Hornsby Yard Failure

[laughing@the.rac.invalid (laughing)]

After all the propoganda about the fantastic new signalling system at 
Hornsby Yard there has just been a rather comprehensive failure of the new 
signals and points.


My train from the main line waited about 15 min outside Hornsby.  I did 
some business and came back to find a rather fucked up situation.

At the high point there was a tangara with D6276 proudly displaying DAPTO 
on platform 4,the Gosford intercity had a very long wait on the down main 
outside the platform,  there was a suburban from Berowra sitting on the up 
main outside the platorm, an XPT not too far behind, and 3 more sets in the 
up yard and several came and went on platforms 1/2.

This basic configuration lasted over 30 mins, while the platform staff 
played

	"Signal Failures are causing delays to the Cityrail system.  Please 
stand by and wait for further announcements while we rectify the problem".


The trains on 1 kept tripping at the signal HY59, which itself was non-stop 
hissing away.

The points at the Newcastle end on the down main was manually worked on, 
with a Berowra service going up the up main and using the latter points.

What really pisses me off is that they managed to send 4 suburban trains 
down the up main, they transposed one of these to first stop Strathfield, 
but the other 3 did not even pick up.

It was ages before they actually had any suburban service on the main line.