Re: 3'6' ELs

[petan@ion.com.au (petan@ion.com.au)]

On Sat, 6 Feb 1999 00:56:58 +0800, "David & Jan Winter"
<winterd@icenet.com.au> wrote:

>The WA "P" and Qld 2800 (right?) classes are effectively ELs in hood bodies
>on 3'6" gauge, so no mechanical or electrical dramas there. Haven't QR being
>doing a lot of loading gauge improvement as they're upgrading the main
>northern line? Anyone have the OOG data for the route as of Feb '99?

axle loads but not tunnels have been improved. The last major work on
the two tunnels on the North Coast route [both near Nambour] was for
electrification late 1980's. Perhaps the two new city tunnels were
built to an enlarged profile.  Remember the ex NSW passenger cars
[Budd sleepers / railcars etc] were road hauled Brisbane to Townsville
instead of by rail although they travelled north to Brisbane by rail.

Signal and platforms might be in interesting positions!!  Didn't NSW
signals in the Blue Mountains area have a similar effect on the NR
class on the Indian Pacific. I remember reading where some lineside
structure was too tight / close for the NR class.

Cheers
Peter Cokley