Re: [General] Information about block working

[Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au>]

David & Julie Donald wrote:
> 
> The locations that you mention, Harden North - South, Coota North - South, Junee
> North - South, are all Double Line Track Track.

Track Block, you mean? (Also in partial answer to f.u.i.t.b.e.t's
comments, there only has to be a track circuit for a very short distance
to make it track block, since once clear of the border between the two
interlockings, the working is just yard working under the control of one
box - although IIRC there are rather more track circuits than you
suggest in all those specific places. Coota certainly has full track
circuiting on the running lines.)

> To ad a bit of confusion with the whole scenario, Junee South to Harefield is
> Single Line Track Block operating between Junee South and the CTC panel; the
> same occurs on such sections as Telerah (now controlled from Maitland) to
> Mindaribba, Leeville - Casino; Quipolly - Werris Creek South; Table Top - Albury
> Station. 

Because in each of these cases it requires the concurrence of two
signallers (or one signaller and one area controller if you want to put
it that way) to admit a train into the section.

>It used to be the same between Muswellbrook and Aberdeen, but I don't
> know what the situation is now with the opening of the new coal balloon loop,
> and the fact that the whole area is now controlled from Broadmeadow.

SLTC. The signals at Dartbrook Loop are that new-fangled oddity,
"in-section home signals" - i.e. the SLTC section is Muswellbrook -
Aberdeen, not two separate sections Muswellbrook - Dartbrook and
Dartbrook - Aberdeen. This makes various fine differences to the
arrangements for special working when the signalling fails.

> Of course, don't try to think what might be the official working between let's
> call it Raglan and Raglan - I suspect that it is something like DLA to the
> junction with the single line over the Macquarie River, and then becomes
> something like Single Line Track Control from Bathurst.

Sorry, I don't understand. What do you mean by "Raglan and Raglan"?
Raglan is just a normally-cut-out interlocking in the DLA area Bathurst
(Kelso) - Tarana. And although I would have to check up on this (I know
there were some changes at various stages) I think the single line over
the river is just part of Bathurst yard rather than requiring a full
single-line status (e.g. I don't think, subject to correction, that
there are any half pilot staffs).