Crossing loop design (r.e. Southern Aurora crash)

[Craig Haber <albatross@harnessnet.com.au>]

G'day,

whilst travelling to Griffith last weekend (all by rail) from Melbourne,
I noted something which I'd wondered about a few times.

In Victoria, at Lara and Laverton (and probably some other places), loop
roads have 'slips' installed which are rodded to the points.  If the
points are set for the main, the slip is open, train cannot exit loop
road onto the main - it is derailed.  If the points are set for the
loop, slip closes, train can safely exit loop road.

It appeared on my travels that loops throughout NSW are set up the same,
and talking to the train controllers at Junee suggested that this is
indeed the standard set up.  He also suggested we were mad not to do so
here.

This begs the question - why is this not standard practice elsewhere?
Didn't the Aurora go through no. 2 road?  Had Violet Town been equipped
with an NSW (or Lara and Laverton) style loop, when the Aurora passed
the stick with the road set for the main (and hence the slip open), it
would been derailed - rather than proceding head on into the oncoming
goods.

Yes I concede there is the possiblity of something of a 'pile up' with a
pass train being derailed at 115km/h, hence fouling the main line and
being struck anyway, but wouldn't "some risk of collision" be preferable
to "guaranteed collision"?  And given the push for driver only for long
shifts on bigger and harder to stop freight trains, is it inevitable
that more trains will overshoot loops and such collisions be more
likely?

Speaking of the Aurora, it's very interesting to read the various
statements and reports into the accident.  In particular, it was fairly
obvious immediately after the accident that driver Bowden was deceased
prior to the collision - he suffered significant wounds (including a
severed leg), but there was no bleeding.

Regards,
CH.
--
Craig Haber
albatross@harnessnet.com.au
http://www.harnessnet.com.au
"It's hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys"