Re: Mt Gambier network - thoughts

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

>I do not think that regauging to standard gauge would be viable. During
>the
>last few years the line was in regular use, the main freight traffic (at
>least
>into Victoria) was paper products from Snuggery to either Fairfield or
>to Maryvale, both of which were on broad gauge lines. To regain this
>traffic by rail would 
>either involve transfer to trucks at Melbourne, or bogie exchange. Both
>of these options are time consuming and therefore expensive. Therefore,
>in my opinion, 
>rail would not get this traffic back.

>I doubt whether converting Heywood to Ararat to dual gauge is an option
>either.
>It is my opinion that a better alternative would be to rebuild the
>closed line
>from Dennington to Port Fairy and then building a new line from Port
>Fairy
>to Heywood. This option is obviously expensive also, but has the
>advantage
>of keeping the broad gauge separate from the standard gauge.
>Perhaps West Coast Railway could extend their passenger services to Mt.
>Gambier? 
>There would be a reasonable chance of getting the paper traffic back
>with this
>option.

>I can see little real freight traffic from the Mt Gambier to Wolseley
>section.
>This would seem to rule out any regular use of this section, apart from
>the
>tourist trains. The cost of maintaining this section just for a few
>passenger
>trains would be cost prohibitive. Gauge conversion of this section might
>be
>viable if there is enough traffic in Mt Gambier itself to justify
>conversion,
>but as I said above, I cannot see enough to justify the expense.

>Perhaps our South Australian friends have a differing view here.

>John McCallum

I worked in Mt Gambier back in the early 1980s and then it was a fairly busy 
place.
There was at least 1 freight per day from Adelaide and 1 freight per day from 
Heywood,plus 2 bluebird rail cars a day ,plus the overnight loco hauled pass on
Friday nights.
My memory is a bit rusty on what ran out to Millicent / Snuggery.
Anyone with an old SAR or AN WTT might be able to be a bit more specific.
In terms of traffic did the Pinnaroo line have more tonnage than did MG at the 
time of closure , ie if guage conversion of Pinaroo was justified why wasnt MG 
as well.

The other issue that has some bearing on all of this is what happens to the 
wheat traffic in and out of Portland if a SG connection to the grain loop is 
made at Geelong, ie what wheat trains will then run on SG to Geelong.
Is there a case for multiple wheat terminals?


MD