Multiple SPADs on the Long South
 

Crikey, A Pacific National grain train passed no less than THREE sticks at stop down the Long South near Wagga Wagga.
It finally halted after Junee control radioed the train crew to STOP.
It was heading north while a south bound was perched barely 3 kms away.
I guess that somebody is in trouble.
Will hafta await the ATSB (OTSI) incident report.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...r/ro-2019-007/
One wonders why Junee took so long to contact the train.
The SPAD alarm should have gone off after the train passed the first stick at stop.
Steve.

Yo Steve.

Wagga Wagga is one of those names that just makes me smile every time I see it. We have entertaining place names here too, like Carlton Scroop, which sounds to me like a Victorian villain.

Can't help behaving like a kid....it's got me this far. :cool:

Anyway I digress. Ref the spads. We had a multiple-spad incident a few years ago. That one went down to fatigue. Or put it another way, the poor b****r was so tired he fell asleep and just trundled gently off into the sunset on a line not fitted with TPWS, poor chap.

We also had one where a freight train which rolled backwards several miles. He'd also fallen asleep.

As a passenger train driver doing permanent swaps which mean I never start a turn before midday, I'm horrified at the wildly gyrating hours of freight drivers. I have enormous respect for them. I always fancied driving big heavy trains, but I'm too much of a wuzz to accept never knowing what you'll be doing from one day to the next, and being permanently wasted.

Finally, on a different topic - I haven't forgotten about the DVD. The new VR 'pooter' comes this week, so the old one will be dedicated to Video Production and I can get a move on.

Cheers, John (BW).

G'day BW,
Yes fatigue can be a dangerous facet of any shift rotation rostering.
But, our modern day rostering is all computerized to factor in crew fatigue.
That don't mean that the blokes actually went to bed at home as intended.
The location of these SPADs was through Wagga Wagga yard area.
Yeh, we snicker when we hears specific location names.
The locals down there wanted it to become just the single Wagga, without the repeat.
Most folks do say just the single version.
Dubbo is also another location that can prompt snickering.
Bogan Gate (out west) also has a snicker aspect, Bogan Moths are humongous.
They do an annual lemmings into the drink stampede ala into the flames or bright lights.
Swarms of Bogan moths flap east towards the bright lights to make a mess.
So, you are a Bogan if you do stupid things.
Anyhoo, I got derailed there.
http://www.sa-trackandsignal.net/Pdf...ARTC/AR256.pdf
That should be the track diagram for the location.
The PN train was heading north and went past sticks 04.26 04.32 04.30.
The southbound was up at Bomen, I presume.
I will eagerly await the ATSB final report.
You is buying a newbie computer ?
You will cop a big power bill running two computers.
HA!
Steve.