Re: Derailment at Concord West-Personal Opinion

[markbau1@aol.com (MarkBau1)]

<<<<<If a train is to take a siding movement of any form then a "low speed"
signal is
provided. (R/R/Y). Such a signal CANNOT be illuminated until a time delay has
elapsed that would assume the train has been sufficiently 'slowed' to take the
points.>>>>>>

Some low speeds have time delays, usually when they apply towards a dead end
track but most do not have the time delay, look at the Melb to Albury SG, the
low speed into the loop can be lit hours before the train's arrival.

<<<<<<IMHO, providing signals with "direction indicators", just lulls the
drivers into
a false sense of security. How easy could it be to blame an "ill nformed
inanimate object" for lack of concentration? How much information should a
signal contain? If you provide a signal with too much information, then you
have
to change its name to a "train order".>>>>>>

Utter nonsense! Like anyone, the more info a driver is given the better he can
do his job. Example, when Flinders street still had the huge Market St. 2
position gantry a driver knew exactly which platform he was going to and
exactly the route he would take to get there. Now all you get is a bottom light
and you could be going anywhere, (actually they could give you a top light just
as easily as the max speed around Flinders is 30KPH)
The signals could just as easily be replaced with a single G/Y/R head.

Route indicators can be vital, the first one we got installed was at Richmond
off the up Sandy line. Prior to the feather indicator a bottom line could take
you direct to Flinders St. or into the loop, you could not see the points from
the signal. Now when Metrol wrong roads you a simple radio call fixes things
up. Seeing a hundred meaningless bottom lights around FSS is what can lull you
into a false sense of security, not a signal that gives you all the info you
need!

Mark.


THE ROCK is dead
Long live THE ROCK!