Re: 86 Class

[craigd@lios.apana.org.au (C. Dewick)]

John MacCallum <johnmac@lisp.com.au> writes:

>A directive from Freightcorp Management last week now places all
>except four 86 class engines in storage. 
>I can't remember which four but I will find out.

I saw at least two different trains yesterday both hauled by 4 86's each
(different locos)... So I don't know how strictly the management directive
is being applied.

The potential for using the locos is still very large, and I don't think the
85's or the 86's ever reached their full potential. For example, they are
excellent units for short-haul, high-speed freight work (as they found
favour doing on the Short North to broadmeadow) and I suspect the only
reason 4 are being kept officially active is for Olympic rescue duty in the
underground stations (Olympic Park and the City Circus/ESR/NSR/etc.) between
now and the end of the year during major events (olympics included of
course!).

The 46's most definitely reached their full potential, and if they were kept
in service would be still proving their worth. As for the 85's and 86's, I
think Freightcorp have sold themselves short but perhaps they are just going
to hang on to all of the other 46 out of 50 units (that's a hell of a lot of
locomotives to have sitting around inactive) in the hope that when work
picks up, they'll be needed again.

Perhaps some other company may emerge to operate exclusively under the
wires, and this company might approach FreightCorp to relieve them of their
apparently unwanted electric locomotives. 

What has happened to the ten 85's btw? I remember they were all mothballed
around the time I transferred to CityRail in late 1994, but I don't know if
they were cut up, or have just been put into storage somewhere...

Regards,

Craig.
--
            Craig Ian Dewick            |       Stand clear - jaws closing
 Send email to craigd@lios.apana.org.au |  Visit my Australian rail transport
   Professional Train Driver, Cityrail  |      and rail modelling web site:
       and HO scale rail modeller       |   http://lios.apana.org.au/~craigd