Railways Africa June 2011

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Freight car castings:• Side Frames • Bolsters• Yokes • Cast steel monobloc wheels• Draw-gear components• Centre plates

Cast steel frames for locomotives:• Steerable locomotive frames• Mounting for electrical parking brakes and brakehangers• Traction motor end shields and suspension tubes in cast

steel, manufactured to customer requirements

Passenger car castings:• High speed, high stability radial axle bogies for motored

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including the fitting of bushings and wear plates• Integrally cast brake hanger brackets and mounting

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Scaw has produced castings for the railroad industry since 1921and is a technological leader in this field and has participated in thedevelopment of unique designs such as the cast adaptor sub-frameassembly used in the “Scheffel” radial axle truck.

Scaw manufactures castings under licence to various licensors, butis an open foundry with the capability to undertake work accordingto individual customer requirements. The company has producedthousands of sets of steel castings for freight cars for both the localand export markets. These include side frames and bolsters thathave been approved by the Association of American Railroads foruse on North American railroads.

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RAILWAYS AFRICA / FOREWORD

Foreword

The copyright on all material in this magazine is expressly reserved and vested in Rail Link Communications cc, unless otherwise stated. No material may be reproduced in any form, in part or in whole, without the permission of the publishers. Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers of Rail Link Communications cc unless otherwise stated. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, neither the Editor, Publisher or Contributor can be held liable for any inaccuracies or damages that may arise.

3June 2011 Railways Africa www.railwaysafrica.com

Class 25NC loco no 3476, named Griet (Braam

Le Roux’s wife) heading the Trans-Karoo

express at Park Station, Johannesburg, twenty

years ago. Photo: Editor.

BARBARA SHEATPublisher / Railways Africa

PUBLISHERBarbara Sheat

EDITOR Rollo Dickson

DESIGN & LAYOUTGrazia Muto

ADVERTISINGKim Bevan

SUBSCRIPTIONS Kim Bevan

CONTRIBUTORSDave van der Meulen

John Batwell

Leon Zaayman

ISSN 1029 - 2756

Rail Link Communications ccPO Box 4794 Randburg 2125

Tel: +27 87 940 9278

E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: railwaysafrica

Website: www.railwaysafrica.com

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We record with great regret the death

of Braam Le Roux after a long and

distinguished railway career lasting more

than 40 years. He was appointed CEO of

Spoornet in 1992, and held this position

until he retired in 2000.

In the words of Siyabonga Gama, current

CEO of Transnet Freight Rail, “Mr Le Roux’s

managerial leadership was recognised

globally and he had a passion for railway

innovation and technical applications.

His leadership qualities were not just

recognised and appreciated in South

Africa but in Africa as a whole. This was

evident from the numerous high positions

he held in rail organisations. He was the

fi rst President of the Southern African Rail

Association in 1992; he also served as

Chairman for the Metre Gauge Group of

International Railways (1995-2000), Vice

Chairman of the World Executive Council

of UIC between 1996-2000 and as Vice

President of the Institute of Railway Signal

Engineers from 1996 until now.

“Within our South African borders, Mr Le

Roux served in the boards of numerous

institutions such as, the Council of the Rand

Afrikaans University in Johannesburg,the

Engineering Council of South Africa and

the Executive Board of the SA Academy of

Engineers. Mr Le Roux was truly iconic and

his demise is a loss not only to Transnet but

to South Africa as a whole, as he played

such a pivotal role in the development of

our railway.”

I was devastated to hear the news. Braam

was a long-standing and valued friend of

Railways Africa. He was the very fi rst VIP I

interviewed when taking over the magazine

twenty years ago - and he didn’t give me

a hard time! He will be greatly missed, not

least for his sound advice on the many

occasions when I picked up the phone and

called for guidance.

All good things come to an end, they say,

and sadly this goes for great men too.

Without Braam, rail-related conferences

will never be the same.

We send our condolences to his family –

and to Transnet.

