Re: FreightCorp Radios

[Bob <gioia@fastlink.com.au>]

Rod Young wrote:

> Paul wrote:
> >
> > Maurie Daly wrote in message ...
> > >  8< snip
> > >The SRA Train Radio System or whatever it is now called is / was / always
> > will
> > >be a total disaster.
> >
> > I have trouble understanding how, nearly 29 years after we put a man on the
> > moon, we haven't sorted basic stuff like this out. I mean really, this is
> > 1998!  The technolgy needed isn't even particularly new. Out here in the
> > remote west it's still copper wires, and telephones attached to poles, ala
> > steamdays. They talk here about upgrading to CTC, when this day and age we
> > shouldn't even have signals. It should all be in the cab, along with a
> > telephone to simply pick up and talk to a controller.
> > I'm sure Maurie could come up with a system in less than a week, which is
> > better than anything in Australia today.
> >
> > My 2c worth, that's better...
> > Paul P.
>
> Hey BOB YOU READING THIS!!!!
>
> Victoria has had a radio system as described since the mid 80's
> Pick up a Handset and ring or recieve Train control,Need a Deisel
> Maintainer, talk to the Fuel Point, want to tell the Boss about his
> ancestors, ask Manpower to pass it on for you! a secondary system was
> provided for "on train" or local communication[ range varies but usefull
> up to 10 km's]
> NSW seem to rely a hell of a lot on walkie talkies, And I must admit
> that SAR and Commonwealth Rail had a pretty good if basic system for
> many years.
>     Of course all that changed with NR's new wiz-bang system...pity
> about the range of the end to end bit though....I SAID YOUR F>>>N TRAINS
> COMPLETE>>>oh forget it......
>                    Cheers
>                                   Rod Young

  Reading loud and clear. Not the same for our train crews however. The whole
damn radio thing in this state is a complete scandal. After all these years of
stuffing around they still cant get it right. The trouble here is that all these
empire builders are sitting in their castles dreaming up a way of wasteing our
money and not achieving a thing. The blowout in costs on these projects should be
the subject of a Royal Commission. After 10 years we still have a railmotor that
runs around testing radios.How many damn tests do they need to do. Then we get to
the bit about a Freightcorp (or anyone elses) train running through City Rail
track. Yes our wiz bang new radios are not compatible with Cityrail. Why not???
Now I see that hunter Valley coal trains are to have mobile phones fitted or
carried on each train. Where is it all going to end??? These guys can't get
anything right when it comes to radios. It is also interesting to note that
Railcom (the comms section) dont have anything to do with all of this and it
seems that it is all being driven from Head office with contractors doing the
work.
This situation is a complete and utter waste of our money. Someone is to blame
for this. Who?
                                    Bob