Re: XPT service ? Jack.

[L & D <daisyw@ozemail.com.au>]

Jack wrote:

> David Proctor wrote in message
> <75altd$p92$1@reader1.reader.news.ozemail.net>...
> >Jack wrote in message <75a5rv$8di$1@reader1.reader.news.ozemail.net>...
> >
> >>To service the pple of the Clarence?
> >
> >But they are already well serviced by NT1 and NT3
>
> U may know this..... ticketing is not my forte..... but aren't there
> restrictions on NT1 and NT3 for people Garfton and south thereof.....
> Particularly on 1 and 2 i think there is a quota for north of casino
>
> - and, according to 4
> >PSS's and 6 SPA's, all of whom regularly work NT25 and NT26, the numbers
> >that travel north of Coffs Harbour is miniscule.
>
> 30 to 50 is not too shabby..... some days less but that is what u can expect
> on most days.....   holidays sometimes 70 or 80
>
>  You may as well argue "Why
> >not run it to Lismore, why not run it to Murwillumbah, etc.
>
> Lismore and then coaches would be smart...... send NT3 to Brisbane....
> solves a myriad of problems
>
> >> For
> >>>historical reasons? The major population centre on the North Coast os
> >Coffs
> >>>Harbour. By truncating this service at Coffs Harbour,
> >>
> >>tell me how u crew it..... where do they stay?  motel?
> >
> >They used to - when the train previously left Sydney at 1205, there was
> >insufficient time at Grafton to give the crew adequate rest - so they took
> >them off at Coffs Harbour.
>
> They did...
>
> There is also precedent for the use of hotels -
> >the Sydney based SPA's that work ST1/2/3/4 stay at a hotel in Melbourne,
>
> They have 1 driver and 1 spa stay at Melbourne.... and the driver only  1 in
> 3 trains
>
>  and
> >the Sydney based PA's on ST1/2/3/4 stay at hotels in Albury.
>
> Bit more research required on that....... Albury barracks still going strong
>
>  With
> >Countrylinks purchasing power (guaranteed, 4 rooms, every night, hotels
> >would be falling over each other to get the contract) they can guarantee a
> >great deal.
>
> You would be surprised..... when  Countrylink did up the Grafton Barracks
> and motels were required for 16 people per day for 3 months.... trust me
> ..... the operators of the motels were not falling over each other to get
> the contract....  2 applied and 1 of em you wouldn't let a dog stay in... In
> Sydney recently they did up the A/C at the barracks... to supply 6 beds per
> night for 1 month was 90 per night  per bed
>
> >  Ok 6 crew by 365
> >>days a yerar in a motel.... mate there is no money to maintain em and ya
> >>want to blow more on accomodatio for the crews
> >
> >Okay, now that we are on the subject of money, what about wages saved from
> >reduced working hours?
>
> Have a think...... I don't think there would be...  who is going to clean
> the set?  Answer the staff...
>
> A departure from Sydney of, say, 90 minutes later, is
> >90 minutes less working time. An arrival in Sydney 90 minutes earlier -
> that
> >is 3 hours saved per crew member - a crew of 6 - driver,
>
> mileage payments come into it..... plus the work of stowing fuelling etc is
> payed above the mileage...
>
> PSS, SPA, 3xPA - 18
> >hours saved per day over the course of a year -
>
> saved hours a bit inflated but can't argue that
>
> plus diesel fuel saved,
> not a great deal...... not as much as people might think..... one heavy
> climb out of Coffs then more or less   coasting to grafton in 2 and 3 notch
>
> and
> >more maintenance time in Sydney for the set between ST2 and NT25, and
> >similiarly the next day between NT26 and ST1 - this all looks like it could
> >add up to a lot of bucks over time.
> >
> >.... while I'm there where
> >>would u stow the set?
> >
> >It would be a relatively simple and not inexpensive task to reinstate a
> >storage siding - after all, it would not have to be up to high-speed
> >standards.
>
> It's not as simple as that..... firstly with signalling on the northcoast
> and the way Coffs is now an intermediate station ..... i don't think u could
> put a siding back in without huge costs and re arranging the signalling
> there.... I don't know of an intermediate siding on the CTC part of the
> coast that allows u to open a frame without part of the train being left on
> the mainline.....  oh and it would need a shore supply...
>

Switch Locked Siding in a track circuited block operated by release switches,

>
>

snip

> Cheers
> Jack

 Davo