Re: A's on the WMB

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

Craig Haber (albatross@harnessnet.com.au) wrote:
>Hence despite having smaller and less powerful engines, an S or B on the
>Warrnambool can match the performance of a nominally more powerful
>loco.  And despite being an older design engine, by virtue of being
>smaller and by putting more output into moving the train (rather than
>winding up the turbo), the fuel consumption is much the same.

I remember the "locomotive trials" just before WCR took over to determine
the suitability of various locos for the Warrnambool run. Many of you will
remember S317 running several trips to Warrnambool on passenger trains.

There was no significant time difference on an average train. The S and
the N used approximately the same amount of fuel for each run, with an A
doing very slightly better. 

At the time, an S or N could still make occasional appearances on Bacchus
Marsh trains substituting for an A. An S would lose about 1 minute between
Bacchus Marsh and Parwan Loop over an A or N (sustained climbing and low
speed curves), but there would be no difference over the rest of the run. 
S317 also made several solo appearances on the 17.45 Swan Hill around this
time. It lost about 6 mins between St Albans and Bendigo compared to an N.

I always found it funny that at the time V/Line was using the A and N
class on short light passenger trains and fuel guzzling S and X class
locos on heavy freights. Always amusing to see an A haul an H set into
Bacchus Marsh, then not long after see G-S going to Adelaide.

Cheers
David