Re: Hunter Valley Happenings

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

<thebaron@nospam.ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:8t5inm$e9d$1@pc1762.alcatel.com.au...
> Surely you would go for the compatability with the rest of the network.

Why? Ever heard of dual voltage locos and rolling stock? The French are
particularly good at this sort of thing, since they started out on 1500V DC
and then decided (in the sixties, I think) to go with 25,000V AC.

> Electric coal trains anyone??? I guess it depends on the price of
> oil. Does anyone know the operating cost of a diesel loc vs
> electric??

I doubt they would do it, they don't run electric locos on the Mountains or
the Sillywarra unless they are short of diesels.

What would be interesting if they *do* electrify is what would happen to the
91 class - they are too heavy to operate anywhere else (in NSW at least) and
are too new to be scrapped.

Dave