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

["Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>]

Before there was through sg track to Adelaide, the possible sectional times
were about:
Melbourne - 
 - Ararat 2.5 h
 - Murtoa 1 h
 - Horsham 20 m
 - Dimboola 20 m
 - Wolseley 1 h 20 m
 - Adelaide 4.5 h
= 10 h
The Overland was a lot slower (crossing time), but needn't have been.
The Adelaide hills have been overstated as a problem for 100 years.  Trains
take the curves slower than contemporary world standards (NSW, Mexico,
Spain).  AFAIK the best time Adelaide - Tailem Bend was 1.5 h on a Redhen
tour in about 1975.
-- 
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Maurie Daly <mauried@commslab.gov.au> wrote in part: 
> The biggest impediment to the Overland's timetable is the Adelaide Hiils
, ie 
> from Murray bridge to Keswick, a distance of a mere 97 km.
> Today , the Overland with an NR and up to 5 vehicles takes 2 h 8 min to
cover this distance , an average speed of just 45 km/h, with a power 
weight ratio of a mere 16 hp/tonne.
> Back in the good old days when the Overland was a real train,and ran on 
> weekends with up to 19 vehicles with a pair of 930s, it took 2H 28 mins
which 
> included stops at Nairne,Balhannah and Bridgewater, an average speed of
39 
> km/h.
> The obvious point here is that even though the current Overland has
nearly 5 
> times as much power as the Overland of yesterday it makes neglible 
> differance to the average speed, the limiting factor is the curves, which
you 
> simply can't go fast around, no matter how much power you have.
> The Adelaide Hills will always be the single biggest obstacle this line
has, 
> for both passenger and freights.

It is quite possible to go much faster around the curves than has ever been
authorised by SAR & successors, although this would still not be as fast as
other sections of the route.  (RBS)