RE: Just another day

["Chris Parnell" <chris@infinisource.com>]

Aus loco discussion mailing list

This is why AusLoco should continue - real working people feeding in
absolutely invaluable information with the occasional personal perspective
to make it human. I haven't met Ivar, Big Danny on the South or Peter
Donaghy up in Alice for the next seven weeks; but by golly, I feel like I
know them and I like what they do. I feel in touch with Australian Railway
operations.

So let it continue....


> Just another day at the office.....
>
> 1550, B61 on 8232 is disabled at Nth Geelong 'A' box.  After a little
> while it can move, but not very well (it has only a reasonably minor
> electrical problem), and limps on to North Shore platform.  Passengers
> are detained to get the following pass....8234.  Alas, it's a single
> Sprinter, so they won't all fit.  Many do, those left over continue on
> 8236.
>
> So what am I going to do here??  Fortunately, a few things fall into
> place...Corio is open (so trains can be worked around), and a crew is
> summoned to take pass pilot Y163 out to the scene to effect a rescue.
> It does just that, hauling the cars and B61 back to Geelong.  So now we
> need a loco to run 8237 from Geelong (with busses from Melbourne).
> Freight Victoria have nothing, 4 locos have failed in the last half
> hour.  Bugger.  The fitters can't attend, they're trying to get X46
> moving.  Oh hang on, FV A73 is available at Dynon.  That'll do just
> fine.....no it won't - FV need it back in the morning.  Bugger.  FV
> again have nothing....but S301. It too is at Dynon.  It can't lead.
> Things are not improving.
>
> Time to thing laterally.  OK, how about we summon the pass crew
> (rostered for 8237, a Melbourne crew), they bring A73+S301 light engines
> to Geelong, and they can place B61 in front and drive from it, with S301
> doing the powering?  A73 will be left at Geelong for FV.  S301 is needed
> for wheaties out of Geelong tomorrow, so we'll leave it there in the
> morning.  That'll work, so the light locos follow 8235 (which is late
> due to signal failure at Sth Kensington).  Bewdy, turn B61 and wait for
> S301, couple them on, wait for the busses to arrive, and away they go,
> B61+S301.  They will return on 8220 Wednesday morning (B61 to lead),
> S311 will go on 9138 to Geelong (ex-Ballarat East, where repairs to
> level crossing accident damage from Australia Day are complete), and
> replace B61+S301 at Geelong.  B61 will go to Ballarat on 9137 Wed 2/2
> for repairs.
>
> All the above was achieved with about a dozen phonecalls and
> co-operation between ourselves, Freight Victoria and National Express.
> Although S301 looks pretty sad, it sounds as good as ever.


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