Re: (NSW) Route numbers

[David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au>]

Quaider wrote:

> Has Cityrail ever considered the use of route numbers (or letters) for its
> lines? I remember hearing that the destination indicators on the refurbished
> sets can cater for route numbers, and if you look at some of them you can
> see that there seems to be a blank space to the left of the destination (ie
> the destination is slighly off centre).

This is merely how they are programmed.  You can put anything on those
indicators, as long as it is programmed.  Route numbers would certainly be
possible, but a bit of a waste, as most visitors would not know what the numbers
meant.  Someone at work was saying there are about 32 different stopping
patterns on the East Hills line.  Would you have a different number for each?
Ideally, the best option is accurate information.  This means they all need to
be reprogrammed again to account for new terminating points, plus new routes.
They also need to kick Goninan's butt and get the tangara indicators working
(and not the stupid dark orange on black dots they were originally fitted with),
and reprogrammed, as the TMS destinations are now 15 years out of date.  Also,
maintenance needs to be kept up on the indicators.  Most have either one or both
flourescent lights not working, making it difficult to read them.  Also, the
list of all available destinations in the driver's cab is now often missing,
making getting the correct destination a matter of guesswork.

> It could make life easier, especially if the number was large and stuck on
> say the spare window at the front of the train. It could be similar help to
> the old marker lights that used to be on pre- tangara stock.

During the Easter Show, many show trains had their signs missing, making it even
less likely that route numbers would stay.

P.S. One destination does have a route number.   Destination number 40000 has a
route number of 007.



--
David Johnson
trainman@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
------------------------------------
These comments are made in a private
capacity and do not represent the
official view of State Rail.
C.O.W.S. Page 11.