Re: Indian Pacific hits freight train - Who's the Responsible Investigating body?

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

In article <37C561DD.2A038311@ozemail.com.au> David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au> writes:
>Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 01:48:45 +1000
>From: David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au>
>Subject: Re: Indian Pacific hits freight train - Who's the Responsible
>Investigating body?

>gonoNOCRAP@bigpond.com wrote:

>> Come on David the sand on Cowan bank thing was a major cop out i do
>> not believe for one second the whole train was insulated from the
>> track circuit the probability of that would be infinitesimal that
>> story was to appease the press!!!

>I believe it.  I was like you until I read the report and saw some photos of the
>accident scene, including a photo of the wheels of the rear carriage completely
>coated in sand.  It can happen.  Nothing is impossible.

>--
>David Johnson
>trainman@ozemail.com.au
>http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/


Noeone will even know what really happened , but one question that is left 
begging is that if we accept that sand can insulate wheels from a track cct it 
doesnt in any way alter what the function of the track cct is,ie if a train 
goes into a track section and doesnt come out the other end , then its still 
in there , no matter what the continuity between the rails is ,and the signals 
should reflect the last known state.
Since this accident has the interlocking been modified to operate on a train 
in / train out basis , ie we dont now rely on continuity between the rails .
If as I suspect is the case , no modifications have been made then we can take 
for granted that sand wasnt the original problem as to admit that this is the 
case and then do nothing about correcting the problem (AFAIK locos still carry 
sand and use it on the Cowan Bank) would be negligence in the extreme.

MD