more thoughts

["Rod" <comtrain@mpx.com.au>]

.......................that the Libs destroyed the Railways before they sold
it, deliberately.
The oil and transport [road] lobbies. have a lot of influence with their
Liberal mates.
             They would have been very worried about a New Owner Freight
Victoria, putting
 trucks off the road. It costs a once off small charge to pull up whats
down, perhaps $30,000
or a weeks work for 4 labourers and 2 Signals techs, a welding gang, and you
get to sell the
scrap. To relay Springhurst as it was would take 3 months, and you would
have to come up with a new frame,or at least another system, not much change
from $5 million, or so they say.
             Do you realise that Benalla is now unmanned and they are
removing all the roads now.
That means that trains can only cross at Seymour and Riggs Creek. Limited
shunting at Benalla and Wangaratta only.
             Freight Victoria have just signed a big timber contract taking
Export pine to Geelong for transfer to Japan. All the Prairie wagons have
been modified at Ballarat to carry the logs.
A new service out of Canberra is part of this contract, to Woolongong, and
will be operated by two captive engines and twenty of the new wagons.
Crewing will be interesting, but I think that Austrac will provide the
drivers. Public Relations wise Two Freight Victoria Engines and a rake of
new green wagons running through the NSW heartland would be a bit of a coup!
Rod (8-)}

--
Chalk one up Victoria!
Guess that wiped the smirk of your face,Mr. Kennett!
Now if we could only get your Bank Account back....hmmm.