Re: Rail gauge standardisation in Victoria at last?

[Paul Blair <pblair@pcug.org.au>]

The lack of "break-of-gauge" on the road system is now history. Roads
have load and dimension limitations (eg B-doubles) just like any other
transport resource. Diferent states, different limits.

What really interests me is whether the Vic metro system would be
regauged. Adjusting one rail on non-complex (eg long distance) track
gives one set of problems, but in a metro area or any other area with
lots of pointwork - ugh. Standard gauge turnouts/points are about 10%
shorter overall than their 5'3" cousins, and internal dimensions also
change. A SG 8 .7 T/O is about 2 metres shorter than its BG
equivalent. There would be a lot of major trackwork required to
rebuild somewhere like Caulfield, much less a more complex place.

Without full regauging, metro lines that had rural continuations would
be useless. 

Paul Blair
Canberra

On Mon, 21 May 2001 12:49:51 +1000, david <david@nmit.vic.edu.au>
wrote:

>
>
>Mercia Chapman wrote in part:
>
>> Conceded I missed the all or nothing bit but not sure how *all* of Victoria
>> can be done one way or the other...suburbans, preserved railways, sidings
>> that are being used by do not warrant the cost of changing etc
>>
>> I still find Serviceton laughable - I know there are wheat silos but why the
>> silos on one side of an arbitrary line called the state border - the wheat
>> doesn't care nor do the buyers.
>>
>> The point that is being missed is not that they are "our railways" "their
>> railways" or "whoever's railways" but that their competition is road with no
>> break of gauge. Definitely consider the point on a flow by flow basis - but
>> don't think of flows as being just Victorian or for Victoria's benefit. We
>> will never know some of the potential flows that might come into being with
>> limited standardisation if these are currently going by road.
>>
>
>Road may not have that break of gauge problems, but have you considered how much
>money and works go into building these roads fit to run these trucks? When they
>want a new route, they too have to upgrade the road. Ask the residents on roads
>that get  a increase in trucks - how nice their road was before !
>
>My point being it is not just the railroads with upgrade costs.
>
>Regards,
>David Head

-------------------------------
Paul Blair
pblair@pcug.org.au