Re: VIC government probe into standard guage

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

chris 'fufas' grace (chris@transdata.co.nz) wrote:
> MattyQ wrote:
> > 
> > James C <noemail@emailsux.com> wrote in message
> > 396ac191$0$11165$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:396ac191$0$11165$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > > The only problem would be V/line Passenger as V/line trains would have to
> > > convert to BG as well, hence inflexible.
> > 
> > The article DOES say it wants to convert freight lines only. Systemwide
> > gauge conversion has been done before in Sweden (I think, or Switzerland).
> > IIRC, a study was done to find the best way to do it and whether it was
> > practical to convert everything. The result was, the suburban system was
> > left at it's present gauge and everything else was converted. I don't know
> > what the gauges were.

> Don't forget the Great Western Railway in the UK. They converted some
> enormous amount of track from 7'0" gauge to Standard Gauge over *one
> weekend*.

Yes and no. There was a lot of preparatory work in laying a third rail. A
lot of complex pointwork was done over a weekend, then the outer rail was
taken up in the months afterward.

Cheers
David