Despite those safety measures, Rail Tram and Bus Union national president Phil Altieri said autumn tram driving was still too dangerous. Sand, dispensed by tram drivers from their trams, on tracks in Collins Street. But Mr Altieri said Yarra Trams had outsourced track cleaning to a firm called ISS, which didn't do enough preventative or reactionary track cleaning in autumn.
He said the leaves and their "oily residue" can cause trams to skid, particularly when travelling on an incline or decline. Mr Altieri said autumn was the worst time of the year for slippery leaves on tracks, but that dirty tracks at other times of the year could cause electric shock. This can occur when a tram becomes "isolated" , or when a tram is on but its wheels are not in direct contact with the tracks. Yarra Trams said electric shock very rarely occurred to anyone using the tram network and that areas where more leaves fall are cleaned more regularly.
Wet leaves and sand on tram tracks: Why autumn is the worst for tram drivers. Please try again later. The Age. By Anthony Colangelo Updated May 21, — 1. This was partly a limitation of the equipment then available and partly due to nervousness about the risk of sand debris between the wheels and rails causing wrong-side track circuit failures. Gradually, experience supported by risk assessments has shown that using sand to achieve the best possible stopping distance delivers both the least risk and enables high throughput and closer headway operation.
More than ever, the railway requires confidence that trains will stop in the required distance, especially where increased capacity is sought. This begs many questions. How much sand? How many more sanders? And on which axles should they be mounted? This is a complex, multi-dimensional issue.
Whilst some evaluation can be done with simulations, testing is still required to optimise the solution. The testing would be complex with so many variables. A test train would require a number of sanders spread down the train and each sander needs to be capable of having its sanding rate varied and having each sander isolated.
Moreover, poor adhesion has to be simulated predictably. Rail Engineer was invited to Old Dalby to see the testing. They outlined the scale of the cross-industry team cooperation on this significant project. RSSB is providing project management, technical direction and communications.
GWR has loaned two new Class EMUs to the project, with manufacturer Bombardier and owner Porterbrook supplying technical, logistical and commercial support. The train drivers come from Freightliner, which is also maintaining the trains and hauling the transit moves. Together, they are contributing the design, approvals and installation of temporary modifications to the test train including sander hardware and control systems, train instrumentation, low adhesion equipment , creation of the low adhesion railhead conditions by application of paper tape throughout a 1km test zone , provision of test strategy and engineering documentation, test management and safety staff for track access.
Following a recently completed research project T , the standard was revised to allow for trains formed of two or more units coupled together to use the existing sanders on the non-leading units, where previously the practice has been to use only the leading sander on axle 3. For example, an eight-car train formed of two four-car units can now use two sanders compared to one. This practice has now been adopted by a number of TOCs. Paul Gray told Rail Engineer that, to support further implementation across other fleets of multiple units, this project was carrying a number of test runs using two four-car Class units coupled together, applying sand on axles 3 and 19 the third axle on the second unit which is a typical formation, especially in the South East.
Twenty days of testing have been organised, which allows for approximately tests. Most of the tests are being carried out on a four-car Class unit which, in standard trim is fitted with sanders in front of axle 3 on each cab car. Additional sanders had also been fitted in front of axles 7 and 11, as well as control equipment to allow the testers to select which sanders to use and whether fixed or variable rate.
These additional sanders only allow for testing in one direction. The only interface with the braking system was to obtain a brake initiated signal. Brake cylinder pressures and axle speed probe signals are recorded. The train has also been equipped, at the leading end, with water spray equipment able to spray at two rates with plain water and with detergent solution, as required, depending on test conditions.
The test objective is to show whether, and in what combinations, stopping distance can be further reduced by the application of sand to more wheelsets and, if so, to which axles. It is also intended to investigate how the application of sand at a variable rate with speed can deliver more sand at higher speeds without exceeding the 7. May 2, at pm. Dark Knight says:. May 7, at am. Rohan Storey says:. May 29, at pm. May 31, at pm. Mateo says:. May 23, at pm. Andrew says:. June 8, at pm. June 15, at pm.
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