From what I've read: NSW appointed an Irish engineer who advocated 5'3", the Irish gauge. Victoria and SA agreed and ordered 5'3" stuff. NSW sacked its Irish engineer and appointed a Scot. Scotland had 4'8.5". I gather the first railway in NZ was also 5'3". A very informative video, thanks. I find Australian railways very interesting.
For the Manangatang and Sea Lake line's the obvious solution is to re-open the Eaglehawk to Inglewood line. The sleeper replacements on these lines are largley BG concrete sleepers. Empty trains can go VIA Ballarat, Dunolly & Inglewood (the existing route) to get to their destinations and loaded trains can use the Inglewood to Eagelhawk line, this will solve the current issues with trains crossing paths with each other.
wally beeby, putting bg sleepers on these tracks was a malicious act. bg sleepers are convertible, contrary to generally accepted opinion. angle grinders and concrete drills will fix them. they should have made things easier by putting in dual gauge sleepers everywhere years ago. thats why i can accuse the authorities of being malicious by not installing dg sleepers. sa did! nearly everywhere! but weatherall baulked just a few years ago and said it wasnt worthwhile. we are governed by idiots.
I can report the line from Dimboola to just beyond Rainbow main yard now has concrete sleepers every 3rd or 4th sleeper. Five years ago I thought it was going to close. Five years ago the road to Jeparit was dreadful. It was narrow, had dangerous soft edges and breaking surface. About 4 years ago the road was widened and largely fixed actually. At that time I thought, "Well they've upgraded the road, now that's it for the railway line." I'm glad to be proven wrong. Fast forward, in the second half of last year I noticed that they disconnected the silo siding at Tarranyurk and at the time I wondered why. Well it's become clear now the concrete sleepers are in. I surmise but don't actually know that the track speed must now be higher as redundant facing points from disused sidings are removed. This may allow a speed increase. It could be a doubling in track speed from 10 to 20kmh or heavens even 20 to 40kmh LOL. They really have done a good job. The track has almost completely lost the waviness it had in it and the ballast looks clean and consolidated. There are many, many dead Eucalypts on the side of the track so whatever they used to kill the weeds prior to track upgrades is hefty stuff. Some of the dead Eucalypts were big trees. Interestingly other non Eucalypt line side natives seem to be doing just fine so perhaps the large trees were deliberately poisoned as a part of the upgrade. Not once have I ever seen a train on that line but a few weeks ago I spotted a Hi-Rail vehicle heading south between Arkona and the Dimboola parallel merge with the main line. The line past Rainbow north up to Albacutya silo still has gourds growing on it as of 2 weeks ago. I don't think there's any likelihood of that opening but I've been wrong before. I'm a Gunzel truckie and I get up there a bit doing steel deliveries.
The reference to Mineral Sands traffic may have been true when the Project was first started but that traffic has gone and while the Portland line is restricted to 19 tonne axleloads and 40kmh speeds is unlikely to return. Also the Government is undermining the whole Gauge Conversion Project by expanding the routes for high-capacity A-double trucks which are directly competing with rail. With their greater loads and higher speeds they are causing a shift from rail to road not just with grain but also intra-state containers, e.g from Dooen to Melbourne. The only thing that is keeping the rail traffic going is the subsidy that the State is paying operators to move containers by rail, and if that is reduced or withdrawn rail freight traffic within Victoria with soon disappear no matter what gauge it is on.
Nice video! Summed up the project well. Fully agree with your opinion, although I would also like to see the line from Manangatang to Robinvale standardised and reopened as part of the project, rather than leaving it isolated as a disused broad gauge line that cannot be reopened easily. Just one correction - 3:12 the line from Maryborough to Dunolly was converted to dual gauge already in 1996, at the same time as the Avoca line (Ararat - Maryborough) was standardised. This was to allow for easy transfer of grain from the north west of victoria to a standard gauge train that could go to Portland. In the end the line was hardly used and closed in 2004.
Correction:The Robinvale line in between Manangatang and Robinvale was permanently closed in 2008 and the Manangatang line is already near closing beyond Korong vale.This means Manangatang to Robinvale will never reopen again.
ive got a suggestion on how to fix this ballsup. a report done by tim fischer pointed out that only 6% of the fuel tax paid by railway operators gets returned to rail. where does the rest go? roads, of course. if the funds for one freeway intersection were redirected to gauge conversion this whole murray basin could be done. and done properly. then redirect the money from another freeway intersection and every line west of melbourne could be done. and done properly.
