Well, accountants aren’t necessarily very bright people - Barnaby Joyce comes to mind, as does Matty Canavan, when he’s doing his coal miner cosplay act.
It was accountants and the inbred ruling class company directors they reported to that destroyed the British motorcycle industry. There’s a great book about it by Bert Hopwood, called “Whatever Happened to the British Motorcycle Industry?”
Hopwood was a talented engineer, one of the designers of some of the best post WW2 motorcycles to come out of BSA, Norton and Triumph, and his description of the contempt for the people who bought these bikes expressed by the directors and senior managers of the BSA-Triumph group in particular (they thought of them only as greasy, working class louts - suppose they were right about me) says a lot of why they failed, going from their most profitable years in the mid sixties to bankrupt in 1972.
In design, manufacturing and maintenance, the accountants must not be able to dictate to the engineers and skilled tradespeople about degrading the quality of the product. A lower profit margin is better than no profit because no-one is buying the crap goods on offer.
Tony
> On 29 Nov 2021, at 7:19 am, TP historyworks@...> wrote:
>
> Well Breda made some good money with that approach, until it all progressively came unstuck. The underlying issue is that tenders aren't often drawn up sufficiently diligently to screen out potential issues. The high weighting given to purchase price over other factors is the biggest culprit. Accountants never seem to take the long-term view.
>
> Tony P
>
> On Sunday, 28 November 2021 at 23:47:18 UTC+11a...@... wrote:
> Caveat emptor - “sucked in muggins, you bought it so you own it”.
>
> Or how the invisible hand of the market does some inappropriate touching.
>
> But then, if CAF bid low prices to get these things sold in a lot of markets to get in the door, the loss leader sales tactic looks like leading to some big losses. They’ve got attention, but not the kind they sought.
>
> Meanwhile, the corporate lawyers gloat and bloat…
>
> Tony
>
>
>> On 28 Nov 2021, at 10:03 pm, TP histor...@... <applewebdata://ED3B8180-B840-42B2-8530-D6B0C4E1C802>> wrote:
>>
>
>> Between the manufacturer not wanting to admit to any faults and the agency not wanting to reveal their regret at buying the wrong tram and system, you won't find out anything. Try gossip with the drivers or depot staff.
>>
>> Tony P
>>
>> On Sunday, 28 November 2021 at 20:48:08 UTC+11a...@... http://aapt.net.au/ wrote:
>> And they still won’t say what the problem is.
>>
>> And, and - what can knock these trams around on that short length of brand new, almost straight and level track?
>>
>> What a farce.
>>
>> Tony
>>
>>
>>> On 28 Nov 2021, at 7:38 pm, Greg Sutherland gregsut...@... <>> wrote:
>>>
>>
>>> https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73700&p=1084499&sid=0321345df3bc3834d24ad99df3e5f4a9#p1084499 https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73700&p=1084499&sid=0321345df3bc3834d24ad99df3e5f4a9#p1084499
>>>
>>> https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=273Newcastle Flyer https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=273
>>> Posts: 4506 https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/search.php?author_id=273&sr=posts
>>> Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 1:20 pm
>>> Location: Somewhere between here, there & anywhere!
>>> Re: Newcastle light rail, renewal & integrated transport https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1062503#p1062503
>>>
>>> Post https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1062503#p1062503by Newcastle Flyer https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=273 » Wed May 13, 2020 6:06 pm
>>>
>>> ^^ Now closed Carlingford Line steepest part was about 1:37 (ie: about 2.7%)!
>>> White lives matter too.
>>> Australia Day 26th Jan, the most important day in Australia as is 19 April, Cook's discovery of eastern Australia
>>> Top https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73700&p=1084499&sid=0321345df3bc3834d24ad99df3e5f4a9#top
>>> Glen https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=348
>>> Posts: 2949 https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/search.php?author_id=348&sr=posts
>>> Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 10:54 pm
>>> Location: Sydney
>>> Re: Newcastle light rail, renewal & integrated transport https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1084436#p1084436
>>>
>>> Post https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1084436#p1084436by Glen https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=348 » Fri Nov 26, 2021 7:29 pm
>>>
>>> From the Newcastle Herald:
>>>
>>> Newcastle light rail services suspended after mechanical issue
>>> Sage Swinton
>>>
>>> Light rail services suspended after mechanical issue
>>>
>>> Newcastle light rail services have been suspended until at least Monday due to a mechanical issue.
