Re: Near miss at Meadowbank

["Ben Staples" <98711576@feline.hawkesbury.uws.EDU.AU>]

Matthew Geier wrote in message <7bhnst$bt0$1@metro.ucc.usyd.edu.au>...

*SNIP*

> At Meadowbank the ballast must have been flat (down to the sleepers) and
>the person rather thin, and heavy (high) rails. Cityrail practice is to
>have balast heaped rather high over the sleepers and the traction motor
>gear cases are not very far above rail height. There are also brackets
>and piping under the gondola as well, all things that could catch and make
>a rather nasty tear.


I believe the last  time CityRail did any track maintenance was back in
early 1996 before RSA was formed, and it is not 'practice' heaped rather
high over sleepers. What you have probably seen is a ballast drop before
planned resurfacing (tamping), which using quite a bit of ballast. Practice
in my area is that ballast must not obstruct view of the pandrol plates and
clips (or dog spikes) so track inspections can note if any are missing.

Ben Staples