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

[markbau1@aol.comQQQQyuk (MarkBau1)]

<<<<<<<NZ uses catchpoints on its short crossing loops on the Johnsonville line
(running into sand traps).  The speed is not so great.  This allows
simultaneous entry of two trains, and even the crossing of one overlength
train per peak.  The system works very well.>>>>>>

You don't need catchpoints on the loop to have running crosses. Even VR's
crappily signalled Melb - Wodonga SG allows simultaneous entry with both trains
getting the wonderfully informative aspect of "low speed caution"

Why can't V/Line trust its drivers? When I worked on the Rio Grande I was
amazed and glad to see crossing loops signaled properly. If you were going into
the loop you got a bottom yellow, no speed proving, no "safety distance" from
home departure to the points. You know whats going on and you know where to
stop the damn train. This is on a railroad that runs 15,000 ton trains on 1 in
50 grades. If on the mainline you would get a top yellow.

VR, V/Line signal engineers should be shot for some of the crap they have
gotten away with!

The same engineers also set up some very unsafe signal practices, there was no
consistency at all.

The topper is the underground. The Engineers will tell you that Reg 74 is a
perfectly good way to run trains but when the underground was built why did
they dispense with automatics? They installed all home signals in the
underground because they wanted to remove any possibility of a rear end
collision in the underground, but its ok to run the rest of the system (above
ground) with automatics! Go figure!

Mark.



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