Re: QR going national?

["Switched On" <yaropolk@hotmail.com>]

Les Brown <pcc@ocean.com.au> wrote in message
37ff4a20.15645058@news.ocean.com.au">news:37ff4a20.15645058@news.ocean.com.au...
> "MattyQ" <matticueQ@corplink.com.au> wrote in aus.rail:
>
> >I can't see what all the hooey is about. After all, the 3' 6" gauge IS
the
> >most widely used gauge in Australia. Can't be that bad.
> >
> It's also the most isolated guage in Australia. It just doesn't go
> anywhere. There are just too many isolated 3'6" gauge lines around the
> country. That situation has over the last 40 years improved by closing
> or converting isolated systems to Sg or Bg.

If it doesn't go anywhere, then:

1)  why does Qld have more track than anyone else in the country?
2) Qld run the most successful passenger trains in the country?
3) Qld run the most successful freight operation in the country?

Give me a break... just because narrow guage doesn't go to _heavily
populated places_ like Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra doesn't mean very much
in the big picture, especially when all the money to be made in this country
is in hauling primary produce like coal, wheat, cattle etc.

I really cannot see the purpose of arguing the advantages of one guage over
another when the reality of the matter is that we have to be happy with what
we have. To call Qld's system isolated is only partially true. To say that
it doesn't go anywhwere is disinformation at its most blatant. Narrow guage
covers more territory and ships more heavy freight and passengers in this
country than any other guage.