Re: Another NR at Spencer St

Krel (krel4203@netconnect.com.au)
29 Oct 97 00:30:47 GMT

Yuri J Sos <steam4me@enternet.com.au> wrote in article
<34547ab9.8285359@news.enternet.com.au>...
> "Krel" <krel4203@netconnect.com.au> wrote:
>
> >Both. First they were banned as lead units due to their deteriorating
> >condition
>
> So they were as sad on the inside as they were becoming
> on the outside <g!>
>
Yep, certainly were !!!

> >Six throttle notch. NRs can be notch limited to 6, 7 or 8 notch (roughly

> >2900hp, 3600hp and 4050hp).
>
> Fascinating: thanks, I hadn't known that.
>
> >>
> >From a crew comfort view they offer a much quieter cab, better ride,
better
> >air conditioning (and quieter), an electric fridge (c/f a noisy air
> >operated food cooler), a CD/radio, and a more ergonomic design.
>
> What, no microwave? <g!>
>
There was talk of a microwave early in planning but it fell by the wayside.
Incidentally the Hamersley dash nines have microwaves so its not as silly
as it sounds.

> >Overall not the greatest thing since sliced bread (surely that was the
42
> >class:-)) but pretty close.
>
> The reason I asked was that I was talking to an NR driver
> (Junee-based) waiting at Totty "B" box/loop, who said that, in his
> opinion, the NR's cab and crew ergonomics had gone backwards (the
> actual quote was something like "after all the work that went into the
> G to get the cab right, these guys (Goninans I presume) have not
> learned anything from an good old loco like a G"). This *was* in the
> early days, when a lot of drivers were complaining about software
> problems, so the feelings may have changed more recently.
>
There are still some drivers that long for the days of real locos, but many
are being won by the NRs performance and ride, etc.

> >It would have been interesting to see what GM
> >could have produced ( The Westrail Q class frames we are carting west
look
> >pretty good).
>
> Maybe with Clyde being a consortium partner of G & W, we might yet get
> to find out when and if they re-order locos.
>
> >One of the principles of NR loco drivers rostering is that all drivers
in a
> >depot work all jobs in that depot. Its called multiskilling and
hopefully
> >avoids the I'm a more important driver than you mentality.
>
> So multiskilling means that a driver is equally at home in front of an
> multi-,000 tonne freight with slack and weight and length
> considerations as with a short, tightly coupled (relatively) light
> train. I suppose that was more accurately my question.
>
TraileRail is a short, tightly coupled (relatively) light train and
probably handles more like a passenger train than a freight train.

>

-- 
Cheers Krel


The Law of Inverse Proportions - The chances of the signal clearing 
without having to get out of the cab and go to a lineside phone is inversly
proportional to the amount of rain falling at the time :-)