Re: [NSW] RSA takes two weeks to repair broken points on CityRail line

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

"David Johnson" <trainman@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
3A68D478.D6094822@ozemail.com.au">news:3A68D478.D6094822@ozemail.com.au...
>
> Unfortunately, they can't go and buy a set of Peco points over the
counter.
> Every set of points is different, and new parts have to be manufactured
> individually.
>
> --
> David Johnson
> trainman@ozemail.com.au
> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
> ------------------------------------

This is a slow and costly exercise, in almost everything else an inventory
of standard parts can fit the bill.  It would be much cheaper and faster if
trackwork could have a series of standard designs and spare pieces be kept
in stock.

The same reasons that a tailored suit will cost you more than twice as much
as one off the shelf.

I believe this is precisely what the old Great Western Railway (God's
Wonderful Railway) did in Britain, had standard designs for everything so
that anything from boilers to track sections could be replaced almost
instantaneously.

The points at the end of Canberra station were out of service for months a
few years back when a certain driver dragged a derailed loco through them,
before they were repaired.

regards

David Bennetts
Bowral