Re: Private grain trains in NSW

[Bob <gioia@fastlink.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote:

> .
> >  Sounds like another bit of Austrac propaganda. We've heard this all before
> >with no results. Mr Austrac told me that they would be running coal in the
> >Hunter by late last year hauling private waggons. The waggons are here, hauled
> >by Freightcorp and still no sigh of Austrac. What about their story about all
> >the Hammersley locos they had and were rebuilding to run in NSW? I suspect
> >that they are on the same production line as the Powerhouse on wheels that
> >they were going to rebuild. At one stage late last year, Austrac were so
> >desperate that they were going to hire a 47 class from LVR. The deal didn't go
> >ahead because Austrac didnt want to put up any money up front.
> >AS for private wheat haulage, where are the waggons coming from? You dont just
> >go to the local hobby shop and order several dozen real waggons! Any new
> >waggons ordered now would take up to 12 months before they were delivered and
> >commisioned to service. How would NRC locos be used on Austrac trains? NRC
> >have thier own interests to protect and if there was wheat trains to be hauled
> >why would they let a tin pot turnout like Austrac make money ahead of them?
> >Just another load of crap from Junee. They seem to be good at this!
> >                                        Bob
>
> Without having any knowledge of Austracs operations I cant comment on their
> competence / otherwise , but a couple of comments.
> Noone is running coal trains in the Hunter in competition to Freightcorp
> simply because the NSW State Govt wont allow any competition.
> Both Westrail and a number of the coal companies themselves have indicated
> that they would like to run their own trains ,but are hamstrung at the moment
> by the Govts policies.
> In relation to rebuilding Hamersley locos,as they are of North American
> loading guage ,they simply wont fit withing the much more restrictive NSW
> loading guage, and even if they did,the axle load of 30 tonnes plus is simply
> way to heavy for our crappy track.
> I beleive that after 2000 the NSW Govt cant impose the restrictions on
> competition on rail haulage as it is a signatory to the Hilmer competition
> reforms, and then we may see some changes.
>
> cheers
> MD

  If the State Gov wont allow any competition up here , they must'nt have told
anyone. There have been several US operators looking at the coal road in recent
times. Only one problem. Freightcorp has signed up all the producing mines to a 5
year contract. What would Westrail or anyone else haul,empty waggons??
Re the Hammersly locos, Austrac was claiming to rebuild these worn out old beasts
to be within the axle and loading gauge. One of the first snags they hit was the
fact that if the locos came to Newcastle by ship, they would be unloader and not be
able to be moved by rail. They werre proposing to use Cardiff workshops to do their
rebuild. No way you can move a Hammersly loco from Carrionton to Cardiff by rail.
These guys thought that they could reduce the size of the fuel tank to reduce the
weight. The 30t limmit applies to waggons ,not locos. In fact the axle limit for a
loco is 27.5 t.  I dont think we need to worry much about Austrac. Now I hear that
they want to move to Queensland and start coal haulage up there. Can someone tell
us a new joke this week. I think we've hear this old one before!
                                                Bob