Re: Head on in the Western district

["Gavin Potter" <gavpot@ozemail.com.au>]

Maurie Daly <mauried@commslab.gov.au> wrote in message
mauried.483.3841E725@commslab.gov.au">news:mauried.483.3841E725@commslab.gov.au...
>
> 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
>

I seem to remember that when staff locks were first removed from points and
replaced with locking bars and a 5P lock (of which every man and his dog
had), there was instructions issued in the WTT that speed was to be reduced
to 15 kph over facing points. I am thinking of the line from Ouyen to
Pinnaroo in this case, but I can also vaguely remember having to slow down
at Sheephills on the Warracknabeal line when they removed the staff locks
there also.

Surly in this day and age some sort of point indicator is available that
gives the crew advanced warning of how the points are set. What about a
transponder in advance of the points that responds with message indicating
point setting.

By the time the Portland crew hit the skids at the swimming pool, they would
have been lucky to have reduced speed by about 5 - 10 kph down the grade
into Ararat.


--
Gavin Potter
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"Planning without action is futile. Action without planning
is fatal."  -Alan Speigel.