[V] Where have all the Comengs gone? (was: Re: Connex RC set up way past its bed time!!)

[Mick Stock <mstock@bigpond.net.au>]

Hi,

Railvic wrote:
> 
> Mick Stock wrote:
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > On Friday (5/1/01) 19:09 FSS to Ringwood - 6 cars.  However when my train
> > (19:17 Lilydale) got to Ringwood, there was no sign of the Connex RC in any of
> > the sidings at Ringy - maybe it was sent to bed at Bayswater?? (It didn't head
> > back towards to city).
> 
> Connex RC was seen in Ringwood Yard on Saturday afternoon around 18.00
> hours ...
> 
> > It seems that the Connex RCs have been used quite heavily on the
> > Lilydale/Belgrave runs during the last week - I've passed at least one every
> > trip I've been on this year!  Now if only they would use one to replace the
> > crappy Hitachi's that keep getting used on the 8:56 Belgrave to city run each
> > morning and the 17:17 FSS to Lilydale....  why is it that these two services
> > are Hitachis on average at least 4 out of 5 days? About the only time they are
> > comengs is on Fridays (Thursdays instead on some weeks).
> 
> Mick,
> 
> Do you mean the 17.20 down Lilydale instead of the 17.17?  If so, this
> service is an "off" train when it gets to Lilydale (final run before

Oops - I got it right the first time, but stuffed it up the second time - the
17:17 Lilydale should read "19:17" (the "super-express" run).  I kept a
lookout for the Connex RC on Fri night, but if it was in the Ringy yards, it
must have been hidden behind a Hitachi near the Bedford Rd end (not visible
from the Lilydale line)... However since it would have only arrived at Ringy
about 7 mins before my train, this is highly unlikely unless the 19:41
Lilydale to RWD was sent to bed immediately after the RC (and same siding
track).

> stabling), unless transposal is required with another service due to
> defect or vandalism. 

Is it my imagination, or is vandalism this summer down on previous years (at
least on Connex services)?

> As you have commented that "the only time they are
> Comeng set is on Fridays (with some Thursdays)", this is done to ensure
> there are sufficient number of Comengs at Lilydale (for example) to run
> 3-car sets on the weekends.  You maybe aware that Hitachi rarely run as
> a 3-car set.

All the more reason to run a Connex RC instead of a Hitachi  :-)

In the case of the 19:17 Lilydale, it almost appears that they go out of their
way to run a Hitachi set rather than a Comeng. I've also noticed on a few
occassions that the train which forms the 19:17 Lilydale actually arrives at
FSS at around 19:05, then runs around the city loop before forming the
Lilydale run - i.e. it goes completely around the loop starting from plat 2 at
FSS, and arriving back at the same platform 10-12 mins later (the on-train
destination sign usually indicates "City Loop" upon both arrivals at FSS) -
this started at about the time the new timetables came out last November!

During December, it seemed that there were very few Comengs being used on the
Lilydale/Belgrave lines, at least outside of the core peak periods. While
travelling to & from work (8:56 Bel to FSS & 19:17 (sometimes 18:32) FSS to
Lilydale trains, 19 trips in a row were on Hitachi's. Add to this 4 other
trips during the middle of the day, which were also Hitachi's.  During the
same period, very few Comengs were seen stabled at Ringwood and almost none in
revenue service during the middle of the day.  I was starting to wonder if all
the Comengs had been sent to Ballarat to be Connexified!

In case you are wondering why I catch a Belgrave line train in the morning &
Lilydale in the evening, I live exactly half way between East Ringwood &
Heathmont stations (walking distance), so can catch either Lilydale or
Belgrave trains, whichever is the most convenient....

> Railvic


Mick.

-- 
Mick Stock
 mstock@bigpond.net.au