Re: Oakleigh

["Notagunzel" <notagunzel@bigfoot.com>]

Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au> wrote in message
37C2A266.A7E7036E@efs.mq.edu.au">news:37C2A266.A7E7036E@efs.mq.edu.au...
> Notagunzel wrote:

> > For an NX panel, I really think pulling lists are not necessary for NX
> > panels, especially where the buttons/icons are physically located
adjacent
> > to the relevant signals.  P.S. Oakleigh is a OCS, not NX, am I right?

> Yes. So allied question: how many OCS panels are/were there in Victoria?
> [Oakleigh, Camberwell, Flinders St D, West Tower have been previously
> mentioned - any others?]

Waddabout the Drivers panels at Westall, Camberwell & Bayswater?  No
signals, but they're one button per route.

> And how many NX panels?

First one was methinks a small panel in Nth Melb Jct Box for the pts &
signals for the Macaulay Stabling Sidings.  This was replaced when Nth Melb
Jct was resignalled in the early 80's? and received a Unit Lever Panel.  The
2nd was Spencer St No.2 Box (now gone too), and the 3rd was the Metrol
Panels.  I'm not aware of any others.  After the first brief flirtation with
NX panels in the late 70's, VR went back to unit lever panels for all the
Metrol area 'stageworks' panels.  (i.e. the panels at Flinders St A, B,
Franklin St) which had only limited lifespans.

Then there is a slightly peculiar style of panel, which I can only call push
button unit lever:
The old NE CTC in Head Office; Bungaree panel @ Ballarat, Western CTC panel
at Centrol (still in service I think).  These had a separate button for
normal/reverse for the points, and a button for the signal.

> Of course Victoria still persists with unit lever panels as its
> apparently standard type even in the latest installations - I wonder
> whether that will change in the Grand New Privatised World?

A sensible (!) operator would be consolidating everything into TMF.

People often complain about how 'slow' the recent resignallings (SSI &
Westrace) are, it's actually IMHO a symptom of Unit Lever Panels.  If a
conflicting move is to be made, the Signaller has to wait for the track circ
uit to pick up, (plus 'hidden' anti-bobbing protection time) then operate
the point lever(s), then operate the signal.  If a halfway modern
processor/VDU/mouse/trackball/NX workstation was used, (surely the costs
would have to be comparable to all the MUXing for a Panel & Diagram) the
route can be stored in advance, and excecuted as soon as possible, instead
of factoring in human reaction time to point free lights etc... and
operation of multiple levers...

P.S., re my TMF post, I forgot to mention it apparently doesn't store routes
for later excecution, how strange?

> It seems to be standard advice in NSW (for both OCS and NX panels) for
> the signaller to try setting the points with the separate points levers
> if the route will not set. However this advice is often supplemented by
> "try moving the points to and fro", on the theory that this will
> hopefully dislodge any obstructions.

The best way to adjust point machines in the peak is with a Sledgehammer, or
so I'm told...

--
Mr Notagunzel.
Rail Transportation Connoisseur.
notagunzel@bigfoot.com
(Waiting for the next move at http://www.bigfoot.com/~notagunzel)