> Some things that I've puzzled about recently:
>
> 1. What's with the red cables being installed throughout the underground
> stations and tunnels (on wall mounted racks)? New signalling?
> Associated with this cabling seems to be amber lights in the tunnels
> and extremities of platforms that go out when a train is approaching.
> What function do these serve? And what do the funny looking boxes
> on the track beds with arms that drop down and go "clunk" do? And will
> all the old cables lying completely disorganised on the track beds
> at the underground stations be removed?
City Circle re-signalling project. The existing cables near the ground have been
there since the line was built. The new cables will not be as susceptible to
water ingress. The amber lights are constructed from LEDs, as are the new
signals. They extinguish prior to the arrival of the train to enable staff
working in the tunnels to get clear of the track. The "clunk boxes" are
automatic train stops. When they are up, they will hit a lever on the front of
the train, dumping the air out of the brake pipe, causing the train to stop.
They are connected to the signalling system. On completion of the resignalling
project, the old cables should be removed.
> 2. At the northern end of platform 5, Wynyard, there appears to be a room
> opposite the platform. There are about three horizontally slatted
> grills and a pair of doors that open above the track bed to indicate
> its presence. Air ducts seem to enter the room, as do signalling cables
> What is this room?
That is the Wynyard station transformer and battery room. Behind that door are
60 batteries. The vent is to allow the explosive gasses caused by battery
charging to dissipate. The batteries provide power for all the 120V emergency
lighting on the station. To the left of the door is the 11kV - 415V transformer
and 11kV switchgear for the station power supply.
> 3. At the northern end of Redfern Station, on the western side, a tunnel
> heads south and dives underneath the road bridge, disappearing under
> platform 1. Where on earth does this tunnel go? I've never seen trains
> enter or leave it. It's not marked on the maps and yet it is electrified.
That is the Eveleigh engine dive. It goes from Eveleigh (near platform 10) under
all the tracks, along underneath platform 1, and then up onto the up main line
after Lawson street. It is electrified, but electric trains are not allowed to
use it since the cessation of NE35, as the wire is now far too dirty to guarantee
contact. Trains tabled to use the engine dive are: HP18 at 07:16, HP22 at
10:23, HN44 at 14:55, HL30 at 15:07 (Tuesdays), HN52 at 16:47, HP32 at 17:52 and
HN78 at 20:15 (Conditional, Fridays Only)
> 4. On every staunchion in the Cityrail network is a yellow marker with a
> code on it like "SW2+253". The 2+253 I've worked out is the distance
> (2.253 km) from the NSW rail network zero point - the northern end of
> the country platforms at Central. But what do the letters mean? Every
> track seems to have different letters (e.g. CE, CI, CO, ES, SW, NS...).
> Is there a list of all these?
CI - City InnerCO - City Outer
ES - Eastern Suburbs
SW - Sydney - Wollongong
NS - North Shore
SL - Sydney - Lithgow
CC - Clyde Carlingford
N - North
> PS. The closest-to-zero marker I've seen is on the Central Electric lines,
> SW0+004. What's the furthest-from-zero??
Whatever the one is at the terminus at Newcastle City.
-- David Johnson CityRail Guard trainman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/