Re: (VIC) Derailment @ Elders

["Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>]

< Tell > <telljb@OZozemail.com.au> wrote in message
lqn6N4afo07rxxiAO5bFQcReuXsH@4ax.com">news:lqn6N4afo07rxxiAO5bFQcReuXsH@4ax.com...
> "Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au> wrote in reply to Tell
> who said:
> > > I guess a lot of CR/ANR/AN enginemen who worked their
> > > arses off in some of the worst conditions in Australia
> > > would (grrrr..) when they hear from a Vic railwayman
> > > that, [quote] "AN CR crews definitely did not need
> > > skill to do what they did" [unquote].
> > >
> > > Your right, every system does indeed have its problems,
> > > which is why VR and SAR do not exist today.
>
> [Bob]
> > Terry, I know I'm a bit dim, but what are you trying to say here???
> >
> > I don't see what your trying to say???
> >
> > The reason SAR and VR don't exist is purely political.
>
> [Tell replied]
> Political is such a broad term these days that it masks
> some of the real reasons why things change.
> Of course it is political, nothing can EVER happen to
> railways in Australia without politics.
>
> When I said the Vics could not handle the long trains
> that ANR began to shove over the border 25 years ago,
> "Rod" thought I was attacking him and his mates.!
> I was referring to, although my fault for not spelling
> it out, the inability of the Vic Railway *system* to
> move long trains due to some of the following;
> +System that was designed to move people,
> +Short crossing loops,
> +Antiquated signaling and train working procedures,
> +Refusal to allow loco through working until 1979,
> +The incredible delays for such a short route.
>
> Yes OK, the Vics eventually did something about it, but
> the movement of the majority of freight to road despite
> the efforts of ANR/AN continued, at least NRC and
> others are still trying to win some of that back.
>
> ----Terry Burton
> Alice Springs NT
> << remove OZ for Email reply.>>

Terry,

Where were these long loops in SA that could handle trains too long for
Victoria to handle???

My knowledge of the South Line (That really heads to the Eastern states from
a state that calls itself SOUTH Australia), goes back many years, (firstly
as a fan, then as an Engineman who worked the line before and after gauge
conversion) I don't recall any long loops on the SOUTH Line.

Tailem Bend is one, but that is yard, Petwood about 1000m, Belair not much
more and at that time having to contend with Redhens as well. Where are (or
were) these loops that allowed SAR/AN to pump trains to big for VR to handle
over the border?

More to the point, there were so few (long) trains running that they didn't
have to cross anything in SA, were as in Victoria the intrastate traffic at
that time was so great that congestion occurred, preventing trains longer
than the loops of the time. As for through running of VR ("C" class) locos
into SA this occurred in 1982 as a normal working (some trials were done in
1980/81).

The Western Line (that heads WEST out of Victoria) was upgraded to 60kg rail
and long crossing loops (1600m or 1 mile) between 1980 to 1984 as far as
Maroona to Serviceton. Still today the old SAR line over the border is still
light rail and short crossing loops, the only improvement (and a big
improvement it is) is concrete sleepers.

Bob.