Re: what is a 38"s theoretical top speed?

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

brett.fitzpatrick@employment.gov.au wrote:
>27/9/1997: I timed 3830 on its first run at 120 km/h. This was between
>Calwalla and Moss Vale, I was thinking that it would be nice to hear a
>38's exhaust roar at speed, when that sound came through the open
>window. I rushed to the down side of the train, and started timing. From
>141.5 km to 143 km the train was runnig 14 second half-kilometers (128.5
>km/h, 80.37 mph). From 143 km to 149 km the train was running 15 second
>half-kilometers (120 km/h, 75 mph). From 149 km to 151 km the train was
>running 17 second half-kilometers 105.9 km/h, 66.2 mph).
>Whilst on the BC Train to Perth, 3801 managed to run the long straights
>to Peterborough with 25 second kilometers (144 km/h, 90 mph), for some
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>12 kilometers.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
They were game, the South Australian Railways laid that
track with 47 kg short welded lengths of rail without
sleeper plates (a-la narrow gauge) except for sharpish
curves.  Still the track was pretty new back then.
  
>These times were logged using my wristwatch, so there probably is some
>error.
>Brett.


Whatever the 38's true top speed might have been, it is
all rather academic these days, we will never know.
Would have been nice to know. :-)

Diesels can run too, for example the CL's when
delivered to the Commonwealth Railways were "paper"
rated at a top speed of 96 mph (154 km/h).  It goes
without saying that there has never been any official
report on these loco's attaining that speed.
I know "unofficially" of a CL running light engine at
140+ km/h, time was lost later on so that Train Control
would not become suspicious of the "shortened" elapsed
time between sidings.

Back in 1986 AN ran _loaded_ goods test trains with CL3
and Goodwin/Alco 603 on the Whyalla line with speeds up
to 120 km/h.  Passenger train tests minus the fare
payers with GM's CL's CLP's and EL's were done at
higher speeds, 130+.  
I found out that some of the pass cars were not up to
the high speed, they were "hunting" on their bogies, a
rather disturbing rapid side to side movement.

The only "official" speed report from the Commonwealth
Railways that I am aware of are the Budd's which
clocked 90 mph (145 km/h) out on the Trans Australian
Railway way back in 1951 on jointed wood sleeper track.

47 years later the "cruise ships" IP and Ghan are still
leisurely coasting along way below that on continuos
welded rail and concrete sleepers. ;-(

Railways in Oz were not too concerned with how fast
their loco's could run, after all they were all subject
to the mandatory speed limits on their respective
systems, which rarely exceeded 70 mph (113 km/h).
  
Cheers

----Tell
Alice Springs NT