Re: Fuel efficiencies of 422s

["Paul Jones" <jonesclan@free.net.au>]

I saw 42203 the other day. It looked like an absolute wreck!!! Nice to see
something still running in candy.


------
Paul Jones

Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
>Sometime ago there was a thread about the 422s inability to get from Broken
>Hill to Sydney on a full tank of fuel and thats why two had to be used.
>In researching another question on this group I got to realise that there
is
>something horribly wrong here.
>422s hold 5455 litres and Sydney to BH is 1100 km.
>With only say 4 carriages , ie 3 pass cars and power van we have a total
>trailing load of 200 tonnes so in order to use a full tank of fuel the 422
>must be using around 25 litres per trailing 1000 tonnes/km , an
unbelievably
>bad figure.
>Given also that the majority of this route is dead flat , ie Parkes to BH
.700
>kms worth of the total 1100, it makes the whole scenerio even worse.
>
>Its also not consistant with previous 422 performance.
>In the days of the SOP and Daylight, during the week these trains were
quite
>often hauled by 1 422 all the way from Sydney to Melb with loads of up to
12
>cars (600 tonnes ).
>This gives fuel efficiencies of around 8 litres / trailing 1000 tonnes/km
, a
>much more believeable figure.
>
>Although it never used 422s the Brisbane Express during the week also ran
with
>1 44 all the way from Sydney to Sth Brisbane with loads of up to 12 cars
,(600
>tonnes), which gives fuel efficiency of 9 litres / trailing 1000 tonnes/km.
>Given the shocking alignment of the Nth Coast line I can beleive this
figure
>also.
>
>
>As a comparison the IP with a single NR with a max load of 900 tonnes can
get
>from Sydney to Adelaide on a single tank of fuel with no risk of running
out.
>This works out at around 6 litres / trailing 1000 tonnes/km, also a very
>belieable figure.
>
>Now its reasonable to expect that a 4 stroke diesel engined loco like an NR
>will be more fuel efficient than a 422, but not by a factor of 4 to 1.
>
>So what does this all mean.
>Countrylinks 422s are totally stuffed and incredibly fuel inefficient.
>422s dont like light loads .
>I havnt a clue.
>
>Whatever the answer , whoever is paying the fuel bills for the BH pass
should
>very seriously look at where the fuel is going and hire some ELs to replace
>the 422s.
>
>Anyone have any better explanations?
>
>MD
>
>