Re: Mistakes of 100 years ago

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <6p3p0i$812$1@news.mel.aone.net.au> dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage) writes:
>From: dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)
>Subject: Mistakes of 100 years ago
>Date: 22 Jul 1998 04:15:14 GMT

>Just heard criticism on the ABC that the VFT tender documents did not
>specify that it should be compatable with existing railways and other rail
>proposals. The Australian Transport and Energy Corridor Company (Melbourne
>to Darwin) appears to be banking on a standard gauge high speed line to
>give it a link from Goulburn to Sydney.

>The only quote I was able to scrawl down was "the same problem occurred
>100 years ago when the states chose different rail gauges. We could make
>the same mistake unless this line is compatible with other rail
>developments in Australia".

>Cheers
>David

The staggering thing about the initial guage stuffup 100 years ago was that it 
wasnt then viewed as a mistake, it was simply each state doing its own thing 
as the States are entitled to do and still are doing.
The calibre of the politicians then and the politicians now isnt any differant 
, in fact some would infer that current politicians cant get any worse.
The VFT project is being pushed as a "stand alone project" which means that it 
doesnt have to be compatible with anything else.
Of course , anyone with this sort of blinkered thinking needs rocks in their 
head, but whats changed.
We still dont have any sort of National Rail Policy.
Dont be surprised if the loading guage of the VFT isnt compatible with 
anything else in Australia which means that nothing else will be able to run 
on its tracks.
In another 100 years , our ancestors will be saying , how could such a stuffup 
have occurred?

cheers
MD