PN to send surplus FA and VR stock to Tasmania

tastigr · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:38 am

Before the advent of TGR, L&GWR ran 5'3" guage. May be the L&GWR were right...

with all that surplus stock in Victoria, and the need for reliable motive power in Tasmania, it's time to send the stuff south and get on with standardisation in Steve's promised land.

Can just see Ps, Ns, As and S, and may be even a new generation of X rumbling through Ulverstone's 13 level crossings at 4 a.m., multi chimes instead of moose rutting noises...

I'd move back just to be woken up by that!

1067 may not be the only guage, but it sure the hell is fun!

freightgate · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:49 am

DavidB · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 10:20 am

Ps and Ts might be viable. They are reliable and can run on ng if they can find suitable bogies.

Cheers
David

chrisr001 · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:14 am

and send the extra 48 class from NSW down there to

DavidB · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 11:25 am

mjja · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 12:11 pm

April the first was yesterday...

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

tastigr · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 3:38 pm

DavidB · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 4:07 pm

SAR T186 · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:31 am

Them AN bastards that sent them 830's to Tassie and most didnt come back and ended up with the welders torch Crying or Very sad

Pichi Richi Railway Member

Freinds Of Belair Station Member

National Railway Museum Member

"You Can Never Beat The Force Of The T"

Dogs go Wacko For Schmako's

mjja · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:38 pm

And those people in Tassie didn't even appreciate them... Sad

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

rhino · Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:52 pm

They appreciated 866. Look what the Don River Railway did with it in the "830s" thread in the Tasmania forum. It looks fantastic.

Cheers, Rhino

spirit the six wheeler · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 11:37 am

This may or may not interest you fellas,

Some years back prior to ATN (it was Ed Burkhardt in person actually) purchasing the 7 x exW.A.G.R. (6) / exComalco (1) L classes over in WA, instructions were sent to the ATN business in Tasmania to check the loading gauge against the L's dimensions just in case Ed's plan for a Victorian open access spin-off didn't work out. I know this because Ed told me in person a few years back when he was here in Melbourne for that Economic Forum that led to the S11 protest. Anyway, according to Uncle Ed, straight from the camels mouth, the answer about the L's fitting within the Tasmanian loading gauge (inparticularly through the Rhyndaston tunnel) was in the affirmative (according to the Operations Manager in Tasmania at the time the L's were purchsed - Mark Rosner).

Also.......in related news......mentioning Alcos and 866. ATN tried, at least twice, to purchase this locomotive from Don River Railway to boost the crippled ATN 830 fleet. A generous offer was made about 2.5 - 3 years back that was rejected. This was later increased to the same cash sum PLUS 838 (the worst ATN 830 unit) in exchange for 866. It was also promised to donate all the ATN Access 830 equipment to DRR upon ATN having no further business need for this equipment.

The outcome (obviously) was the DRR rejected all these offers. Austrac then stripped 833 for complete overhaul at Junee on ATN's direction. Not long after, Austrac's main mechanical man at Junee was poached by RTS and moved to Adelaide, Austrac Ops went belly up; ATN changed its mind due to costs as well as it's own precarious financial situaltion and the old girl's (838) still in 103,774 pieces on the floor of Junee Loco to this day.

I doubt PN will have any use for these VERY TIRED ex AN units (considering they've got plenty of NSWGR ones). Perhaps if interested, DRR, PRRR, BPR (and similar groups) should make a cash offer now, before Silverton buys them on paper and snaps them up for parts?

Spirit@Gusev.

Mars is just like an Enginemen's worst nightmare.........EVERTHING is RED!

spirit the six wheeler · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 11:41 am

DavidB · Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2004 11:56 am

spirit the six wheeler · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 1:22 am

Hi David,

Nah...it was a no dice situation. ATN didn't actually ask to lease the equipment, but the "866 faction" at DRR seemed unwilling to let their precious baby out of their sights (I suppose I can understand that, they appear to have done a very good job on the ol' bus.....that's obviously why we had our evil eye on it!).........no matter what the offer..........and the cash component was quite generous in light of the fact that Tasrail had donated the locomotive for free to them in the first place......and in the end they'd have ended up with all four units 833, 838, 845 & 866.

The engineer in charge of the locomotive fleet down there attended a couple of committee/board meetings of DRR and wielded the ATN chequebook and did the dance of a thousand veils.......but they would not be moved.

Crikey, we'd have even have thrown in a few cab rides, a decent feed of prawns, a dinner date with our marketing lady and a night out on the Wisconsin Central piss!

"Welcome to "Arthur Daily's use mot'rs"..........honest broking in locomotives or ya' money back! Wink

Regards,

Spirit@Gusev.

Mars is just like an Enginemen's worst nightmare.........EVERTHING is RED!