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Cooee BW,
A sad occurrence.
Our ATSB are investigating a fatality on a freight loco, possibly attributed to the need to go.
Most locos here do possess a dunny, as in the case of the incident.
While there are some emu squirts rattling around smog hollow that possess dunnies, these are locked off in commuter service.
These emu sets are designed for interurban work outside of the smog hollow metrop region, and require a dunny.
Smog hollow squirt drivers have the ability to request toilet relief.
But, this naturally must occur at a station where a relief driver is available.
One such being the Quay Circle, 14 minutes running time from Central around the underground back to Central.
This occurred mostly with Bankstown circles, where the crew performed one and a half to two Banka circles.
But, also with Liverpool services.
This no longer occurs due to the mongrel driverless Metro usurping heavy rail on the southern part of the circle.
The shift rostering also provides a couple of short rest periods in addition to the crib (meal break) 20 minutes.
These rest periods being arranged at major stations with crew facilities.
I would imagine that if an interurban suddenly screeched to a stop and the driver sprinted to the dunny, the cattle would not be impressed.
Probably the longest urban run would be the Bathurst Bullets, being a 3 hours 45 minutes run.
There being only the singly dunny for the two car dmu, there is usually a cattle queue.
So, a driver caught short would be awkward.
It is verboten here for any train crew to climb down from the cab while in traffic, unless during an emergency.
The driverless metro is obviously the solution to all such problems, NO CREW, NO toilet requirements.
Gone are the days of smog hollow cattle performing the golden shower out the squirt doors.
And, Mums holding nippers up to the squirt windows to spray a golden shower.
You had to quickly slam shut your window if perched behind such a caper.
Smog hollow squirt announcements now advise any cattle feeling ill or the urge to go to alight at the next station.
Back in the Good le Days, we would pull a freighter up on a station to sprint to the dunny if necessary.
But, there are far fewer rural stations now days, with everyone driving cars.
You definitely had to pull up within the smog hollow outer and inner Metrop if you had Pommy butter boxes.
NO dunnies on them, just the kit bucket in the machinery room.
Down in Van Diemens Land, none of the locos had dunnies.
You had to stop and sprint behind a bush.
So, attend to business before departure and climbing onto the footplate.
And, lets face it, there were no dunnies on soot belchers, just the shovel.
As to the recent fatality, information is vague.
The crew being one of the fly by night contract hire mobs.
The older bloke exited the cab, presumably to go to the dunny and did not return.
The younger bloke eventually stopped to the train to go investigate.
He discovering the older bloke karked it in the loco vestibule.
Our poor ATSB bods are flat out investigating prangs, so who knows when this report will be published.
Steve.
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