Electric Freight Trains

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

No, coal is the most expensive and is basically uncompetitive when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. Gas is cheaper than coal, but dearer than renewables. Renewables don't have to mine and transport fuel, so they are the cheapest.
Coal power stations have to run continuously at at least about 70% of capacity to be profitable. They can't do that, unless they have fixed contracts, such as the Gladstone coal station which has fixed contracts with heavy industry until 2027. Coal stations can't easily be switched on and off, unlike gas, batteries, hydro, wind and solar.
So renewables, solar, wind, hydro and batteries will be the cheapest and gas will fill the gaps.

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I know I’m my industry coal is the cheapest fuel per ton of product we produce.

We are considering switching one plant to gas but it than we are not competitive and imports will take over.

What’s the plans to construct gas power stations, I’m not sure investors will be falling over themselves to invest without a return on their investment, happily sitting back and waiting for re-newable power to drop off isn’t a good selling point. These guys will need guaranteed volume as well.

Collinsville: the Queensland town on the frontline of the coal wars | Environment | The Guardian

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Originally Posted by W&KO

Hi John, in the sections I’ve been involved with (more so visited for a few hours here and there) they are ripping up 100% of the original and starting from scratch.

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Yes, but they are using the existing right of way for most of it, and a lot of existing earthworks. A lot of the track route being used was built to "pioneering" standards - that is, cheap and nasty.

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

also used the Traders when they were going, although after being stuck outside in a cyclone the cars were not pretty.

regards PhilipA

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So that is why so many Fords were rust buckets. They were shipped deck cargo on a submarine.[bigwhistle]

Well it only happened once. The cars were on the Ro Ro deck, which was BIG.
AFAIR we had about 200 cars on board.
someone had not secured an F100 in the middle and when the Trader was sitting outside Moreton bay the F100 went forward then back in the swell over and oVer for 3 days.
There were lots of short cars.
regards PhilipA
I also remember 73 . The cars at Clapham Junction at Salisbury in Brisbane had water half way up the doors ON THE TOP DECK of the car wagons. Clapham is 18 km from the Brisbane River.

A supervisor in Brisbane plant had a nice new Fairmont and he lived at Chelmer. It was towed in with a speedboat gash across the turret. Duncan Norris the plant manager ran it through the plant again and rebuilt it.

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Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

heir container trains are now mostly double decked and have what they call "possum belly" wagons that take two x two double decked 40' containers.

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One sees the same on the Adelaide-Perth rail route.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Isn't the plan to have freight centres at certain points and transfer the containers to local transport, either rail or road? Thought I read Lithgow was to be a freight centre.

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About 15 years ago when I was working the St Marys Signal Box (western Sydney, just east of Penrith) there were plans to build an intermodal yard. There is a spur line that goes north for a short distance from St Marys station**. It used to go to the industrial area at Dunheved and Ropes Crossing for passenger trains into the industrial area during WW2 and later. It also serviced the long gone AE Goodwin factory in Forrester Rd (they built the 44 Class diesel electric locos at that factory - Dad was an engineer on the project).

You can see and follow the track here: Google Maps

The tracks north of Dunheved Rd/Christie St and into Ropes Creek were ripped up about 15 years ago, maybe later. (It would have been good it they'd stayed as light rail to service the Ropes Crossing housing estate. Someone burned down the Ropes Crossing railway station in 2011.) The line was closed in 1986. Google Maps

The intermodal hub didn't proceed.

However, I saw in this week's local paper a Pacific National advert inviting comments on an intermodal facility at St Marys. St Marys Freight | St Marys Freight Hub

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The terminal will be built on the north western side of the St Marys Train Station beside the Dunheved Business Park on a site located between Lee Holm Road, Forrester Road and Christie Street and the railway line in a zoned industrial area.

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**When I worked St Marys, the spur was used to park a train for a short time in the morning before turning it back to Sydney (or was it Campbelltown?).

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

Well it only happened once. The cars were on the Ro Ro deck, which was BIG.
AFAIR we had about 200 cars on board.
someone had not secured an F100 in the middle and when the Trader was sitting outside Moreton bay the F100 went forward then back in the swell over and oVer for 3 days.
There were lots of short cars.
regards PhilipA
I also remember 73 . The cars at Clapham Junction at Salisbury in Brisbane had water half way up the doors ON THE TOP DECK of the car wagons. Clapham is 18 km from the Brisbane River.

A supervisor in Brisbane plant had a nice new Fairmont and he lived at Chelmer. It was towed in with a speedboat gash across the turret. Duncan Norris the plant manager ran it through the plant again and rebuilt it.

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Were they sold as flood cars without warranty or did the company keep schtum, cleaned them up, and sold as new? I would not be surprised if they were sold as new, Ford being the Mafia of the motor industry. At Leyland Rocklea the whole high industrial building was underwater. All vehicles were sold as flood damaged without warranty. A certain country dealer bought all the farm tractors and paid cash. He bought them personally. Did not put them through his dealership. What he declared when he sold them was his business as far as Leyland were concerned. Caveat Emptor. Two farmer brothers bought a Boxer BX8 truck, took it home, cleaned it up and got it running and promptly sold it. They came back to buy another two for themselves. 4WD Hire Service (Jack Heap and Bob Beard) of Stones Corner bought all the Land Rovers.

Clapham is only a short distance from the Brisbane River. It is only a bit past the Markets at Sherwood. Look on a map some time. That whole area is low lying. Downfall Creek, Oxley Creek would regularly flood. There was the notorious Rocklea Death Trap right next to Clapham.

Edit- Actually, on the Tennyson side, Clapham is only three streets from the river.

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Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Were they sold as flood cars without warranty or did the company keep schtum, cleaned them up, and sold as new? I would not be surprised if they were sold as new, Ford being the Mafia of the motor industry. At Leyland Rocklea the whole high industrial building was underwater. All vehicles were sold as flood damaged without warranty. A certain country dealer bought all the farm tractors and paid cash. He bought them personally. Did not put them through his dealership. What he declared when he sold them was his business as far as Leyland were concerned. Caveat Emptor. Two farmer brothers bought a Boxer BX8 truck, took it home, cleaned it up and got it running and promptly sold it. They came back to buy another for themselves. 4WD Hire Service (Jack Heap and Bob Beard) of Stones Corner bought all the Land Rovers.

Clapham is only a short distance from the Brisbane River. It is only a bit past the Markets at Sherwood. Look on a map some time. That whole area is low lying. Downfall Creek, Oxley Creek would regularly flood. There was the notorious Rocklea Death Trap right next to Clapham.

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Downfall Ck? Do you mean Little Doris Ck, Brian? Downfall Ck is northside.

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Originally Posted by V8Ian

Downfall Ck? Do you mean Little Doris Ck, Brian? Downfall Ck is northside.

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Ian, I have never heard of Little Doris Creek. I was wrong. I was thinking of Stable Swamp Creek which flows into Oxley Creek and regularly used to flood Ipswich and Beaudesert Roads. Downfall Creek is out at Zillmere.