Notes from AGM, page-66

Re: Low draft barging:

I had a look at a 40 carriage Aurizon coal train this morning and I began to get an idea of what 1000 ton of coal looked like and I then began musing

about the look of CKA's proposed  low draft barges and what might be possible to navigate the upper reaches of the Barito river and then consolidate for further down the river barging.

-a single barge of say 30m L X 8M W X 2 M Draft is : 480 Cu Meters or say 500 ton of coal.

-hitch 3 of these together to navigate the upper reaches of the Barito river (90 meters of hitched barges + the pusher tug) Payload 1500 ton

-double up further down the river (6 barges for 3000 ton & an overall length of 180 meters + tug)

If average barge speed were to be say 25 klm/hr and the journey is say 600 kms then it should take 60 hours including loading and unloading

for a round trip or 2.5 days(3000 ton)* which would require:

-3 x tugs 

-30 barges (includes a few spares)

This would handle. 360K t/p/a

)A million t/p/a would need almost three times this.)

* This would be 3 times the Arizona train load which I saw this morning!

Perhaps posters who have some knowledge the Barito river and coal barging could comment