  After saying this, I was amazed that the
Vline even went a head with standardising some of the gain lines.  SA just
cut off the lines to Mt Gambia and said "Private companies, do it if you
want!"  I don't know how many times I have priced the regauging of that
line.....  If the SA government was really behind the project they would
have looked at regauging this line and the Pimeroo line but the government
and more importantly AN (who would have seen NRC as a threat) didn't get on
the train and decided that there money wasn't worth wasting on this stupid?
costly? why the hell do we need it project.

As for someone saying the cost was 100k per km, one to many zero's its about
$10,000.00 per km.  Excluding turnouts.  You must remember that Newport to
Geelong was on new formation and bridges and took up most of the money, most
of the rest of the work was regauging and 180km of resleepering to SG.

Back to the original thread, regauge the rest of Victoria..... Yes creates
employment and will allow for easier maintenance, access by other players in
the industry and simplify alot of track work.  The down side is of course
the cost to the operators and the problems with the Met.  But if everyone
sat down and actually wanted to do this rather than have it pushed on them
it would work ok and be great.  The only sad thing would be to have to see
Victorian Steamers gauge converted to a none Victorian Gauge.

Nuff said, get the flame throwers ready.
--
Stephen Devenish

  ,-._|\
/  Oz  \
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        v
         e-Mail (Hme)  JohnnyR@bigpond.com


David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
co9h4.52$pe4.464338@news0.optus.net.au">news:co9h4.52$pe4.464338@news0.optus.net.au...
> rhay10@scu.edu.au won a Nobel Prize for literature by writing:
> > How difficult would it be to do a 'quick & dirty' change of ALL of SA's
> > and Vic's broad guage to standard - as the cornering radius would not
> > have to be changed?
>
> 'Quick and dirty' describes Gheringhap - Maroona and Ararat - Maryborough.
> You want two whole states in that condition?
>
> Cheers
> David