Re: Westrail Freight sale

["< Tell >" <telljb@01.ozemail.com.au>]

"Brian McManus" <brm@global.net.au> wrote:
>
> No we don't; but we do have 7500 tonne ore trains(2 soon to be 3), 5000
> tonne grain trains(3), 2300tonne nickel trains(daily), 2500 tonne acid
> trains(daily) & Freighters(2) which in order to travel at speeds upto 110kph
> depending on train type and whereabouts need some oomph in front. That is
> what the 19 Q's are used for along with the 12 old L's. Often the Q with a
> performance load of 2520 tonne is double headed on many trains eg the iron
> ores and Kalgoorlie Freighter.


Very interesting Brian, conditions East of Perth would
not be all that different from the TAR and TAS, in
other words, "easy grades" and desert country, which
means according to published figures, you do not need
high horse power.!  

The reality is very different, particularly if the
train is required to maintain 100-110Kph schedules,
never mind being in "the hole" on a crossing loop and
getting back up to speed again, often many times over.

WAGR led the way with high horsepower quickly followed
by CR all those years ago, neither had 1 in 40 grades,
but they had BIG problems keeping their trains on time
with lengths and loads the other government systems had
not even thought about.

No one denies that the steep gradients over on the East
Coast require a lot of tractive effort for big loads,
but, they are still catching up.!
   
----Tell
Alice Springs
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