Re: XPT to Adelaide - Whyalla!

[telljb@ozemail.com.au (Terry Burton)]

nldoncas@cobweb.com.au (Nic Doncaster) wrote:
>Murrary bridge could probably do with a rail feeder, much like WAGR's Northam 
>services.
>Probs with the ITL were
>AN used wrong cars on the service. initally Budds but later the crappy old 
>Bluebirds that would have been better suited to the hillier track to Broken Hill

Yep, the Bluebirds were great on hilly track, they were
not that crappy .........were they.?
 
>It was crammed with cheap/subsidised fares usually ex PA people.
>"friendly service", when it could be found.
>On the +, the Budds could really roll when running behind.

They certainly could, they were capable of 145+ km/h,
big problem for the Budds at high speed was hitting
roo's, emu's and sheep, the shattered carcase would
sometimes be hurled into the ballast with such force
that pieces of the latter would fly up underneath
causing considerable noise and sometimes damage to
vital components, they worked on that in the early days
with "skid plates" and other protection.  
I remember way back, travelling Port Augusta to Marree
and hitting a mob of sheep for the first time, I almost
crapped myself with noise of the ballast pelting the
under side, I thought we were off the rails for a
moment. 
  
>Given Whyalla is not exactly a wealthy town, the people of PA would drive the 3 
>hours to Adelaide anyway, any new service would be facing a lot of problems in 
>its early days.
>Good luck if they have a go
>Nic

I agree.

----Tell
Alice Springs NT