Re: Push-pull

[dbromage@omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

David & Julie Donald (dsjmd@hermes.net.au) wrote:
> (a) the Tahmoor coal traffic, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, but only, I
> suspect when the traffic is operating to/from Port Kembla via Moss Vale - the
> reason here would seem to relate to the nature of the junction at Tahmoor
> Colliery;

I've also seen it done around Newcastle with quad 48s on each end.

> (b) some of what I will call the Outer Suburban / InterUrban passenger traffic
> (notably on the Bendigo line (e.g. Kyneton), Seymour, and Bacchus Marsh) running
> around Melbourne, where there was two three-car sets (from memory, "H' sets)
> combined into one six-car set, with a P-class on either end (I think that there
> was a variation whereby the sets were joined, such that the second loco was in
> the middle of the train) - I believe that the reason for this working related to
> the HEP equipment, and the fact that the equipment in a single P-class was
> inadequate to supply the necessary power etc to all six cars;

Not quite. The cables in the H sets cannot take any more power than is
necessary to power 4 cars. If you coupled 2 H sets and only had one power
source, you'd burn out the first four cars. That's why when you see steam
on regular Geelong trains, the PH van in between the two H sets.

It was not uncommon to see N-FSH-FSH-PCJ on Geelong football specials. The
N can quite happily power three H sets, but the cables couldn't take it. 
I've even seen monster footbal specials with P-FSH-FSH-P-FSH-P. 

> Any others ??

The XPT.

Cheers
David