Re: Freight Victoria & NSW Wheat

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

In article <385ACE6B.44EA2C88@hermes.net.au> David & Julie Donald <dsjmd@hermes.net.au> writes:
>From: David & Julie Donald <dsjmd@hermes.net.au>
>Subject: Freight Victoria & NSW Wheat
>Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 10:59:39 +1100

>This whole issue, and notably the timetable that has been provided, does raise a
>number of issues, as below:

>(a) from my recollection, SM7 was the service between Sydney and Melbourne
>previously operated by Austrac, in conjunction by the then V/Line Freight.  Who
>is operating this service now, and what is it carrying ??  As well, I was under
>the impression that Austrac was the entity that was trialling, and presumably
>using, the EL's - does this then mean that Austrac, Freight Victoria, and LVR
>have come to some operating agreement, or is this simply a commercial
>arrangement on the part of all the parties ??

>(b) if this wheat train is serving the GrainCo siding at The Rock (on the Boree
>Creek line), why is it going all the way to Albury, and then returning back to
>The Rock  ??  If it has something to do with turning the X (and using Albury's
>turntable), I would have thought that there were sufficient triangles (and the
>odd turntable) around the Metrop. (or Wollongong / Port Kembla area) to ensure
>that it was facing the correct direction for departure from The Rock.  Or is it
>a crewing issue ??  Or thirdly, it is cheaper, in terms of track access fees,
>and the like, to run the extra 150kms (or so) round trip to Albury than to have
>the train shunted off and stored at The Rock, or some other location north
>thereof, or even turn the X somewhere else.

>(c) If Freight Victoria, even in conjunction with LVR, is going to be operating
>these services on a regular basis, even if only during the wheat season, isn't
>this going to leave them a little thin on the ground  ??  With only the two X's
>and the G, along with whatever LVR can provide (presently one 44 and the two
>47's), to operate the Hume Siding log traffic, the Wallerawang log traffic,
>assist LVR in running their Bullock Island container service two or three times
>per week, as well as this grain traffic, it could be well imagined that the
>number of services being operated to each location might suddenly become a
>little far and few between.
>Under the assumption that the the log traffic will be some sort of co-ordinated
>affair, that would essentially mean that the G and one X will be almost
>consistently engaged in that traffic.
>Assuming that the container service only works during the week, it might be
>possible to deploy the other X, along with the LVR engines, to this service, and
>then run the grain traffic at weekends.

>Anyone with comments on what is the situation.

>--

>Regards

>David Donald
>Springwood, NSW

>dsjmd@hermes.net.au



More to the point, did the grain train actually run at all?
I had a good look for it on Sunday around the Robertson area and at Moss 
Vale,no signs at all.
The trial timetable is a bit confusing,going all the way from The Rock to Pt 
Kembla , coming back to junee (presumably empty) , to Coolamon and then back 
to Pt Kembla is a mighty ineffient way to carry wheat.
Surely it would make more sense to pick up the grain from The Rock,cart it to 
Junee,leave the Grain in the yard, go out to Coolamon pick up whatevers there
bring it back to Junee and combine the two trains,this saves one lot of empty 
running.
If the load is too much for the 2 Xs then logically use the 2 ELs instead,or 
if FV cant use Austracs ELs then hire some for themselves, there are plenty to 
spare.

MD