Re: RIP ASW?

[David Langley <del@ancc.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote:

> Bob wrote >I remember a former Supt of Safeworking saying to me when ASW was in
> its
> >infancy, "Why would you want to spend $20 million dollars on ASW when for 20
> >cents you can get a Train Order book to do the same thing".
>
> >So you see not everyone in the PTC supported it!!!
>
> For what its worth I can also remember back in the late 1970s also a
> former Supt of Safeworking saying that there was no way ever that Vline would
> ever get Train Orders as they were unsafe.
> Staggering what cost cutting will do isnt it.

Amazing how times change.

The Americans operated their version of train orders over lines with  greater
densities than ours and whilst they probably had the odd incident, it appeared to
be a safe system. Our version with its supervision by train control seems much
safer provided every one does what they are supposed to do and do not "go to sleep
on the job" and I do not mean that literally.

I have said before that the former AN train order system operated between across
the Nullabor is a cheap but successful system and with the additions of loop
enhancements ought to be sufficient for our needs in Aust. When the train density
builds to something impressive, then do something about it further. CTC will not
stop the odd incident where a train heads into the section without authority so it
is not the be all and end all system.

BTW I have heard that a CTC project that was being developed some years ago for
this very section of line across the Pleurisy Plains has been taken out of storage
and is being dusted off as we speak. No doubt its cost will have increased but it
looks like getting a top green now.

David Langley.