Re: Loco cab safety

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <821v6j$8gd$1@otis.netspace.net.au> "Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au> writes:
>From: "Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>
>Subject: Re: Loco cab safety
>Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 12:58:22 +1100

>Graeme,

>In answer to your question. From a crew point of view (IMO) the NRs are the
>best crew cabs in Australia, what I was suggesting was that in an NR you can
>get back out of the cab as far as the High Tension Cabinet (CA4), which is
>located way back in the vestible about 3 metres in the rear of the cab wall.

>The actual cabs from the few accidents NR have had don't hold up all that
>well, obviously the Robinson accident in NSW was an extreme that would have
>tested a Centurion Tank, but the train v  truck accidents in SA last year
>left a bit to be desired when it came to impact protection, its probably the
>abundence of glass up front???

>The question of NRs a reliable I'll leave upto those still working them,
>(they may have improved since my days with NRC)?

>Regards,


>Bob.


For what its worth, just recently since the hot weather has started, there 
seems to be a marked increase in the failure rate of the 2nd unit on NR trains 
between Goulburn & Harden, usually on the 1:40 grades near Bowning or Jerrawa.
What seemed odd was that it was always usually the no 2 unit , not the leading 
one.
Just about all NR trains on this corridor have 2 NRs or more.
Is there any obvious reason why its more likely that a 2nd unit will fail in 
preferance to the lead unit?

MD