Re: Y2K Fears to Stop Cityrail Trains

[matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au (Matthew Geier)]

 It would appear Cityrail's fears are not their computer systems or the
signalling. The system can operate, abit slowly with out the supervisory
computers and in a pinch the trains could run 'on sight' like a tramway,
but if the electricity grid hickups, you have trains without power, in
tunnels with minimal battery emergency lighting, and packed stations with
minimal battery emergency lighting.
 If Wynyard or Town Hall plunged into darkness with a crowed platform of
party goers, of whom a significatant portion are intoxicated on various
substances, ensuring paniced riot could claim a significant number of lives.

 If the electricty grid does hickup, it is going to take more than 15 minutes
to do a cold start. They havent actually done a cold start of the system 
before. Some people claim a cold start might not be even possible!.

 (The big power stations need a smaller one to 'boot' them. If the grid
shuts of, and the power stations shutdown, where will the power come to
restart them ?. There is a lot of switch gear to manually control to get the
Hydro in the Snowy switched to the Hunter to get the biggies online.)