Flange Squeal

One of our Ticket machines is missing

2005-10-24T18:39:00.000+10:00

An email landed on my desk late Friday afternoon, from ERG (the incumbent ticketing contractor in Victoria) to OneLink and MetLink about the apparent theft of an entire tram ticket vending machine (tvm). A tram tvm, as the photo shows is no small thing. Here is the email in its unexpurgated form:

We were advised yesterday afternoon of a Validator stolen from tram 2005. On attending the Tram, we found that not only the Val had been stolen but also the Pole and Stanchion was missing as well. This meant that the power and communication cabling were exposed.
We advised Essendon Depot that Tram be removed from service until the incident could be investigated and repaired, as the exposed wires could pose a potential OH&S issue. I believe that ERG are on-site this morning to repair the Tram, in onjunction with any repair works that Yarra may have to perform.
While I am not sure at which end the driver was when the incident occurred, verbal advice was that the Driver did not notice anything. It may be worthwhile to follow-up up with Yarra to see if they have any further details regarding the incident. Unfortunately, I don't think that this Tram has CCTV installed so there is no footage, however Transit Police have been notified of the incident.

No honour among thieves

2005-10-16T09:11:00.000+10:00

The Pacific National plot thickens. The 50-50 joint venture between Toll Group and Patricks Corp. that holds a monopoly over the inter- and intra-state rail freight markets in Australia has come under threat of dissolution in recent times due to a falling out between Toll and Patricks.
Not only has Toll launched a bid to take over Patricks in recent months, but now Patricks has threatened to chuck a hissy fit, take its ball and go home after it found out how badly Patricks were screwed by Toll in their Queensland operation PN Queensland (PNQ). It seems that Toll 'forced' the PN board to agree to carry Toll's freight in Queensland at greatly reduced rates to what other shippers would pay for the next 20 years!
This weekend, it seems that the pressure has become unbearable for the boss of PN, Stephen O'Donnell who has resigned this week, citing unspecified threats. Oh Dear. Let's hope the truckload of money and stock options will ease the pain of his resignation. Considering what O'Donnell and his ilk have done (and continue to do) to the working conditions, job security and lifestyles of PN employees, he should consider himself very lucky to walk away with his termination package, options and ability to walk into another job. And of course, let's not forget how caring and sharing Patricks were when they decided to reform the wharves the old fashioned way back in 1998, with lockouts, masked thugs and vicious dogs!
Both Toll and Patricks are quite used to playing the game the hard way, so it is quite amusing to see both parties crying 'foul' when the other one won't play fair or share.
Whether in the criminal world or the related world of big business, there really does seem to be no honour among thieves!
I'm Loose Shunter. Good night.

Stupid people and trains

2005-09-26T22:21:00.000+10:00

Proving once again, that the stupidity of the traveling public knows no bounds are these two recent stories (from Sydney and Melbourne respectively) of what happens when you fail to treat trains with the respect they deserve. Last Wednesday, an 18-year old man decided that being asked for a valid ticket by a Transit Officer was a direct threat to his personal safety and thus decided to jump into the ‘four foot’ at Town Hall station’s Platform Five. Luckily for our youth, he only lost his thumb and sustained an injury to his arm. Unfortunately, he has lived to tell the tale.
Meanwhile, down at Geelong, a 14-year old girl thought that an express train traveling at 90 km/h was a stopping train when she tried to cross the tracks and jump onto the platform at the city’s North Shore station. In both cases, commuters were inconvenienced by having their trains cancelled in the peaks and train drivers (and in the Victorian case, passengers) were traumatised by the sight of someone going under the wheels of the train.
The Geelong incident provoked much handwringing and soul-searching and calls for the Victorian government to do something about unfenced tracks and eliminate level crossings. Indeed, the Melbourne Age newspaper was kind enough to provide a list of level crossing incidents and fatalities over the last decade, that acts as a catalogue of human stupidity and occasionally, a series of unfortunate events.
Now call me old-fashioned, but both these incidents mentioned above (and many from the list in the Age) seem to stem from the stupid actions of individuals whose selfish personal needs (to escape the TOs, or catch a train) impact on the needs of the many (to go to work or get home). And quite frankly, we need these kind of people out of the gene pool so they can’t breed. Here ends my rant

How do we look!

2005-09-25T17:21:00.000+10:00

Decided to drive to Sydney to attend the display at Sydney Terminal today.
Apart from the many members of the general public there was n umerous railfans spreading their own special type of joy around the locomotives.
How we act and the things we do determines what people feel about our hobby and those within.
A/ One attendee was walking around openly fondling himself while talking to some younger bloke.
B/ Another was abusing people for standing between his camera and a steam locomotive that was on display.
C/ One guy ignored the fact he had snot running down his mouth and dripping onto his shirt. He looked down and noticed his damp shirt yet had no concern and continued to trespass across tracks.
This does not make the more normal railfan look good, they are all clumped into the loonatic fringe.

LVRF Derailment!

2005-09-25T17:15:00.000+10:00

Last Monday a train leaving Botany derailed not far from the port after seemingly failing to stop at a catchpoint.
This begs the question 'WHY'? There is no servere dropping grade, there was no adverse weather conditions, there was nothing obscurring the view. Could it have been incompetence?
Many drivers for this company seem to lack basic people skills (are rude bastards), but are these not the only skills they are lacking.
Disgraceful.

Cityrail: Even worse than a 3rd world operation.

2005-09-22T15:40:00.000+10:00

Am I the only person amused by the stupidity involved in the decision to improve Sydney's rail service by slashing the amount of services it offers?
How much is the imbecile who made that decision being paid and how often does he use rail to get to work?
Crowded platforms at times when they previously weren't is one result of these changes as is the new ability to be crammed into trains and have ones nose shoved into an old deros armpit.
Why can third world countries operate a intensive rail service yet the whole concept remains beyond our ability? Rising fuel costs have forced many back to rail, crappy service will force them back into cars.

Who knows, perhaps I am wrong and slashing train services is the answer.
If this is the case I am lost to understand residents in places like Cessnock, Toronto, Murrwillumbah and Robertson whinging. These service slashings must mean that they all have amongst the best rail service in the world.
Lets show the world how to run a railway and totally disband Cityrail all together and rip all those usless tracks up.
Rear End