>>>
>>> Keolis Downer shut down the services from 5pm on Thursday after inspections of the fleet identified the mechanical problem. Buses are replacing the trams while they are out of action.
>>>
>>> "The fleet has been suspended as a precaution until inspections are completed," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
>>>
>>> "This issue is unrelated to the cracking issues identified in the Inner West light rail fleet."
>>>
>>> Sydney's Inner West tram line is out of action for at least 18 months due to cracking in all 12 of its Spanish-made CAF light rail vehicles.
>>>
>>> Keolis Downer uses similar CAF vehicles in Newcastle but said last month that it had found no problems with its fleet.
>>>
>>> The Transport for NSW spokesperson said Keolis Downer aimed to have some trams running by Monday.
>>>
>>> "Obviously, as investigation works progress over the weekend we will be able to provide customers with a more accurate update in coming days," the spokesperson said.
>>>
>>> "We will keep customers informed as we progress and when services resume."
>>>
>>> Labor seized on the suspension of services as another example of government failure in procuring transport infrastructure.
>>>
>>> "This is the NSW government's second light rail fail in a month," shadow transport minister Jo Haylen said. "As if we needed more evidence to build transport infrastructure here in Australia."
>>>
>>> Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said the vehicle fault followed the discovery of cracking in the light rail tracks early last year.
>>>
>>> "Novocastrians were promised the world with this light rail and they've been delivered a dud," he said.
>>> Top https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73700&p=1084499&sid=0321345df3bc3834d24ad99df3e5f4a9#top
>>> https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=21230ScaniaGrenda https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=21230
>>> Posts: 642 https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/search.php?author_id=21230&sr=posts
>>> Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2016 1:46 pm
>>> Favourite Vehicle: Scania,Volvo or Mercedes Buses
>>> Re: Newcastle light rail, renewal & integrated transport https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1084499#p1084499
>>>
>>> Post https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1084499#p1084499by ScaniaGrenda https://www.busaustralia.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=21230 » Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:44 pm
>>>
>>> Given the rarity of the Light Rail being out of service in Newcastle, I figure I'd note down my observations for today.
>>>
>>> Okay so went and caught the Light Rail Replacement Buses today, only two out at a time when Replacement Bus 1 reaches the Queens Wharf stop, the other is just departing from the Interchange.
>>>
>>> The Buses Can't be tracked on any real time feed
>>>
>>> This possibly ties into the above, currently there is no need to tap on the replacement buses with your Opal card or contactless payment nor pay for the Journey. When the bus reaches the Queens Wharf replacement stop on Bolton Street (Stop ID 230070) It would make walking down to Queens Wharf tedious just to tap off so I can't see enforcement of payments being done unless they enable it on the replacement buses.
>>>
>>> The Buses used were two Volvo B8RLE Bustech VST's (2802 and 2819) from Newcastle Transport. So it appears it is Newcastle Transport replacing the LR, makes sense.
>>>
>>> Given the small size of the Newcastle Light Rail Network, there really isn't a Replacement route number for the replacement bus. The Destination of the buses just say "Light Rail Replacement".
>>>
>>> The sole Marshall was only there from 9 through to possibly a little after 10 this morning.
>>>
>>> TransportNSW Trip Planner doesn't really advise where the replacement stops are, nor is there any Signage. These are the Stops for the Light Rail Replacement Bus;
>>>
>>> Newcastle Interchange Stand A (Stop ID 230233) Newcastle Interchange Replacement Stop
>>> Hunter St at Steel St (Stop ID: 230222) Replacement stop for Honeysuckle Station
>>> University House, King St (Stop ID: 230048) Replacement stop for Civic Station
>>> King St at Perkins St (Stop ID: 230040) Replacement stop for Crown Street Station
>>> Bolton St before Church St (Stop ID: 230070) Replacement Stop for Queens Wharf Station
>>> King St at Bolton St (Stop ID: 230039) Replacement stop for Newcastle Beach
>>>
>>> Hopefully some of this Information is useful or helpful, especially the part about where the replacement buses stop. Trip Planner was otherwise just telling me to walk and catch a service bus when I'd try to input anything about the Light Rail Station.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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