Re: Head on in the Western district

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

In article <81sk6f$ihq$1@nnrp1.deja.com> John Dennis <jdennis@acslink.net.au> writes:
>From: John Dennis <jdennis@acslink.net.au>
>Subject: Re: Head on in the Western district
>Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 01:17:12 GMT

>In article <81qbru$3qr$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,
>  Notagunzel <notagunzel@my-deja.com> wrote:
>> In article <81puc2$20pb$1@otis.netspace.net.au>,
>>   "Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au> wrote:
>>
>> > Reece,
>>
>> > The present system of securing the points at Ararat yard is purely
>> > Victorian Railways, ARTC inherited if from the PTC. The points in
>> > question are locked by Master Key and are operated under "Victorian"
>> > Section Authority System Rules.
>>
>> > If ARTC had introduced SA operating proceedures into Ararat, all
>they
>> > would have provided would be: A Switch Stand and a padlock, locked
>> > with a standard AN "S" lock.
>>
>> Last I knew, and I'm open to corrections, Ararat had Annett Locks at
>> each end.  IIRC an A pattern at the Up end and a B pattern at the Down
>> end.  The relevent key was kept in a locked box adjacent to the box
>> (V5PSW)
>>
>> It's actually worse than when the SG was first reopened.  At least
>then
>> they had staff locks on the points, and the Maryborough staff was
>> specially hacked so as not to open the main line points.  At some time
>> the Staff Locks were replaced with Annett Locks.  Initially there was
>A
>> pattern at each end, but later the down (?) end got a B pattern lock.
>>
>> Its actually all very mickey mouse.

>From what I have read we have the situation where trains can travel
>across facing points without any indication of their setting.  Are the
>annett keys interlocked with anything so that either trains cannot enter
>the section of they are removed from "the box", or the Train Controller
>cannot issue authority to proceed?

>To me it seems scary stuff indeed that trains can be travelling at full
>speed over facing points protected by nothing more than a key, without
>even any visual indication.

>Cheers...JD

>--
>John Dennis
>Home of the Dutton Bay Tramway
>http://www.acslink.net.au/~jdennis/dbt.html


>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.


>From Johns post above it might be well worth asking what is now the state on 
lines which are now train order which used to be ES or OS.
In those days mainline points were always staff locked , so that a driver 
could be reasonably assured that if he had the staff ,then all points over 
which he had to travel were locked, (excluding points protected by signals.)
Whats the situation now with train orders on the same lines?
There must be some level of concern re safety of unattended points as the new
CRT siding at Paisley has a switch lock,as distinct from a key.
At least in SA where train orders have existed for a long time , all points 
were fitted with switch stands which at least provided some visual indication 
of state of points .
Anyone know how SRA handles unattended points on mainlines under train orders?

MD