Re: VR Staff & Ticket and Pilot Working

["BJ" <macgunzal@REMOVEbigpond.com>]

>
>I would hazard a guess and say that PBR have created a safe working system
>to suite their requirements.
>
>
>----

As a current user of the PB safeworking system I suppose the above comment
is partially true - the original VR system was adopted with minor
alterations, particularly with locomotive failures and issuing of relief. In
the unfortunate event of a failure, the prime concern is arrangements for
the paying public - perhaps a little different to that of a freight carrying
railway and the arrangements that would be made. The general feeling is that
over time, all safeworking rules will form some type of commonality. e.g.
until recently the 3 main safeworking system users were the PTC (which is
VLP,VLF, WCR + others...), ETRB and Tourist Railways. The PTC has certainly
digressed into all forms of staff and ticket, ES, CTC, TO and SAW systems
and should really be left to it's own devices. Minor differences in the ETRB
rules and the Tourist Railway Act rules should be ironed out, especially
when quite a number of volunteers work not only on the PBR, but also other
railways in the state. One set of rules for all should be the aim.

Before this gets too off topic; an interesting point on the PBR staff and
ticket working relating to the earlier post about staff sections. 3 staff
exchange boxes exist. (i) BEL-LKS releases BEL-MCK and MCK-LKS. (ii) MCK-LKS
releases MCK-EMD and EMD-LKS. (iii) LKS-GBK releases LKS-CCK and CCK-GBK. In
other words, 6 "short section" staff exist. You may be aware that the
"typical" VR staff & ticket staffs had 4 patterns. The notch in the guage
ring on the staff could be aligned with internal keyway or at 90 deg, 180
deg or 270 deg. To prevent wrong PBR staffs ending up in wrong exchange
boxes (and having conflicting staffs released) the notches on some of the
PBR staffs are located at 45 deg instead of the standard 90 deg.

Hint for the day: Don't be signalman when Fire Patrols are running!!!