Re: Brisbane airtrain

[John Coyle <nospam@newsranger.com>]

In article <3B1FFA18.9536A87A@yahoo.com>, RC says...
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>John Coyle wrote:
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>> In article <3b1f4faf@news.iprimus.com.au>, Kevin Lyons says...
>> >
>> >
>> >John Coyle <nospam@newsranger.com> wrote in message
>> >news:eXwT6.1508$bA3.74244@www.newsranger.com...
>> >> In article <3b1e0822$0$6127$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au>, James C.
>> >> says...
>> >> >
>> >> >> >Well, there you go, Dean, I should have said IMU's and not SMU's are
>> >> >being orded for Brisbane Airport services! I >hope that you don't lose
>> >any
>> >> >more sleep over such a minor error! QR/Airtrain still should have planned
>> >to
>> >> >operate >modern train sets with suitable luggage space, from "day one",
>> >> >
>> >> >It is not possible to do so, it takes 3 years at least to plan design and
>> >> >build new trains, EDI-rail's  Maryborough plant had pretty full order
>> >book 3
>> >> >years ago. QR also do not have sufficent rolling stocks to do special
>> >> >adjustments for several months just to operate on airport line .
>> >> >
>> >> >Cheers
>> >> >James
>> >> >
>> >> >James, thanks for your helpful information. I was aware that it takes at
>> >least two years, and perhaps up to three years to "start from scratch" and
>> >build a train. However, once the design is available, and the jigs are in
>> >place, I would have felt that it is just a matter or ordering the materials
>> >etc, and building the cars. It would seem to be a 12/18 month job. My point
>> >was, as the airport line itself, was to take some time to build, that
>> >QR/Airtrain would have ordered the cars right away.
>> >>
>> >> On a related issue, I discussed the problem of the high cost of buying new
>> >> passenger cars with John Atkin, who was then, the Traveltrain Manager, at
>> >QR. My
>> >> suggestion was to obtain good quality second hand passenger cars, in
>> >particular,
>> >> diesel rail cars, from Japan, at a much lower cost that buying new
>> >equipment. I
>> >> also felt that QR could explore options such as India or China for the
>> >purchase
>> >> of rolling stock. The reason that I even raised the overseas "option" is
>> >that
>> >> Walkers have offered a "quote" to QR of six million dollars per two car
>> >set, for
>> >> diesel rail cars. That is way too high a price to be viable for QR to
>> >consider!
>> >> Mr Atkin was talking about obtaining rail cars to replace trains such as
>> >the
>> >> "Westlander" and "Inlander".
>> >>
>> >>
>> >So importing clapped out 50 year old Indian rollingstock that even they
>> >don't want to replace Westlander and Inlander stock is your solution. I
>> >thought you were a lobbyist FOR railways. Half a dozen posts ago , you were
>> >complaining about EMU's on the Airport line. But maybe you are right. Lets
>> >give the tourists something to talk about - let them hang off the outside of
>> >an old wooden coach and fill the inside with brochure and luggage racks.
>> >
>> >Kev
>> >
>> >Dear Kev, you have misread my comments about overseas rolling stock. I meant scond hand rail cars from Japan, or new equipment from India or China, not second hand rail cars from those countries! If we did get second hand cars from India, that would mean "clapped out shit", for sure! But, believe it or not, both India and China build quite good quality rail equipment. I tried to overcome the narrow minded attitude at QR, that as Walkers said, six million dollars for a two car set, QR gave up! John Atkin and Glen Dawe were both sacked by the new CEO at QR. No before you jump to any funny conclusions, it was nothing to do with CFPT!
>>
>> Anyhow, the real point made to QR was, other counties in our region do build
>> high quality rolling stock at far less cost than here. Look at it this way, if
>> QR spent $500,000 on a second hand two car diesel set from overseas, and another
>> one million dollars rebuilding the train, or more, for that matter, they would
>> save four million dollars, per two car set!
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>Not sure about all this cheap overseas rollingstock
>Malaysia has newish rollingstock for electric services not ready to sell yet
>Thailand has bought Qld stuff (buy it back?)
>Japan might be the go but loading gauge is bigger than you think and a lot of the rolling stock is older than you think - and I believe they do cascade from mainline to branchline as long as they can.
>Taiwan uses Japanese stuff but based on current observation - in October I was standing at Hualien station - a local pulled in with crappy old wooden carriages and a diesel locomotive like a 48 (actually would have preferred to ride in this than the aircon railcar I ended up catching) so I think there are cascading opportunities in Taiwan as well
>China - would have to be new because you wouldn't want their old stuff. I think the Kunming-Hanoi line has newish stock but they will keep it for a while I'm sure
>Vietnam - don't know - but they buy locomotives ex QR so not sure they have rolling stock going spare.
>Phillipines - urban stock on south line looked pretty crappy, I think they will keep it for a while too although plans to convert to light rail.
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>Wouldn't a better source of old carriages be somewhere like South Africa (or NZ, if the passenger services don't find a buyer - I'm sure the Fern will look great in Outback Qld)
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Your comments are well thoug out, and most interesting. Exactly what aus.rail
should be all about. In short, QR, and other Australian rail operators, should
at least look at all viable options before obtaining rolling stock. It may turn
out that the only real option is to obtain new equipment from this country. At
my meeting with QR management, I simply pointed out that QR should take a look
at what is available, before ordering passenger cars. You are correct, the
"Silver Fern" could be done up at very little cost, and opeated in Queensland.
My understading is that the "loading gauge" is not a problem. Who knows,
something just might happen within a few months, almost "out of the blue", as
they say. If, sadly,  NZ  does get out of the passenger train business. A quite
possible development.