Derailment at Hornsby
On Friday night, 9th July 1999, the front four cars of an eight car
train were derailed at the catchpoints in Hornsby yard at approximately 6.30pm. The
consist, from the lead, was C3057, D4051, T4129, C3752; C3916, T4049, T4108, C3946.
3057 scraped the side of a staunchion on the way through, which the corner of 4051
then hit and bent over, the staunchion then hitting the pantograph and rear of 3057.
It also slightly elevated 4051 on it, as well as tearing up through the floor and side
of this car. 3057 stopped only metres short of hitting another staunchion head on.
The rear four cars of the train were detached and removed early Saturday morning,
as they had not been adversely affected. The derailed cars were placed back on the
line, one by one, by crane. They were checked for gauge clearance, and then
each was hauled by 48 class loco into Hornsby maintenance centre. C3752, and later
T4129, was moved by loco 4873 on Sunday. D4051 was removed after the staunchion it was
on was cut up, and C3057 was turned around over the road by the crane to be hauled out
by loco 48100 at its No.2 end. |
Tulloch Refurbishment Update
As at Wednesday, 26th May, The Tulloch trailer refurbishment programme
by Rail Services Australia, Chullora, was being wound up with official photos being taken
outside the workshops of the last two cars, 4880 and 4864, with staff and officials. A
barbeque was also provided. The refurbishments continue, however, with CityRail's 620
class railcars. |
New Stickers
Two new stickers have been seen on Mortdale cars that are placed near the doorways,
warning passengers that travelling on the gangways is not permitted. No. 66 is placed on the lintel over
the sliding communcation doors (next to the 'Tangara' plate) in Tangaras, and on the glass in the
communication door above the 'Please Close the Door' sticker on all other cars. No. 59 is used only in
Tangaras, and is placed inside the enclosed gangway area on two of the sliding gangway wall panels,
diagonally opposite each other. |
THOROUGHFARE ONLY
DO NOT TRAVEL
BETWEEN DOORS
No. 66 |
DO NOT TRAVEL
IN THIS AREA
No. 59 |
|
Fire at Redfern
At around 9.45 - 10am Wednesday morning, 10/3, an eight-car Tangara set
was seen by a correspondent at Redfern apparently on fire. The unidentified set had
pulled into Redfern's platform 4, from the city, with smoke rising from beneath car 6
(non-control motor), with the majority coming from the area around the doors at the No.1
end. |
Latest Changes at Central
The Station "Manager's" office has been relocated from its home on
platform 1 to the room beside the ticket barriers on the main concourse, close to
platform 10. This room was previously home to the information hosts when they were moved
out of the Countrylink Booking Offices, room on the other side of the concourse. The
information hosts now have a new dedicated semi-permanent structure located adjacent to
the stone entry to the Men's lavatory, near the top of platforms 5 & 6.
Continuing from previous moves of buffers on platforms 11-15, the buffer stops for
platforms 9 & 10 were moved around 5-10 metres away from the terminal, towards Redfern
(ie west), to approx. the location of B0+008.
|
Eight Car Chopper Set Once Again In Existence
set C 9, based at Flemington for sectro 2, rather than being the
usual chopper consist of 6 cars (four cars + two: C-T-T-C-T-C), has been marshalled
as an "indivisible" eight car set (essentially two four car blocks: C-T-T-C-C-T-T-C). It
has been seen in this configuration since late last month; It's consist is:
C 3604, T 4270, T 4250, C 3600, C 3593,
T 4259, T 4266, C 3584
10/3 |
New Southern Railway: North Arncliffe
The new junction station between Tempe and Arncliffe on the Illawara
line at the East Hills and New Southern Railway lines, which was originally dubbed "North
Arncliffe", now has a new name:- "Wolli Junction". The station is currently under
construction in association with the New Southern Railway. A tunnel walk-through of this
line occurred om Sunday 7th March, where members of the public could walk along the tunnel
which will carry the trackage for the line from "Wolli Creek Interchange Station" through
to the Domestic Terminal station ("Domestic Air"), via the International Terminal station
("International Air"). Walkers were returned to the Wolli Junction site by vinatge buses
supplied by the Tempe bus museum (HCVA).
New Indicators at Sydney Central station (suburban concourse, Eddy Avenue entrance)
have been set up to display destinations of trains for the new line:
"Green Square, Mascot; Domestic Air, International Air; Wolli Junction" followed by all
East Hills stations, departing Platform 22 or 23. Of note, these indicators were
progressively installed from Friday 11th December through to Tuesday 15th; the station
names were applied on Monday, being finished off on Tuesday. The original lettering for
Wolli Junction applied Monday featured a spelling mistake which was fixed immediately
the next morning - The initial lettering saw the station name as "Wooli Junction";
On Tuesday the offending 'O' was removed and replaced with a mis-sized 'L' to correct
the error. Also some of the labels for Wondabyne are incorrect, missing the 'd'; ie
"WONABYNE"
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Suburban Indicators at Central
The article below mentions new indicators installed at Central. These
were of the old yellow wooden roller type, installed on the northern wall of the northern
concourse near the Eddy Avenue walkway (either side of the male toilets). These were
brought into use late last month, at the same time the old lit indicators were
decommissioned. The old indicators have been progressively dismantled and removed over
the past week, starting with the Illawarra (platforms 22/23) lines indicator, with all
work completed as of Wednesday 3rd February, including cement filling in the holes in the
terazzo tiles where the indicators used to sit.
About the same time, the booking office located opposite the old indicators were
closed and replaced by a temporary structure closer to the Eddy Avenue exit. During this
time, the original office was refit, and has now reopened, and the temporary structure
removed.
