Re: Another Austrac rumour

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>> Austrac have just finished successful negotiations with SETTS to lease
>> (with the eventual intention to purchase outright) the four car
>> single-deck suburban set. The plan is to run their own shuttle service
>> during the commuter peak periods on the Carlingford line. Electric
>> power might actually NOT be used. Austrac are investigating the
>> economies of using two of their 48 class to haul the train push-pull
>> compared with the cost of paying for electricity, however they have to
>> use rollingstock  capable of utilising electric power in case of loco
>> failure (which would cause chaos during the commuter peaks), hence the
>> use of the single deck suburban set rather than conventional passenger
>> carriages. If this is successful, the long term plan is to purchase
>> three eight car Tangara sets to provide a service on the Carlingford
>> line when it is extended to Epping,etc. A range of locos, including
>> leased Silverton jumbos, two C class from National Rail, John Currey's
>> 4465, and some modified Victorian X class will haul the the Tangaras
>> push-pull.
>
>This will follow the log trains running from Rydalmere to Macquarie.
>
I had heard that SETS were quoting them too much for use of the single deck
set and they were going to hire some of the new QLD IMUs and regauge them.
The other alternative was some regauged Redhens left over in Adelaide
push-pulled with the aforementioned locos.