Re: Timings for Adelaide to Melbourne (was GSR's new Brochure)

[markbau1@aol.com (MarkBau1)]

<<<<<Mark's suggestion that minor stops be eliminated would save very little
time.  In the age of the mobile phone, last-minute additions to a manifest
should be easy to organise.  The total time spent on minor stops is no more
than one bad cross with a freight caused by low speeds and widely-spaced
loops.>>>>>>

Eliminating stops like the one at Murtoa would save AT LEAST 5 minutes each if
you take into account the time it takes to slow down and then to regain your
speed, this is independent of station dwell time. If you save 5+ minutes each
stop you eliminate and you eliminate Ararat, Stawell, Murtoa, Horsham,
Dimboola, Wolsely, and all of the Tintinara type SA stations I can see at least
30 minutes in savings, probably more.

Bad crosses are another matter entirely, if the train controller doesn't care
about passenger trains bad crosses will be a fact of life. 

Mark.


THE ROCK is dead
Long live THE ROCK!