Re: Vic, NthEast line

["comtrain" <comtrain@optusnet.com.au>]

The "paddle wheeler" is a machine that cuts the ballast out on both sides of
the track, washes and cleans out the garbage collected over the last 40
years and restores whats left. The other machines then plow or tamp the
track into a better condition.
This is the biggest attempt ever to return the "gauge" to a suitable
condition. It seems to be failing at the moment.
One of the Engineers called to Wodonga to comment on the problems they were
experiencing told me that the main reason that the SG was so badly
"infected" with mud holes, was because the BG has been in place since the
1870's and for most of the way sits at least a meter higher than the SG.
When your "paddle steamer" thingie started digging into the ballast between
the gauges, they struck WATER, and lots of it. The center of the track was
never drained, and as the BG trains travel along they pump this water up
through the lower SG track bed!
Now they need to drain the center of the track between Wodonga and
Broadmeadows with aggi pipe and every hundred meters or so, drain it to one
side.
This will stop the pumping, and then they will need to undercut the muddy
areas to clean the mess up.
A very large rail grinder is sitting in Melbourne somewhere, and was
supposed to be repairing the rail head profile since about three weeks ago.
Unfortunately their are no roads long enough to stable this machine. ARTC
called a tender to extend the existing cripple roads, but the Company that
won the job, apparently, reckons they did not quote on the necessary earth
works. Rail and concrete sleepers have been delivered to each loop, but
nothing has been done yet! Would not like to be payting for that Grinder, to
have it sitting in Melbourne, not doing anything.
THe olympic schedule reaches as far as Albury-Wodonga too. That is trains
run during the day now, instead of all night, to match the window in the
sydney Suburban Area.
Cheers
Rod [comtrain]

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"michael pascoe" <michael@bitsnpcs.com.au> wrote in message
39c55720@news.iprimus.com.au">news:39c55720@news.iprimus.com.au...
> I live fairly close to this line, just out of Wodonga, and have noticed
that
> the freght trains seem a little out of whack of late.
>
> For example, on a Saturday your lucky to see 2 a day, but instead there
was
> one every 3/4 hour or so.  It may have something to do with the trackwork
> being carried out.  Which brings me to another point, they are using what
> looks like a paddle steamer!, recycling the balast on the sides of the
> sleepers? anyone know what this is for? As well as many other crazy
looking
> contraptions on wheels.
>
> Regards,
> Michael P
>
>