Re: New Hi Speed Train to replace prospector

["Neil Gerace" <geracen@wantree.com.au>]

Roderick Smith wrote in message <01bda635$ae0ce4c0$262e11cb@rodsmith>...
>If more people went to Europe instead of Bali, there would be a greater
>realisation that 160 km/h is routine in most countries, 200 km/h far from
>uncommon.  The WA proposal is hardly a 'high-speed' train, just
>contemporary world standards.  Likewise, Queensland is hardly running
>'bullet trains'.
>
>Few Australians, particularly from NSW, realise that Australia's fastest
>train was the 15.00 Fri. Perth - Kalgoorlie 'Prospector': 6 h for a
>distance similar to Sydney - Albury (over which the much-vaunted XPT takes
>7 h).


But surely the terrain gives an advantage to the Prospector? No Great Divide
over here, just the Darling Escarpment, and fortunately we have the
strategically-placed Avon River to run alongside, thus negating that too.

My favourite spot in winter with the waterfall (and Hank B. Marvin's house)
in the background is the Northam end of Cutting No.1 (Bell's Rapids)
as the container express / IP / Prospector / Avonlink comes out of Cutting
No. 1 at 90 km/h. One of these days I'll find an excuse to buy a scanner
and post youse some pics.

>Proposals for high speed would require superelevation to NSW (or Luna Park)
>standards through Avon Valley.

I'd like to see the necessary machinery try to get into the Avon Valley
past the professional greenies with their 1965 Kombis (Qld number plates
and all). Thank goodness they didn't exist in 1961!

I'd say scope for speed increases will be much greater between Northam
and Kal, where the alignment is probably over-engineered already.

>In 1976, the 200 km/h 'Acquitaine' ran Bordeaux - Paris (550 km?,  similar
>to Melbourne - Mildura, and shorter than Perth - Kalgoorlie) in 4 h.  BR
>was running a similar distance, London - Glasgow, in 5 h.


Designed with the help of a French amount of money, not a WA amount. Ya
gets wot ya pays for.

>WA transport minister Eric Charlton called it a "bullet train", and that
>there is nothing like it in Australia. Maybe he ought to visit
>Queensland.


Ah yes, Reckless Eric Charlton, the Transport Minister who's lost his
driver's licence three times (as at 8/7/98).