It also seems that the ticket barriers will be rearranged in this area of the station, a
new gate booth is under construction outside the paid area fence near the stairs to the
Intercity platforms, and trenches for electrical conduit for ticket barriers have been
marked and cut, and in some places dug out already. Also one panel (pillar to pillar) of
the green fencing separating the paid area from outside has been removed and replaced
with plywood sheeting.
|
Around the Tracks
A new corporate look for CityRail will be applied on a trial basis over
December and January to eight stations: Town Hall, Circular Quay, Central, Granville,
Westmead, Casula, Lakemba, and Broadmeadow. Following feedback, the entire network will
be revamped to the new corporate image over the next few years in a similar manner to the
1992 red & white revamp.
Also, by this time next year, CityRail is expected to have a new, yet to be finalised
logo, dispensing with the current L7 style logo. (What will happen to all the recently
refurbished cars that have just been embellished with the current blue & yellow L7's?)
Both Circular Quay's and Wynyard's signs have now been changed. The platform numbers are
now a white circle with a yellow border on a blue sign, with a blue number. Other signs,
such as the lifts sign, are the reverse, ie Blue circle with white lettering/symbols. The
station name is on a large rectangular sign with the name in a relatively small white
font in a large blue rectangle (Circular Quay taking up two lines) in the centre, with
white rectangles above and below with other information; directions to exits etc at the
top, and "Alight Here for ... " information at the bottom. In this writer's opinion, they
look terrible, as they do not have the appearance of being official nor professional
station signage, and look extremely cheap and nasty.
|
Goninan Refurbishments
On Friday, 27th November, a four car S set made up of C3008(s1),
T4109(s3), T4143(s3), C3058(s3) was sent to Goninan's at Broadmeadow. C3008 was refloored
and has had the blue stripes and white car numbers stripped off and replaced with logo at
one end and blue car number at the other end. The other three cars were Elcar
refurbishments cars and have also been standardised with logo at one end and blue car
number at the other. C3058 has also had a destination indicator fitted. All
four cars were returned to service on sector 3 on set S 81. C 3008 will remain
permanantly on sector 3 while it has been replaced on sector 1 by ex-sector 3 car C 3874.
This car went into service on set R8.(thanks to Michael McGinty).Update: C3874
has returned to sector 3 as seen in January
Also, on Friday night, 20th November, a 4 car unrefurbished Chopper set was seen passing West Ryde
for Broadmeadow at about 8:25pm, and a newly refurbished 4 car Chopper returning from Broadmeadow,
passing West Ryde at approximately 9:15pm.
|
Tangara Remarshalling
D 6187 from set T39 is in for crew air conditioning repairs and is
likely to be out of service for quite some time. The spare car D 6287 has taken its place
on T39, which apparently will be a permanent move, while D 6187 will take
the place of extra (spare) car to be placed on any set as required (previous role of
D 6287). D 6287 was marshalled as part of T39 on 30th November
and its first run was the following day on 1st December. Update: D 6187 returned
to T 39 in D 6287's place on 12/12/98, as repairs carried on the air conditioning in the
crew compartment was completed alot quicker then expected.(thanks to Michael McGinty)
D 6287 was originally the car that replaced D 6174, on set T84, which is still
under repair at MainTrain Clyde along with three other cars involved in the Concord West
accident on 9th June, 1998. Outer Suburban Tangara
car OD 6841, also one of the spare Tangara cars, has been on T84 since
D 6287 was removed from the set to have Train Radio installed at MainTrain,
around late October last year.
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Bankstown Goes Purple
Released during transport week was a new public transport map including government
and private bus services. The CityRail network map, also on the brochure, featured an indication of
the proposed Parramatta to Chatswood railway, a now solid line indicating the airport railway, and a
purple Bankstown line. Apparently the brown used for the Bankstown line contained too much red, which
caused confusion with the green Campbelltown line for people affected by red-green colour-blindness,
hence the official colour of the Bankstown line has been upgraded to "Light Purple", all maps in
future will use this instead of the brown.
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Central Changes Face
A number of platforms are currently being altered at the city ends of
Central station to accomodate lifts and/or escalators in order to bring the station up to
the CityRail Easy Access standard. Platforms 11/12, 13/14, 19, and 20 have so far been affected.
(thanks to Michael McGinty)
Further: With the reduction to one station master looking after Sydney Terminal/Central Electric, the
station is undergoing a name change to "Sydney Central". All new publications will have the new name,
and signage to the same effect will be erected around the entire station in the near future.
Those orange fibreglass seats in the country terminal platforms at Central have been
removed and replaced with new seats. The new seats are timber plank style and feature four chrome
armrests to discourage people sleeping on them in the station. The seats on the suburban platforms will
replaced following those in the concourse. |
Well-Travelled Seats
A red and white CityRail station seat of the standard 1990's fibreglass
variety has been noticed installed at Town Hall having come from the Central Coast station of
Point Clare. Right by it are another two seats from Pymble. |
Concord West Cars Back
Seen outside Hornsby Maintenance centre on the morning of Tuesday, Oct 13th, 1998, was an
untargetted Tangara set consisting of cars (from Asquith end) D6173, N5173, N5174, D6287. The first
three cars being those making up the majority of T84, the rear set of the train involved in the
Concord West accident on 9th June 1998, and the fourth car (D6287) being the second "spare"
Tangara driving trailer built by Goninan, and will have been the latest new car to be introduced to
service. D 6287 has since been removed from the set and replaced by spare Outer Suburban Tangara
(G-set) car OD 6841. The fourth car from T84 (D6174), and
also three cars of the front set involved in the accident, T73 (D6113, 5113, N5114)
are at MainTrain, Auburn under repair, while D 6114, also from T73 has been written off.
(thanks to Michael McGinty)
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