Re: Brisbane airtrain

[John Coyle <nospam@newsranger.com>]

In article <3b1fffb4$0$25500$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au>, Al says...
>
>> >> 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!
>>
>Al, I was simply raising a "concept", and talking in very "rough" costs. Point being, if QR pay an "all up" cost of even one million dollars to get a set of passenger cars into Australia and another million to totally rebuild the cars, they would save four million dollars over te cost of buying a new DMU from Walkers! In case sombody says, it would cost two million dollars to rebuild a two car DMU, my point is still valid!  QR would save three million doallars.

As people who know something about the costs involved in the area under
discussion can see, I am being careful not to overstate the savings. As you will
know, former BR intercity cars were sent to NZ and rebuilt at a good saving,
cost wise. The resulting rebuilt cars are expected to last for a few years yet.
A railway can put off the day when new trains are required by ten years, by
rebuilding older equiment. 

Somebody at aus.rail was wondering if any more ex-BR stock would be available
for use in Queensland. A fair question. But, when QR obtained some ex-"Southern
Aurora" and FAM cars for use on the "Inlander", they dumped the idea! The stuped
part is, they said that the cars could only be used on the Townsville-Mt Isa
line, so it wasn't a good idea to use the said cars. True, but when do
"Inlander" cars run on other lines? 

I will contact QR again and suggest that the "Inlander" be operated a a
Cairns-Mt Isa train. Right now, the train sits around for days on end, doing
nothing! 
>

I'm just wondering how you get $500K (cost of importing a set from overseas) +
>$1M (cost of refurbishing it, ok "or more", but is more going to mean a 50%
>increase in cost there?) + $4M (savings over new Aussie made set) to equal $6M
>(cost provided by Walkers).  Where'd that extra half a million go?
>
>Al
>
>