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Re: Enfield yard
In <37be4b82.21511568@news.ion.com.au> petanREMOVE@ion.com.au (PETer and susAN) writes:
>Hi folks,
>the NSWGR [pre NR] Enfield yard was built on a grade. I think it was
>to assist shunting.
>Anyone remember the grade and which direction it went, please?
Not sure of the exact grade, but I think it was about 1:50. The grade went
from the site of Enfield North Box to Enfield South Box. Note that I mean
the second Enfield South box - the original was apparently further around
the corner where the double track goods line and the engine roads came
together at the start of the long straight down to the curve before Campsie.
I don't know if and when the second South Box was built, but it must have
either co-incided with a derailment that damaged the first one, or a yard
upgrade.
Anyway, I remember well the skills of the shunters there, since after
Enfield was closed the handsignals used to communicate to different people
down the yard as trains were sorted have all but ceased to exist. There were
used a bit at Rozelle yard before it was ordered to shut down on the night
shift because of noise complaints.
It was a real pleasure watching these guys do all the artful work hardly
ever using their radios. I only started to learn their handsignals when the
yard closed in June 1992 for the *very* long hiatus before any rebuilding
commenced, but being able to predict the moves saved me from a few nasty
hits when a shunter forgot to set the road properly.. 8-)
Fortunately runaways in the yard were few and far between, but they did
happen. I only remember seeing the sirens and blue warning lighs activated a
few times during my period at DELEC as a trainee.
Regards,
Craig.
--
Craig Ian Dewick | Stand clear - jaws closing
Send email to craigd@lios.apana.org.au | Visit my Australian rail transport
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