Re: 86 Class

[The Railway Rasputin II <bob@fastlink.com.au>]

The same ones that said there were no 49's running a few years back but
were shunting Flemington Markets continuously for 2 years after that
statement was made! Not to mention the other movements that happened.

rgds

"C. Dewick" wrote:
> 
> John MacCallum <johnmac@lisp.com.au> writes:
> 
> >A directive from Freightcorp Management last week now places all
> >except four 86 class engines in storage.
> >I can't remember which four but I will find out.
> 
> I saw at least two different trains yesterday both hauled by 4 86's each
> (different locos)... So I don't know how strictly the management directive
> is being applied.
> 
> The potential for using the locos is still very large, and I don't think the
> 85's or the 86's ever reached their full potential. For example, they are
> excellent units for short-haul, high-speed freight work (as they found
> favour doing on the Short North to broadmeadow) and I suspect the only
> reason 4 are being kept officially active is for Olympic rescue duty in the
> underground stations (Olympic Park and the City Circus/ESR/NSR/etc.) between
> now and the end of the year during major events (olympics included of
> course!).
> 
> The 46's most definitely reached their full potential, and if they were kept
> in service would be still proving their worth. As for the 85's and 86's, I
> think Freightcorp have sold themselves short but perhaps they are just going
> to hang on to all of the other 46 out of 50 units (that's a hell of a lot of
> locomotives to have sitting around inactive) in the hope that when work
> picks up, they'll be needed again.
> 
> Perhaps some other company may emerge to operate exclusively under the
> wires, and this company might approach FreightCorp to relieve them of their
> apparently unwanted electric locomotives.
> 
> What has happened to the ten 85's btw? I remember they were all mothballed
> around the time I transferred to CityRail in late 1994, but I don't know if
> they were cut up, or have just been put into storage somewhere...
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Craig.
> --
>             Craig Ian Dewick            |       Stand clear - jaws closing
>  Send email to craigd@lios.apana.org.au |  Visit my Australian rail transport
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