Re: 7.30 report Fri 6 November

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

>Even more idiotic, and therefore less likely to succeed is to actually 
>complete the original CTC project from Maitland to Acacia Ridge.
>Of course everyone will say that to do this is way too expensive but is it.
>Lets look at what is now required.
>All of the crossing loops north of Casino have been either lengthened in the 
>cases of Glenapp , or completely new loops have been built , in the cases of 
>Kyogle , Loadstone and Bromelton.
>All these loops in order to cope with the idiotic unattended ES safeworking 
>and the prospective train order working which doesnt ever look like happening
>have fully track circuited approach and main and loop roads , and approach 
>arrival and departure signals , plus fully motorised points .
>IE of the infrastructure needed to implemented either full CTC from Broadmedow 
>or a more limited form of ATC from Acacia Ridge , about 80% is already there.
>All that is needed is 
>1/ Track circuiting of the main lines between crossing loops
>2/ Axle counting the single line sections.
>Acacia Ridge to Greenbank is already ATC using axle counting.

>Option 2 would cost the least , requiring only 4 pairs of axle counters.
>Communication links , which are the other expensive requirement for CTC or ATC 
>are already there to handle telephone comms between the loops and control,and 
>to provide comms to the Radio Base Stations,

>The other optional , requirement would be to replace the 
>distant landmarks with automatics , but this isnt necessary in the immediate 
>term if minimum cost is the requirement.
>I can partially understand why RAC or Qrail are reluctant to do anything as 
>currently NRC are the major customer.

>Maybe if NRC offered to buy 4 pairs of axle counters , aomething useful might 
>happen.

>cheers
>MD


Further on from this post , a close inspection of the North Coast line as it 
now stands shows a fair amount of extremely underutilized infrastructure in 
the form of crossing loops that are pretty useless.
Since the construction of Lawrence Rd loop and Bromelton Loop, some pre 
existing loops which are very short are really redundant, and  could be closed
and the equipment re used where it is more needed.
Some examples are 
Banyabba Loop
Camira Creek Loop
Leeville Loop.
Greenbank Loop.

All these loops are too short now for crossing anything other than a pair of 
XPTs or short freights , and are sufficiently close to either new or 
lengthened loops to be pretty well redundant.
In fact having run Train Dispatcher with the current timetable as it now 
stands , we find that these loops dont get used at all, and only are used in 
in frequent cases when trains run well out of time.
If there were to be a massive increase in the amount of traffic on the Nth 
Coast line , there may be some argument to lengthen Camira Ck loop,but its not 
likely for quite a while.
One loop that is desperately in need of lengthening is Coramba.

cheers
MD