Re: [NSW] Three CityRail questions

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"Hubert Lam" <hubert@imap4.com> wrote in message
3a9b695a$0$25513$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3a9b695a$0$25513$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> f7Jm6.22756$Yx4.859689@news6.giganews.com">news:f7Jm6.22756$Yx4.859689@news6.giganews.com...
> : "Bradley Torr" <truenorth@one.net.au.NOSPAM> wrote in message
> : 3a9b50f5_1@news01.one.net.au">news:3a9b50f5_1@news01.one.net.au...
> : > (1) Why are many down trains on the Bankstown line that are scheduled
to
> : > proceed to the City Circle via Lidcombe timetabled to stand at
Bankstown
> : > station for around twelve minutes, while trains scheduled to proceed
to
> : > Liverpool don't have such a lengthy standing time?
> :
> : Those doing the loop are generally locked into a circular route - and as
> the
> : Bankstown Circle takes just under two hours, the twelve minute waiting
> time
> : is there so as to put the train onto a regular interval service (every
30
> : minutes, I believe).
>
> Also acts as recovery time that the train might lose whilst going around
the
> Bankstown circuit. This standing time was previously at Strathfield, where
> Homebush customers complained about the long long wait. So instead of
having
> that at Strathfield, CityRail moved it to Bankstown, where it might not
> inconvenience other passengers as much.

Yeah, they have to do it somewhere, and it is unlikely that someone from
somewhere like Punchbowl would be onconvenienced by the train sitting at
Bannkstown for a while.

> : > (2) At Parramatta station, is there a pattern to which train uses
which
> : > platforms, e.g. which down trains use Platform 2 and which use
Platform
> 4;
> : > and which up trains use Platform 1 and which use Platform 3? Or is it
> : > random?
> :
> : No pattern, apart from drug-links using 3/4. Blue Mountains services
> : generally use 1/2 though.
> :
>
> Generally slow trains (those that run on the West Main then Suburban) will
> use 3/4, whilst fast trains (those that run on the West Suburban then
Main)
> will use 1/2

There is no whyme nor reason about Parra. I use the station often, and you
have as much chance of getting a fast train off plat 2 as you do off 4.

> : > (3) Why is it that, while travelling along in a train (particularly
the
> : > pre-Tangara sets), ocasionally most of the lights and the air
> conditioning
> : > will cut out for a short period, and then suddenly start back up
again?
> :
> : An air-gap in the o/h wiring - it is a section insulator, used so that
> they
> : can switch off the power in one part of the OHLE without affecting other
> : lines (used for maintenance purposes) - this is mainly when the
pantograph
> : hits one of them. You can see them in the OHLE, mainly near junctions.
> :
>
> That happens a lot over the Strathfield flyover on the up line, and on the
> approach to Burwood station on the up suburban. What is the explanation
> there, apart from a huge air gap??? (which I believe there is none).

Only thing I can think of is that it takes a bit of time for the system to
reset itself after a momentary loss of power. Perhaps one of our drivers can
elucidate?

Dave