Re: Long platforms

["Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>]

Vacillating station naming is a problem.

Way back the sg station was Perth Terminal (with East Perth suburban
station).
The former station became Perth City.

Adelaide is worse, and treated inconsistently between timetables and the
station sign.

Sydney has at last become Sydney Central throughout (and is signed
accordingly), but now that suburban trains have signs, they show 'Sydney
Terminal''.

Brisbane can't make up its mind if the place is Roma St station or Brisbane
Transit Centre.


Airports are named after the city which they serve, even when located way
out.  The geographical location is added as a suffix.
Hence: London Heathrow
Melbourne's 1970s airport was *never* Tullamarine airport, despite popular
misuse.  It was (rather pretentiously) Melbourne International Airport; a
few years ago the name was simplified to Melbourne Airport.

Railway stations make greates sense if named in the London style:
London Kings Cross
London Euston.

On platform lengths:
I was quoting the sg platform at Albury when I gave 456 m.  The bg one is
much shorter.
However, try wandering with a trundle wheel, and decide where to stop when
hitting the ramp at the south end.

I believe that the news item cited by Neil was wrong.  AFAIK the planned
762 m sg platform at Perth was completed years ago.  I suspect that it is
related by the announcement that in-clear standing room at Kalgoorlie will
be expanded.

Kalgoorlie had a long ng platform (510 m) and two sg dock platforms at the
east end.  Long sg trains were docked in two sections, and were coupled at
departure time.  AFAIK the ng platform was not lengthened when it was
converted to sg.

Broken Hill platform is 366 m.

I am still trying to obtain Queensland's longest: presumably Roma St
north-coast platform and Rockhampton.  How long is the new Cairns platform?

-- 
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor