Re: Private grain trains in NSW

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

David Bromage wrote:

> Bob (gioia@fastlink.com.au) wrote:
> >  Sounds like another bit of Austrac propaganda.
>
> This came from a FreightCorp driver.
>

Junee is a small town and rumours travel fast

> >AS for private wheat haulage, where are the waggons coming from?
>
> Apparently buying the current wagons from FreightCorp.
>

Why would Freightcorp want to sell their waggons to anyone else. There is a
shortage of grain hoppers at present and they are converting coal hopper to
help. Also the black hoppers are old and too slow and will soon need
replacing.

> >How would NRC locos be used on Austrac trains?
>
> They wouldn't. Go back and read what I wrote again. Austrac isn't running
> the train, GrainCorp is. Austrac and NR would simply have the contract to
> supply motive power over different sections of the run, Austrac on the
> branch lines and NR on the main.
>

Well, I didn't know that GrainCorp was an accredited operator in NSW. Since
when? They could get Mickey Mouse to supply the power but they still need to
be an acredited operator. And they still dont have waggons.

> >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?
>
> NR offered their locos for "hook and pull" services. Austrac has the
> branch line locos to haul grain into Junee and Cootamundra, and NR has the
> big power to haul it to Port Kembla or Melbourne.
>

Austrac only have 2 operable locos. These run on the infrequent container
train to Sydney. Are you saying that the containers will have to wait while
the grain traffic is on. There is only so much 2 clapped out and repainted old
48s can do.                                    Bob