Re: New questions for rail experts

[Chris Gordon <cmgord@alphalink.com.au>]

> > Train stops, if a electric train (diesel are not fitted with the trip
> > arm)
> 
> And then says:
> 
> > dumping all the air from the breaks and the train will stop.  In Sydney
> > for some stupid reason they sometimes have catch points after the
> > signal, so after a train passes through the signal at stop, the breaks
> > are applied and if the train is going too fast then it will get
> > de-railed as well.  If you ask me it is totally stupid to have catch
> > points on a main line.
> 
> For diesel trains not fitted with train stops?

Correct, that is why they have a second person (or did have a second
person).

I think that a train with no trip arm or no second person is not safe. 
I don't think driver only operation of a diesel train is a good idea.  

I also don't think you should be de-railing trains that have past a red
signal, that is what overlaps and correct deisgn is ment to protect.  
 
> >  That is why Sydney had so many derailments, and
> > Melbourne only has SPADS, or the odd crash where a train is doing like
> > 130 km/h through a red signal and crashed into the back of another train
> > (Sydney station accident about 10+ years ago).
> 
> Which accident was that?

Smashed up a Hitachi motor totally bent in half.  I don't know the
correct detials, but something along the lines of train driver going too
fast down hill, straight through two red signals, because he was going
too fast the train stop/trip arm had little effect and ran straight into
the back of the train sitting in Sydnal Station.  (both trains were
going in the up direction).  


-- 

Chris Gordon

============================================================

http://www.railpage.org.au/vicsig
e-mail - cmgord@alphalink.com.au
ICQ number: 32989450
Mobile Phone: 0409 255 620