>Both. First they were banned as lead units due to their deteriorating
>condition
So they were as sad on the inside as they were becoming
on the outside <g!>
>Six throttle notch. NRs can be notch limited to 6, 7 or 8 notch (roughly
>2900hp, 3600hp and 4050hp).
Fascinating: thanks, I hadn't known that.
>>
>From a crew comfort view they offer a much quieter cab, better ride, better
>air conditioning (and quieter), an electric fridge (c/f a noisy air
>operated food cooler), a CD/radio, and a more ergonomic design.
What, no microwave? <g!>
>Overall not the greatest thing since sliced bread (surely that was the 42
>class:-)) but pretty close.
The reason I asked was that I was talking to an NR driver
(Junee-based) waiting at Totty "B" box/loop, who said that, in his
opinion, the NR's cab and crew ergonomics had gone backwards (the
actual quote was something like "after all the work that went into the
G to get the cab right, these guys (Goninans I presume) have not
learned anything from an good old loco like a G"). This *was* in the
early days, when a lot of drivers were complaining about software
problems, so the feelings may have changed more recently.
>It would have been interesting to see what GM
>could have produced ( The Westrail Q class frames we are carting west look
>pretty good).
Maybe with Clyde being a consortium partner of G & W, we might yet get
to find out when and if they re-order locos.
>One of the principles of NR loco drivers rostering is that all drivers in a
>depot work all jobs in that depot. Its called multiskilling and hopefully
>avoids the I'm a more important driver than you mentality.
So multiskilling means that a driver is equally at home in front of an
multi-,000 tonne freight with slack and weight and length
considerations as with a short, tightly coupled (relatively) light
train. I suppose that was more accurately my question.
Thanks for your reply.
Regards
Yuri