Oz railway lets newspaper photograph train keys

Re: Replacing keys

if recent history is anything to go by, the upgraded access technology will be a long, drawn out tender process with the winning bidder deciding to create their own solution even though there was multiple, proven solutions already available. It will also be delayed about 6 years with a budget overrun of over 100 million dollars.

Myki anyone!

Re: Derailer block

No because if you didn't have it tip into another train it would roll over completed causing way way more damage and being significantly more dangerous to anyone on or near the train.

Yes the moving train hit another but I strongly suspect that the damage to both trains would be significantly lower than the damage that would have occurred to the primary train if it had rolled.

Re: Derailer block

You mean, like in a stabling yard?

Derailers are kind of essential in places like that :)

Re: Derailer block

> ... putting this in a place where it can tip one train into another, might be a poor plan?

Probably a lesser of evils choice. If there are multiple parallel tracks, then if a train gets derailed off one track, it's going to be hitting whatever's on the next track.

But what's the damage if you don't stop it ?

I don't know the specific in this case, but I'm taking a guess that this derailer was one there to protect the main line - ie stop an errant train leaving the sidings when it shouldn't - for whatever reason. If you think about it, the scope for damage and/or injury rises significantly if the train had got out of the sidings where it could conflict (perhaps head-on) with in-service trains carrying passengers.

Re: Derailer block

It's a path of least risk. The derailer is to prevent a runaway from getting onto the main line where it may then collide with an in service train carrying passengers. Better to stop it by crashing it into another parked train at low speed than to have it run away down the main line and hit another train full of passengers at speed.

As for the train keys - the basic problem is 100s of people require keys. It doesn't matter what system you use, keys / access codes will 'leak'. All you can do is try to contain it.

I believe most 'route buses' all have identical keys too, as do trams. You can be sure those have 'leaked' too and people have sets of keys who shouldn't.

Security patrols often don't help. They often to be found sitting in a warm office while the low-lifes are out in the yard giving a train a new paint job....