Re: [Vic] Freight return to Cold stream??

[Mark Bau <markbau@altavista.com>]

> From: Barry Campbell <barryC@qimr.edu.au>
> Organization: Qld Institute of Medical Research
> Newsgroups: aus.rail
> Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 13:54:33 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Vic] Freight return to Cold stream??
> 
> Mark Bau wrote:
>> 
>>> There is nothing wrong with 2nd hand locos,including Qld ones,if they are
>>> substantially cheaper than new ones.
>>> They do the same work,(nah) pull the same loads(nah), earn you the same
>> revenue(nah). A hatrick!
>> 
>> I'm glad GOD is not an accountant on a real railway. Ever noticed how the
>> RR's in the US that do not rely on any guv subsidies (and indeed pay tax on
>> their land, a concept unimaginable in Australia) are buying new locos as
>> fast as GE and EMD can build them? These RR's can't get rid of their old
>> junk quick enough. Why? Very simple, each dollar they spend on fuel and
>> maintenance on a new loco moves a lot more freight than any old loco you
>> care to mention. Take away the guv subsidies and we'll see if the new
>> private operators are really making any money.
>> 
> I don't know where GOD fits into this but some facts need to be
> remembered. US railroads get their revenue and buy their locos in USD.
> Australian railways get paid in AUD and buy new locos in USD. Not very
> favourable. Australian traffic levels are nothing like the US and never
> will be simply because there just isn't the freight to move. Rebuilt
> locos can often handle the loads offering and hence earn as much revenue
> as new locos at a fraction of the cost. Of course, that is not always
> true, but many US railroads use second hand power and for comparable
> tasks it makes even more sense for Oz railways to do the same.
> 
> Barry Campbell
> 
> (Who is an accountant)

Barry I agree with your comments but please reread what MD said, (sorry I
wrongly attributed them to GOD)

<<<They do the same work>>> Well yes, they  pull trains over rails. Same
work? An NR does (can do) the same work as an X?

<<<<<<<pull the same loads>>>>>>

See above

<<<<<<<<<<earn you the same revenue>>>>>>>>>>>

Incorrect, A more powerful loco using the same fuel/maintenence costs as an
less powerful loco is going to make you more money and I don't have to be an
accountant to figure that out.
Of course purchase costs come into it but I was replying to the paragraph I
just quoted which was full of bad info.

Barry, do you still do your accounting in a old ledger or in a
spreadsheet/database?

Mark