They wouldn't even need to go overseas to get new carriages! Vlocity trailer cars would be perfectly adequate replacements - just take out the drivetrain and swap the Scharfenberg couplers for autos.
Pushing back the N car replacement program is only going to make this sort of thing worse. Ultimately though it's just a symptom of the management culture at V/Line and within the transport bureaucracy.
Would you then get drawgear restrictions?
It shouldn't be difficult to modify the structure to allow for locomotive haulage.
After all, the Americans developed the "Amfleet" vehicles from the Metroliner EMU.
The body itself would be stong enough due to the end loading requirements but it might be neccessary to redesign the frame around the coupler pockets.
You'd need to redesign the suspension for a much lighter vehicle, since all Velocities are power cars.
You would need a power car for HEP (although you could retain the existing HEP set under the floor, but this idea went out of favour with the N sets and was removed from the SG cars).
You could have two cars with bigger generators under the floor, maybe one under a buffet car and forget about a separate power car. These might end up weighing as much as a Velocity and could use the same bogies.
But please fit them with power operated end doors each end of the saloon and at the car ends. The noise level in Velocity cars is ridiculously high.
M636C
