Re: Bayside Trains driver stood down.

[notagunzel@bigfoot.com.au (Notagunzel)]

On 16 Jul 1999 08:27:50 GMT, cmgord@ecr.mu.oz.au (Christopher_Martin
GORDON) wrote:

>: > Just heard on 3AW that a Bayside Trains driver was stood down today, for
>: > driving his train through a Dandenong level crossing while the gates were
>: > still up. 

>: Given that the automatic trip levers would have stopped a train driving
>: through a red signal which should have been showing if the gates were
>: up, how could this have happened and why was the driver blamed?

>Not correct, if the level crossing has stopping/express selection it
>will be protected by a red/red signal, but if the gates have no 
>stopping/express selection then the signal will be at proceed, and
>you could go through the signal at 'proceed' and the gates still be up.
>
>In other words a level crossing after a station will have a red/red
>signal (some expections like Mitcham where it is always set for down
>express trains) and a level crossing before a station or the middle of
>no where will have no protection (ie signal at Proceed)

Umm.... something wrong here.  If the crossing has no express/stopping
selection, then if the signal is at stop, a train approaching the
crossing & signal will not start the crossing.  If the approach to the
crossing is unoccupied, then the signal will clear immediantly, and
the crossing would start when the approach section is occupied.  If
however, the approach is occuped, the signal will not clear until the
booms are proved down (mostly).  That's the simple explanation,
ignoring the inner / outer approaches stc...

>On 3LO they said it was a goods train, the crossings there have signs 
>"Do Not enter level crossing until booms are horozontal"

Sounds like it was on the through siding on the Cranbourne line
shunting.  Errr.. what traffic comes out of there thesedays?

>Don't worry all the signalling/points and trains on the Dandenong panel are
>recorded so they can find out what happened (and there was another person
>in the cab of the train)

Big Brother is watching, in fact AFAIK all predictors also have data
recorders, so it can be seen what is going on after an event.
Notagunzel.
Rail Transportation Connoisseur.
notagunzel@bigfoot.com
(Waiting for the next move at
http://www.bigfoot.com/~notagunzel)