Re: 82's Leading Patricks West- Question on 82 cl gear ratios & what

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

>I think that the NRC should have tried the Westrail 'Q' class- 4000hp,
>radial bogies, D87BTR traction motors, a much better package.

The Qs didnt exist at the time the NRs were ordered and fuel costs were of 
paramount importance to NRC as they had then to pay the fuel excise.
Four stroke locos still win hands down in fuel efficiency over 2 strokes and 
would have been a big deciding factor .
As a rough example the EMD 16-710G3 series engine as used in the Qs and the 
SRA 90s pulls approx 1200 litres / hour in 8th notch compared with the
GE7FDL-16 engine in the NR which uses only 860 litres / hour in 8th notch.
Things are better now with the removal of the fuel excise.

MD