Re: Head on in the Western district

[keithm@commslab.gov.au (Dave Malcolm)]

In article <mauried.488.3845E035@commslab.gov.au> mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly) writes:
>From: mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)
>Subject: Re: Head on in the Western district
>Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 02:57:57 GMT

>In article <824ega$gb5$1@news1.mpx.com.au> "Dave Proctor"
><daproc@spambait.umpires.com> writes:
>>From: "Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.umpires.com>
>>Subject: Re: Head on in the Western district
>>Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 11:24:59 +1100

>>Reece Isaac <throttle@alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
>>news:38427D4F.B61AB5DF@alphalink.com.au...

>>> Don't you realize that drivers will always have to have route specific
>>> knowledge!  It's called by those that do it 'ROADS AND SIGNALS'!  Just
>>> to drive a train on a track a driver has to be schooled on the route
>>> (and I don't mean just the safe working systems) I mean learning the
>>> track, the hills the dips where to power where to drift where to brake.
>>> That is special knowledge and it has to learned.

>>Yep - we all know that. But having a uniform standard of safeworking,
>>Australia-wide - would make that easier.

>>At the moment, a Sydney NR driver transferring to Melbourne has to relearn
>>all of the safeworking as well as the road. If the safeworking was the same,
>>he would only have to learn the road.

>>--
>>DaveProctor
>>thadocta AT dingoblue.net.au


>Its also worth wondering about the requirement to "know the road."
>If we delete the safeworking system on the basis that we have uniform national
>safeworking systems that everyone knows , then the issue is whether we can 
>implement a scheme of indications to provide sufficient road knowledge to a 
>driver who doesnt know the road to allow him / her to safely (maybe not 
>efficiently) drive a train over an unknown line.

>Such indications would be comprehensive speed boards, indications of presence 
>of level crossings, indications of forthcoming crossing stations etc.
>Realistically , I cant see any fundamental reasons why not.
>Speed boards, level crossing indicators already exist, and I note that NSW is 
>starting to introduce location boards.

>Its also worth noting that Rails competitors, namely road , sea and to a 
>lesser extent air , all operate without a mandatory requirement to "know the 
>road."
>All thats required is a qualification / endorsement , on the vehicle being 
>operated,not on where its going.

Nice idea, but the driver has to know where speed boards, signals, etc are 
before they get to them, so they can react to them.

Dave Malcolm

>MD