If only the 1945 Clapp Report had been fully implemented, at least for the standardisation of the Victorian and South Australian systems, we wouldn’t be in this mess now and so many branch lines may still be open. Rail gauges in Australia: a tale of missed opportunities….
The Mix up is Manangatang and Sea Lake should use Bendigo line Network BG track . The Inglewood to Eaglehawk line needs bridge repairs and open up. Ballarat should be SG Network between Geelong, Mildura and Horsham.
It would be handy to retain a network through Bendigo and Ballarat however gauge is an issue, for now a route through Maryborough and Ballarat is a better option as it is already open track and allows for connections to port for exports of grain and other materials at Portland and Geelong as well as Melbourne however efficiency is limited until the project can be completed
@@railrover Do you know of the complex issues involved with building a SG or DG line through Ballarat let alone that amount of traffic getting a path to go through there amongst all the passenger trains ?
@@wallybeeby7370 the “complex issues” were a cop out invented at the last minute to prevent the project from continuing - and if there is such an issue finding paths, how come we already run grain and container trains through on a practically daily basis? If there was such an issue there’s always freight and passenger separation also!
the Portland line is in depreate need of an upgrade as well the track from Maroona to Portland is speed restricted from 80kph to 40kph with the track just about falling apart in some places
You’d think that stage 1 would’ve involved dual gauge to Maryborough but while saying that, the level crossings on the Geelong-Ballarat line (and maybe beyond) are dual gauge
It can be and will be used for the Maryborough to Geelong section of track. However dual gauge track with BG and SG means speed restrictions are needed for broad gauge so it is better in most cases to have a single gauge on each line
From what I've read: NSW appointed an Irish engineer who advocated 5'3", the Irish gauge. Victoria and SA agreed and ordered 5'3" stuff. NSW sacked its Irish engineer and appointed a Scot. Scotland had 4'8.5". I gather the first railway in NZ was also 5'3". A very informative video, thanks. I find Australian railways very interesting.
Pretty much. I postulate that 5’3” should have been the Australian ‘standard’ gauge!
For the Manangatang and Sea Lake line's the obvious solution is to re-open the Eaglehawk to Inglewood line.
The sleeper replacements on these lines are largley BG concrete sleepers.
Empty trains can go VIA Ballarat, Dunolly & Inglewood (the existing route) to get to their destinations and loaded trains can use the Inglewood to Eagelhawk line, this will solve the current issues with trains crossing paths with each other.
wally beeby, putting bg sleepers on these tracks was a malicious act. bg sleepers are convertible, contrary to generally accepted opinion. angle grinders and concrete drills will fix them. they should have made things easier by putting in dual gauge sleepers everywhere years ago. thats why i can accuse the authorities of being malicious by not installing dg sleepers. sa did! nearly everywhere! but weatherall baulked just a few years ago and said it wasnt worthwhile. we are governed by idiots.
I can report the line from Dimboola to just beyond Rainbow main yard now has concrete sleepers every 3rd or 4th sleeper.
Five years ago I thought it was going to close.
Five years ago the road to Jeparit was dreadful. It was narrow, had dangerous soft edges and breaking surface. About 4 years ago the road was widened and largely fixed actually. At that time I thought, "Well they've upgraded the road, now that's it for the railway line."
I'm glad to be proven wrong.
Fast forward, in the second half of last year I noticed that they disconnected the silo siding at Tarranyurk and at the time I wondered why. Well it's become clear now the concrete sleepers are in. I surmise but don't actually know that the track speed must now be higher as redundant facing points from disused sidings are removed. This may allow a speed increase. It could be a doubling in track speed from 10 to 20kmh or heavens even 20 to 40kmh LOL.
They really have done a good job. The track has almost completely lost the waviness it had in it and the ballast looks clean and consolidated. There are many, many dead Eucalypts on the side of the track so whatever they used to kill the weeds prior to track upgrades is hefty stuff. Some of the dead Eucalypts were big trees. Interestingly other non Eucalypt line side natives seem to be doing just fine so perhaps the large trees were deliberately poisoned as a part of the upgrade.
Not once have I ever seen a train on that line but a few weeks ago I spotted a Hi-Rail vehicle heading south between Arkona and the Dimboola parallel merge with the main line.
The line past Rainbow north up to Albacutya silo still has gourds growing on it as of 2 weeks ago. I don't think there's any likelihood of that opening but I've been wrong before.
I'm a Gunzel truckie and I get up there a bit doing steel deliveries.
