Re: Freight is booming

["tezza" <tezza@atinet.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
>Prior to NR buying their 120 new locos , the interstate freight task
was
>handled by NR using a mixture of AN locos and a large number of leased
locos
>from the various states.
>The largest component of leased locos were in the form of SRA locos
namely
>82s,81s 80s and 422s , there were also leased locos from the PTC in the
form
>of Gs ,Cs and Xs.
>Since NR have now acquired their full set of new locos , just about all
the
>leased locos have been returned to their original owners.
>In the case of the SRA this amount to 61 82/ 81 class and the 20 422s
as well
>as 15 80s .
>If the SRA have a shortage today of locos , how were they able just 4
years
>ago to lease to NR nearly 90 locos without any major disruption,or
conversly
>what massive increase in Freightcorps traffic now needs an additional
90 locos.
>It doesnt add up.



No, but it does subtract. FreightCorp have sold most Mark I and II 48's
and 74's mothballed 46's, 48's, 49's, 80's (currently being brought back
for Metrop shunters), 422's ( only 2 of Countrylink's in the Metrop),
442's and are currently withdrawing 85's and 86's.


snip
>How can there now be a shortage ?

See above.

snip
>
>Any rail operator can create the illusion of a loco shortage , buy
simply poor
>rostering practices, using more locos than are necessary or using
diesels
>where they could and previously did use electrics.
>A loco shortage is exactly what is means , ie there arnt enuf locos to
handle
>the required freight task which results in trains being cancelled as
there are
>no locos available to pull them .
>This rarely is ever happens.
>If SRA  have a genuine loco shortage, then they would be
>1/ replacing at full speed the 3 82s wrecked at Beresfield.
>2/ Replacing all the 80s now out of service with new locos

They're not going to incur a debt that may hamper the sale of
FreightCorp. They're busy downsizing instead so one of the pollies mates
can buy it.


>3 /Replacing all the electrics now out of service with new electrics

Not a chance, they're going to get rid of the rest of them.

>
>Funny that none of this is happening


FreightCorp have had a huge downturn in work at Delec, Lithgow and Port
Kembla. Most Driver's are now on guarantee or close to it. Trackwork has
just about disappeared and they are offering redundancies.