Re: triangle at Tarcoola

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

On Thu, 22 Feb 2001 21:18:57 +1100, Eddie Oliver
<eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au> wrote:

>While at ARTC headquarters in Adelaide on 20/2, I took the opportunity
>to ask for a definitive statement re the debate on this newsgroup a few
>weeks ago about the existence of a triangle at Tarcoola.
>
>The answer is that a triangle does exist, in the sense that trains can
>proceed direct to the Alice Springs line from west of Tarcoola. However
>it is not a triangle in the normally-pictured sense, i.e. a set of
>tracks in close proximity like triangles in NSW or fork lines in
>Queensland.
>
>The junction points for the western arm of the "triangle" are some
>considerable distance away from Tarcoola (estimated to be some
>kilometres). They are outside Tarcoola yard limits, and a train order
>has to be issued to allow movement over the western arm.
>
>The western arm is said to be in poor condition but still usable at slow
>speed. It was used for ballast trains.
>
>Eddie


The western end points for the triangle are at 510.8 km on the TAR and
509.9 km on the CAR.
The mainline points for the TAR / CAR junction are at 505.4 km
(Tarcoola) , so its a fairly big triangle , probably the biggest in
Australia.

It seems that the ballast trains that used the western end were
required when the Tarcoola to AP bit was built.

MD