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G'day,
I am not sure that our down-under cold weather would pose many dramas to electric traction.
As BW states, Flat batteries during winter would be the main drama when buzz boxes are stabled off the air (overhead).
A domestic car battery will kark it here during winter if the vehicle is not utilized regularly.
Or a battery charger not connected occasionally.
And condensation in the air brake system might also cause a minor problem regarding frozen brakes.
It did get COLD in Lithgow during winter, but nothing like you Poms cop, and indeed weasels required a long warm up period before they were able to perform.
Mostly, our buzz boxes were left on the air while stabled, unless trackwork was scheduled and buzz boxes were not required for a couple of days.
But as privatization loomed, our buzz boxes were kyboshed in preference to weasels.
Working electric traction during winter, either buzz boxes or emu cattle trains, did provide some spectacular fireworks off the overhead.
Arcing being very prominent as the pans hit any dangling icicles.
Pumping up the pans when no main res air remains is fun (HA!).
The Metro Vickers 46 class buzz boxes had a three way marine air tank to store air to later pump up the pans.
But, the things either became useless due to being out of use by date.
Or crews forgot to store air in em prior to stabling and dropping the pans.
Yes, so go grab another loco to pump some air into the dead thing main res tank.
Then hope that once you have the pans up that there is enough battery juice to get the thing to fire up.
I was sent down to smog hollow many moos ago with me driver to fire up a stabled coalie in Penrith refuge.
Then work it home to Lithgow.
We got down there with heaps of time, but me driver suggested that we visit a rellie of his nearby for a cuppa java.
This was PRE dawn.
His rellie was NOT impressed, but made us a cuppa java.
By the time we got back to the refuge, we only had about 30 minutes to get the thing going.
It had been stabled for many hours pans down and all the main res had leaked off.
Both of the 86 class buzz box pair of foot pumps had ruptured seals and achieved nada.
We could not get a single pan aloft.
PANIC.
So, I ran down to the station to beg the control officer to borrow one of his suburban squirts.
They did have one emerging from the yard which was not due away for a while.
So, with the co-operation of the pointcop, we maneuvered the emu up and into the refuge close enough to hook up the main res hoses.
Hallelujah, we finally had some air and could get the pans aloft.
The batteries were ok, so they fired up.
I then had to sprint along the train releasing hand brakes and to the rear to perform an air brake continuity.
Sprinting back, we were just ready for the scheduled departure.
Yes, the cuppa java was nice, but I paid for it being in a lather of sweat for most of the trek home.
Me driver knew not to ask me to do any of the driving, I sat there in my seat recovering.
Ah them good ole days.
Steve.
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