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G'day BW,
15 mph approaching a buffer stop would not be the go here in Sydney yard.
15 kph more like here.
I remember an incident when they evacuated the Concourse at Sydney terminal.
An interurban was rocketing in well above the yard speed of 25 kph.
The train did stop ok, but caused some panic.
The 15 kph was imposed after that.
The problem with Amtrak is that it shares freight roads, and Yankee freight roads don't normally have perfect pas operating conditions.
A 30 mph curve amidst high speed track on a NEWBIE built bit of track is RIDICULOUS.
The 60 kph curve amidst high speed track up in Bananaland where the QR tilt train TILTED was also ridiculous.
But, QR were retaining the old formation of the North Coast line from back when trains percolated much slower.
The QR tilter permitted a top of 160 kph in a small handful of spots.
The go here when firing with the class 6 blokes on the pas jobs was to learn the SLOW speed boards first.
That way you knew where you had to hit the anchors.
But, the NSWR had always factored in a 10 - 15 % error margin with track speed boards.
If a train can negotiate a curve at 70 kph without falling off, the actual board posted would stipulate 60 kph.
But, I notice that today here capitalistic corporations don't follow the same game plan.
Time is money and they want trains percolating as fast as possible.
So, some boards have been increased in speed by 10 - 15 %.
I have not ridden a Yankee Talgo style train, but found the German version VERY rough at high speed.
Just that single axle slamming through numerous weiche (points).
The Yankee version possessing power at both ends of the Talgo also makes me shudder.
I know how rough our XPT is on curves with the rear power car shoving the train.
Yes, we are all human and make errors at times.
Nothing can ever be totally perfect.
The DB Bad Aibling prang highlights just how a reasonably safe system (PZB) can be kyboshed by the use of substitution signals.
I am thankful that my footplate era was pre-computerization.
I enjoyed driving the thing, not having some computer tell me what to do.
Plus, the only time that I went fast was when hogging the Silver Streak or loco hauled Orange pas.
There are very few track speeds on the Central West that permit the 115 kph top loco hauled pas speed.
So, it was fun to get the wind in yer hair when you did hit them.
Otherwise, I was slogging it out on heavy freighters.
Steve.
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