Re: IT'S ACADEMIC - EASY ONE! -AND ANOTHER NOT-SO-EASY

[David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au>]

Railway Rasputin wrote:

> Ron BEST wrote:
>
> > What do you mean by "arse about"? I always thought the "UP, UP, DOWN DOWN"
> > layout made more sense - the passengers don't have to play "musical
> > platforms", guessing which one the next train will arrive at!
> >
> > Why was this arrangement used on this section? Was there once a plan to
> > convert Sydney - Granville to the same arrangement?
> >
> > Actually, it's just occurred to me, that you weren't referring to the
> > "parallel" arrangement, but to the fact that the inner tracks should be the
> > "main" lines and vice versa. Perhaps this relates to how they originally
> > proposed to join the inner and outer sections. Of course, we now have the
> > ridiculous situation where a track changes its name at an arbitrary point
> > (down main becomes down suburban between Harris Park & Parramatta etc)
> >
> > Rgds
> >
> > Ron BEST
>
> Correct! You have the ridiculous situation of a main line being slower than the
> suburban and the main line "terminating" on one track and reforming on another!
>
> ok its not the most correct way of describing it but you know what I mean.

I think the basic reason was that they wanted to have the Up Main on the left
facing Sydney.  They didn't worry about it when they did the Illawarras.

A fast train going from Penrith to Sydney on the fast track goes:
Up Main, Up Suburban, Up West Suburban, Up Main.

A slow train going from Penrith to Central on the slower track goes:
Up Main, Cross Up Main, Up West Main, Up Suburban.

For a train to stay on the "Main" line, it has to use two turnouts.

Confused yet?



--
David Johnson
CityRail Guard
trainman@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/