Re: HST's, pollies and dreamers.

[dbromage@metz.une.edu.au (David Bromage)]

Tell (telljb@ozemail.com.au) wrote:
> [big snip of pass train stuff]
> >The principle of high speed non-passenger traffic has been demonstrated by
> >the TGV La Poste trainsets which run at 270km/h.
> 
> The principle!. That is all that was demonstrated then.

SNCF carries mail and parcels on the TGV La Poste every day. Deutsche Bahn
has experimented with freight at up to 200km/h on regular tracks, although
it was electric hauled. The regular tracks are not designed for that sort
of freight speed so it was abandoned. A dedicated high speed line (e.g. 
ICE or TGV) could take the punishment of heavy axle loads at that sort of
speed, but it hasn't been done so far. The passenger trains which use
those tracks would be delayed by freight trains running even 50-70km/h
slower. 

> How many gas turbine freights running at 200 then.?

Nobody currently operates gas turbine to any great extent, but it has been
done in the past. Union Pacific toyed with gas turbine but at the time the
technology wasn't really advanced enough.

The fact remains that SNCF had a high speed (300km/h), very powerful
(4400kW) gas turbine locmotive over 25 years ago. It was only the oil cris
is which prevented the exploitation of the technology. With Australia's
huge natural gas reserves we are in the best position to use the
technology. Marine engineering has long since moved from coal to diesel to
gas turbine, so why not railways?

> BTW....You always seem to move off onto passenger
> trains in your arguments.

Back in the late 1950s people laughed when it was suggested that freight
trains could run at the then current passenger train speeds. Today we have
110km/h passenger trains running every day. They only thing stopping
higher freight speeds is the condition of the track. Today's passenger
train speeds are tomorrow's freight speeds. The two are always linked.

Given that powerful, high speed gas turbine locomotives were proven 26
years ago, and high speed freight, can you give me any reason why the two
systems cannot be merged? All the technology is there, it just hasn't been
done yet.

Cheers
Davud