Re: standardising Victoria

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

clinton + diane smith (cdsmith@dingoblue.net.au) wrote:

> David Bromage <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
> TA7K5.27$i%1.3517@news0.optus.net.au">news:TA7K5.27$i%1.3517@news0.optus.net.au...
> > Chris Gordon (cmgord@VICSIG.alphalink.com.au) wrote:

> >
> > The Moorabool viaduct is not a huge problem. It can be made dual gauge
> > (gauntlet track might be preferable) for that short section. The
> > signalling is not complicated.

> Geelong to Ballarat was double track years ago, including, I imagine, the
> Moorabool viaduct, so another track should not be a problem.

Yes and no. When it was built, the average locomotive weighed about 50t.
It would either have to be reinforces a la Tarradale or be restricted to
one train at a time. It's probably easier to lay gauntlet track and
operate it as a short section of single line. An overseas example of this
is Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle - Carlisle line which was reduced to
single track in the 1980s.

Cheers
David