Re: Freight DMU [was Re: Latest news on Speedrail]

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

"Arthur Marsh" <mars0177@flinders.edu.au> wrote in message
39d59324_1@news.chariot.net.au">news:39d59324_1@news.chariot.net.au...
> What can be done to make it easier to load and unload containers at
smaller
> stations and sidings though? I've seen road trucks that have on-board
> equipment so that they can load and unload a container with just the
driver
> and no external equipment, but wonder if anything could be done on the
rail
> side.

Shouldn't be too hard - you would just fit the crane equipment that some
trucks carry to the rail car. One crane between two cars, able to operate on
both cars, should do it. No idea how it would affect axle loads though.

Dave

> Arthur.
>
> "Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> Y3fB5.14941$NS5.171061@news6.giganews.com">news:Y3fB5.14941$NS5.171061@news6.giganews.com...
> > "Maurie Daly" <mauried@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
> > 39d57ec8.1244105@can-news.tpg.com.au">news:39d57ec8.1244105@can-news.tpg.com.au...
> >
> > > Yes, the double handling costs of having to transship goods from rail
> > > to road at each end in order to deliver to the final customer makes
> > > rail even less attractive than it could be.
> > > Ive often wondered why rail operators dont also own truck fleets so as
> > > to eliminate part of this problem.
> >
> > State Rail used to (Trackfast trucks).
> >
> > > It doesnt solve the double handling,but it does solve the hassle of
> > > the customer having to deal with both a trucking company and a rail
> > > company.
> > > Currently , there is very little incentive for anyone to use rail,as
> > > the differantial between road freight rates and rail freight rates are
> > > so low , especially on the eastern coast..
> > > This is due to mainly extreme competition in the trucking industry,and
> > > the fact that trucking doesnt pay its way.
> > > As neither of the major political parties seem in the slightest bit
> > > interested in fixing the 2nd problem,the only fix for rail is for the
> > > track owners to abolish their access fees.
> > > Fat chance of that hapenning either.
> >
> > I wonder if anyone has investigated the freight DMU currently under
> > development in Germany? The one I read about in Modern Railways is a
> > five-car articulated unit, with each car capable of carrying one
> container,
> > and there is a drivers cab at each end. They are capable of operating in
> > multiple (d'uh, that is why they are a DMU I suppose) so if you have 15
> > containers going you can run three of them together. Of course there
would
> > be a point where the economies would be better with a full train and a
> loco
> > or two, but for small loads it could be worthwhile, and could be a way
to
> > service multiple destinations.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
>
>