Re: Ararat BG connections- Lets Standardise instead!

["Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>]

>
>Guage conversion of BG to SG costs around 100K per km. (based on wooden
>sleepers which can be redrilled and dont need replacement.)
>Standardization of BG tracks needs to provide an economic return if its to
be
>done.
>Simply providing alternative routes which could be used if the primary
>route is closed or blocked simply doesnt justify the expense .
>How many times since its opening has the Melb - Adelaide SG line been
closed
>or blocked?
>The existing Melb - Adelaide line is running at about half its theoretical
>capacity currently ,and even with the most optimistic forecasts of rail
>winning back freight from road wont get to 100% capacity in the next 20 to
50
>years.
>If anything the number of trains running over this corridor will
>actually fall as increased loads are carried.
>It would be nice if all of Victoria was SG , but unless its funded by Govt,
no
>private operator will ever go around standardizing all the tracks just for
the
>sake of it.
>
>MD
>
    In reply my main aim of proposing standardising of these lines is not to
provide an alternate routes, rather this is a side benefit. The main benefit
was as stated.
    Who will pay, well for a start you have some friend of the Prime
Minister's proposing a grandiose scheme to Darwin, not taking into account
of upgrading or converting existing rail lines, which would cost less than
his wild idea.  He wants a new one!! and so the politicians run.
    In Victoria the excess money $40million above estimates for the VLF sale
could go towards conversion costs.
As for the costing, I was talking to an ex PTC signals manager who said that
costs of 100K/km=$100,000 per km ($1000/metre) was over the top.  V/Line/PTC
costing factors in all employees involved right up to admin level with a
10%. loading.  Ask yourself how much would you reasonably charge for moving
1metre of track 165cm inwards? i.e. drilling a new spike hole, pulling out
the old ones, and then moving the base plate & rail 165cm inwards,and
respiking the rail. Could you charge $1000 for just one metre of track?  So
therefore if that took you a whole hour to move that 1 metre of track say
for 2 people, they would be on $500/hour.  Take away costs for use of a
small crane and welding and driling equipment and maybe you would be left
with a profit of $300/hour/man for 2 men.  In reality it would take a hour
to do 200 metres of track for 2 men with machinery.
    Believe me an organisation I know got a quote for repairs and it was in
the $100,000 region, they separately got quotes privately and it amounted to
$20,000.  That is 20% of the Railway cost.
    To me the only benefit of privatisation is that smaller contractors with
less baggage than V/Line will help bring down the costs.
I am sure the costs for gauge conversion could be brought down to $10K/km.
For 200km of track it would cost $2million.
    As for the Ararat BG connection from what I hear it is a non starter.
    If the USA could convert all of its tracks to SG overnight in the 19th
century, why does it take a Century in Victoria to convert to SG.
    To some the BG seems to be a sacred cow, no-one dare touch this divine
Victorian icon.  Like when the South Australian Government in the 30s did
not want the SG from Pt Augusta invading their railways into Adelaide and
prevented the wholesale conversion of the Port Pirie line.
    Yes its all back to the future here in Victoria.
    But Maurie I do agree otherwise what you have said in previous postings,
you seem to have a good insight into the railways.