Re: QR 3900 electric locos to be withdrawn

["Barry Campbell" <campblbm@ozemail.com.au>]

Graham Duffin wrote in message <895061021.635078@trillian>...
>There is a rumour doing the rounds here in Brisbane that QR will shortly
>withdraw up to 14 of their 39 class electric locos from service and that
the
>new 2800 class diesel locos will take over their rosters through to
>Brisbane (including on the Sunlander, etc).

<snip>

Various contributors to this ng have speculated that FreightCorp was
withdrawing its electrics because of the high charges imposed by the people
who own the overhaed in NSW (Whoever they are). This post confirms what I
have heard around the traps in Qld that electrics are just too expensive
compared to modern diesels. In fact I heard that QR would seriously consider
the question of electrifying its coal line these days, although I assume the
traffic level would still give electrics the edge.

As an aside, I just heard the other day of a proposal to build a new railway
from Chinchilla on the Darling Downs to Bundaberg for export coal. This line
may me std gauge with a possible link to NSW north west for grain traffic
but would, AFAIK, be diesel and not electric.

Barry Campbell