Re: Head on in the Western district

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

In article <keithm.135.3845FAD9@commslab.gov.au> keithm@commslab.gov.au (Dave Malcolm) writes:
>From: keithm@commslab.gov.au (Dave Malcolm)
>Subject: Re: Head on in the Western district
>Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 04:51:37 GMT

>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



Lets look at the above limitations / propositions and what can be done to 
easily fix them.
In the case of speed boards we can solve this problem in exactly the way its 
solved in the road environment, ie advance notice of speed restrictions.
ie prior to say a 40 km/h curve,at a distance based on the maximum braking 
distance of the heaviest fastest train,we place a board with something like 
40km/h warning 2km ahead, then at 1km the same thing ie 40 km/h warning 1km 
ahead, then the actual speed board, this way the driver is made aware that a 
speed board is coming up.
The same can be done for signals which are closer than the maximum braking 
distance for the train , ie class X signal 2 km ahead.

In Bobs case of bringing a heavy train down the Adelaide Hills, the issue here 
is not so much the geographic location, but the skills necessary to bring a 
train down a steep hill, any steep hill.
For example I doubt that a freightcorp driver who daily brought heavy trains 
down the Blue Mtns,would have any trouble bringing a heavy trains down the 
Adelaide Hills provided that we undertook the additional signage described 
above coupled with an additional sign something like severe 1:40 grade ahead 
for 10 kms , 
One could then possibly think about endorsements for train drivers much in the 
same way as heavy truck drivers are endorsed.
eg Severe grade endorsement.
Heavy load endorsement (4000 tonnes max etc).

In this way we get away from specific route knowledge , and replace it with 
additional / enhanced operational knowledge.

MD