Re: [NSW] S set air condition trial

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

"trendy rechauff" <trendy_rechauffe@start.com.au> writes:

>I doubt they would spend any more money on the S sets as most of the cars
>wouldn't even have 10 years life left. Although knowing the railways, they
>will strech the service life out as long as possible, maybe till the cars
>are 40 years old.

Yes, but there are serious crew safety problems with the S-sets because of
the cramped nature of the drivers cabs, the lack of airflow, and the
inability to adequately maintain a comfortable, safe (for health reasons)
environment.

The lack of cab air conditioning means keeping the conditions in the cab
within reasonable boundaries is extremely hit and miss, and there are only
three ways to control the environment in the cab - opening windows and/or
airvents, using the heater, and using the blinds.

On a hot sunny day we can't pull the blinds all the way down since not only
does that keep the light and heat out, it also stops airflow through the
open side window, and of course by blocking out the light how can we see
where the train is going? 8-)

On cold days we have to use the heaters, and they either heat the cab up too
much (which means we have to open the windows to cool down, which causes a
stream of cold air to blow right in the driver's face), or not enough.

On extremely hot days there is nothing that can be done to reduce the air
temperature to a safe level. A 30+ degree cab air temp is bearable for a
short period of time, but sitting in a train cab for up to an hour with no
respite from the heat makes people pass out, reduces our ability to control
the train properly, and basically is just the same as driving a car on a
really hot day when there's no airconditioning available.

Fortunately this summer has been very mild, but in previous years a lot of
drivers have got out of their trains and sat in the shade for a time before
going again because the cabs get too hot. I've done it myself a couple of
times when I felt close to passing out because of the heat, etc. in the cab.

The only easy solution is to fit airconditioning at least for the crew
compartments. But it's taken many years to convince management that drivers
passing out (or getting close to it) because of overheated cabs is a serious
problem, esp. with many new staff who may not have any experience working in
an environment with elevated temperatures, direct sun exposure, etc. for
long periods of time.

It's even worse when the sun is coming directly at the front of the train,
since there's no way to avoid being overheated very quickly. And we do not
have access to free *bottles* of chilled water - only those silly water
coolers which take forever to fill your refilled-over-500-times (!) spring
water bottle.. 

There should be a water bottle machine at every location where trains
terminate that is reserved exclusively for operations staff so on hot days
where dehydration and heat exposure can be severe health risks, it's easy to
quickly grab a supply of cool bottled water to minimise delays when changing
ends, etc. Coupled with a recycling program for the plastic bottles, I think
the scheme would have a lot of merit.

I never get onto a train without my water bottle being filled, and if it
means a delay while I find a water cooler to get chilled water from, to hell
with it. Unless I can guarantee myself a supply of fresh, cool water at all
times when most of the time I can't get any water if I don't have the bottle
with me, delays due to sourcing chilled water become irrelevant.

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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