Re: Phantom Bells

[craigd@lios.apana.org.au (C. Dewick)]

"Dave Proctor" <thadocta@spambait.dingoblue.net.au> writes:

>The Railway Rasputin II. wrote in message
><3897AE8E.8B1605EB@fastlink.com.au>...
>>Well thats why we have door open lights and commonsense.

>The driver has door open lights?

>I have not seen them in the times I have been in drivers cabs.

Good morning Docta Procta! 8-)

They door-open lights you are commenting about are being progressively
fitted to all suburban trains here in Sydney (not sure about the intercity
V-sets though), but at the moment the modifications are banned because of
problems with defects in the the first few sets which were released with the
mods in place after being shopped.

Basically there are three parts:

 - DOIL's (Door Open Indicator Lights) in both the driver's cab, and in each
   car. The ones in the drivers cab consist of two lights, one for each side of
   the train. The ones in each car consist of a light mounted on the front of
   the door control box at *every* set of doors. So if one set of doors is
   obstructed, one light will shine in the driver's cab, and the light
   corresponding to the actual set of doors which is obstructed will be on
   also.

 - DWD's (Door Warning Devices) which, when the guard presses the door close
   button, plays a digitised 'stand clear, doors closing' announcement, and
   then activities the door mechanisms to close the doors three seconds
   after the guard pressed the button.

 - DOTI's (Door Open Traction Interlocks) which prevent the driver from
   applying power if any set of doors is obstructed (and the corresponding DOIL
   in the car is lit to indicate that the doors are obstructed).

   I believe these are wired to drop out the control governor (aka - just
   like a Power Knockout Switch) when any DOIL is lit.

I'm not sure what the actual problems are which caused the modifications to
be banned, but all modified cars have the mods 'de-wired' so they just sit
there and do nothing, so the cars operate just as they did before these
modifications were introduced.

I've worked on a couple of the modified sets before the mods were banned,
and there weren't any problems when I had them.

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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