Safeworking!

["Rufus" <rufus.dog@mpx.com.au>]

Railways [and Truckers, for that matter] cant work without Safe working .
The ideal safe working  system is automatic, that is it does not rely on
people to pass an object to a train crew, ever!
The train should never be slowed or stopped, just to pass on some mystical
object so that the Driver may waste litres of fuel and brake blocks just to
stop and then return to his cruising speed.
ASW was the answer, and had it been developed and operated by people who had
the ability and the need to complete this project, instead of treating it as
a gravy train and ripping the system off for everything it was worth,  would
have been a cheap, safe alternative to all Safe working  Systems used in
Victoria today.
My only real objection to it, was that it caused too many things to happen
in front of me, too quickly and I never really felt  truly at home with it,
My only usage of it was on a Sprinter returning via Geelong from Ballarat.
These trips [numbered about 12] were spread over 15 months and I am guessing
the Ballarat Drivers who did it all the time were more comfortable with it.
I believe Freight Victoria will scrap this system, as the necessary money is
not available to complete the project. Freight Victoria may be forced to
return to Staff and Ticket and E.S. But not because they want to!
These old fashioned systems will do what they were  intended for, keep
trains safe, but they will stop trains from competing with the
Truckers...Lets face it the majority, break every rule in the book, live on
drugs, run
illegal long hours, and can connect door to door!
Today the railways have a problem with warehousing, or I should say the lack
of it. Most large manufacturers
use a system of just in time delivery of parts required for each days
manufacturing.
Ten trucks leave Adelaide with loads for Ford, One crashes at Murray Bridge,
One falls foul of the Law and Eight arrive on time at Ford, small problem,
but a backup truck might arrive later on to make up for the lost loads. On
the other hand the parts could be sent by TNT in their 40 ft vans, by rail.
They will get to Broadmeadows on time 99 % of the time, but that one time
they dont, because of accident, washaway or strike, the whole shipment is
seriously delayed or lost. Ford refuse to tolerate this, even though
annually they know they will lose 4 times more on the road for all these
reasons.
Many new Manufacturers are again building small warehouses, and Rail will
pick up this business...by using door to door containers, and road railers,
or something like it.
We are more reliable, our goods arrive in better condition, and now with the
new rates being offered by Freight Victoria, we are much cheaper! Companies,
with one or two days stock in Ware house are not as time orientated and will
use rail.
As we build up our tonnage in Victoria, we will dump old safe working
systems and good bloody riddance!
Rod ;o)