What a great video and explanation of the Murray Basin Rail Project. Thank you for the work that you put into this video.
The reference to Mineral Sands traffic may have been true when the Project was first started but that traffic has gone and while the Portland line is restricted to 19 tonne axleloads and 40kmh speeds is unlikely to return. Also the Government is undermining the whole Gauge Conversion Project by expanding the routes for high-capacity A-double trucks which are directly competing with rail. With their greater loads and higher speeds they are causing a shift from rail to road not just with grain but also intra-state containers, e.g from Dooen to Melbourne. The only thing that is keeping the rail traffic going is the subsidy that the State is paying operators to move containers by rail, and if that is reduced or withdrawn rail freight traffic within Victoria with soon disappear no matter what gauge it is on.
cliff leigh, good comment.
Nice video! Summed up the project well.
Fully agree with your opinion, although I would also like to see the line from Manangatang to Robinvale standardised and reopened as part of the project, rather than leaving it isolated as a disused broad gauge line that cannot be reopened easily.
Just one correction - 3:12 the line from Maryborough to Dunolly was converted to dual gauge already in 1996, at the same time as the Avoca line (Ararat - Maryborough) was standardised. This was to allow for easy transfer of grain from the north west of victoria to a standard gauge train that could go to Portland. In the end the line was hardly used and closed in 2004.
Thanks for your feedback, glad you enjoyed
metromanmelbourne, reopen robinvale? of course! what idiot shut it down? its not as if robinvale stopped producing food.
Correction:The Robinvale line in between Manangatang and Robinvale was permanently closed in 2008 and the Manangatang line is already near closing beyond Korong vale.This means Manangatang to Robinvale will never reopen again.
ive got a suggestion on how to fix this ballsup. a report done by tim fischer pointed out that only 6% of the fuel tax paid by railway operators gets returned to rail. where does the rest go? roads, of course. if the funds for one freeway intersection were redirected to gauge conversion this whole murray basin could be done. and done properly. then redirect the money from another freeway intersection and every line west of melbourne could be done. and done properly.
If only the 1945 Clapp Report had been fully implemented, at least for the standardisation of the Victorian and South Australian systems, we wouldn’t be in this mess now and so many branch lines may still be open. Rail gauges in Australia: a tale of missed opportunities….
The Mix up is Manangatang and Sea Lake should use Bendigo line Network BG track . The Inglewood to Eaglehawk line needs bridge repairs and open up. Ballarat should be SG Network between Geelong, Mildura and Horsham.
It would be handy to retain a network through Bendigo and Ballarat however gauge is an issue, for now a route through Maryborough and Ballarat is a better option as it is already open track and allows for connections to port for exports of grain and other materials at Portland and Geelong as well as Melbourne however efficiency is limited until the project can be completed
@@railrover Do you know of the complex issues involved with building a SG or DG line through Ballarat let alone that amount of traffic getting a path to go through there amongst all the passenger trains ?
@@wallybeeby7370 the “complex issues” were a cop out invented at the last minute to prevent the project from continuing - and if there is such an issue finding paths, how come we already run grain and container trains through on a practically daily basis? If there was such an issue there’s always freight and passenger separation also!
This is a story as old as railroading in Australia. It's called 'doing a half-arsed job.'
the Portland line is in depreate need of an upgrade as well the track from Maroona to Portland is speed restricted from 80kph to 40kph with the track just about falling apart in some places
Hopefully further action is taken
@@railrover That is the responsibility of ARTC on that line.
@@wallybeeby7370 , and artc has no money. no spare money for anything.
You’d think that stage 1 would’ve involved dual gauge to Maryborough but while saying that, the level crossings on the Geelong-Ballarat line (and maybe beyond) are dual gauge
No they are not, from Gheringhap to Ballarat is all broad gauge.
Very good video. They've really messed up this project that's for sure
You are being polite! 😜
any reason why dual gauge track can't be used?
It can be and will be used for the Maryborough to Geelong section of track. However dual gauge track with BG and SG means speed restrictions are needed for broad gauge so it is better in most cases to have a single gauge on each line
@@railrover thanks mate! I did wonder. you've got yerself a new subscriber
The obvious solution is to transition all Victorian broad gauge track to standard gauge even if this is phased in over a few decades.
Very nice
And this is what the Auditor General had to say:
ruclips.net/video/4Dl4hNzsD5Y/видео.html
Seems like bad communication led to a lot of these problems
Still with the disco music.Hard to understand when you talk.