We offer proven rail products with strong after sales service and support in the key markets of:

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RAILWAYS AFRICA / CONTENTS

ContentsContents

RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR Introduction to the Railway Safety Regulator 6

PLASSERAIL The Science Behind Plasser Tamping Machines 10

Features

6

10

33

41

www.railwaysafrica.com

Steam Tour Down Africa 32

Railway Heritage

Gautrain Gauge 44

End of the Line

Passenger Trains Collide in Chicago 34

Train Stuck 3 Months in Japanese Tunnel 38

Mishaps & Blunders

RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATORIntroduction to the Railway Safety Regulator

This is the fi rst in a series of articles

explaining the role and mandate of the

Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) in the

South African rail environment.

06

Prior to 2002, the rail industry in South

Africa was self-regulating. Operators set

their own standards, investigated their own

incidents and were accountable to no one

in particular for safety performance.

In addition, a confl uence of legislative and

operational factors contributed to a gap

in the railway environment where safety

was concerned. Neither the Occupational

Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993)

nor the Mines Health and Safety Act (Act

29 of 1996) adequately address railway

operational safety. The Land Transport

Transitional Act 2000 does not provide for

railway operational safety.

This situation left existing operators with

no processes to verify railway safety

performance. Possible changes in both

the industry and government, and any

restructuring of railways, had the potential

to introduce more operators. More

interfaces between operators would then

result, with additional attendant risks to be

managed.

It is fundamentally wrong, it was concluded,

for operators to be both “player” and

“referee”, especially insofar as major

operators dominating the industry are

concerned. The creation of an independent

body to regulate railway safety was seen to

be essential.

The RSR educating youngsters at the Mogwase level crossing in

North West province, during an Easter Safety Awareness Campaign.

6 Railways Africa June 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com

RAILWAY SAFETY REGULATOR

Introduction to the Railway Safety RegulatorThis is the fi rst in a series of articles explaining the role and mandate of the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) in the South African rail environment. It highlights the RSR’s key role in standardising safe rail operations in cooperation with neighbouring countries and the Southern African Development Community (Sadac).

and thereby the use of rail as an effi cient

mode of transportation will be encouraged.

This is a co-regulatory approach.

The RSR’s jurisdiction covers all rail

operations except those in amusement

parks and underground in the mines.

These operations span industry sectors

ranging from manufacturing, petrochemical

and tourism to commuter services. The

largest of these are Transnet Freight Rail

(TFR) and the Passenger Rail Agency

of South Africa (Prasa). Other smaller

operators range from small siding owners

(which use rail for loading and offl oading)

to municipalities, the surface lines on mine

property, and also manufacturing and other

concerns with extensive rail networks,

locomotives and other rolling stock within

their premises

The Act requires all railway operators to

apply for a Safety Permit from the Railway

Safety Regulator, prior to engaging in any

railway operation. This is a requirement for

all operators involved with the operation o

f any railway within the Republic with a

track gauge of 600mm or more.

The safety permit is issued once the RSR

has satisfi ed itself that the operators

have a sound Safety Management System

(SMS) in place. A SMS as defi ned in terms

of the Act means a formalised framework

for integrating safety into day-to-day railway

operations, and includes safety goals and

performance targets, risk assessments,

responsibilities and authorities, rules and

procedures, monitoring and evaluation

processes and any other relevant matter

prescribed by regulation. Up to mid-2011,

the RSR has successfully evaluated safety

management system reports and issued

safety permits to 280 operators, thereby

legalising rail operations.

In each case, the RSR monitors performance

to assess compliance by the operator with

its own SMS, including the conducting of

random and routine audits, inspections

and occurrence investigations. The RSR is

tasked with ensuring that new or modifi ed

technology addresses both operational

safety as well as environmental concerns.

Based on the results of monitoring the

safety performance of an operator, the RSR

may amend any condition of the Safety Permit.

The National Railway Safety Regulator

Act, 2002 (Act 16 of 2002) was tabled on

5 August 2002 and promulgated during

November of that year. The offi ce of

the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) was

established during 2003.

The RSR’s mission is “To oversee and

promote safe railway operations through

appropriate support, monitoring and

enforcement guided by an enabling

regulatory framework.” Its vision is the

“Creation of a safe railway environment.”

Safe railway operations are vital to the

national economy and therefore critical to

the sustainability of our freight logistics and

public transport system.

It is recognised that, in terms of the Act, the

primary responsibility for safety lies with

the railway operator. It thus encourages

accountability and responsibility amongst

operators for the safety of their own

operations, and provides a suitable

framework for the improvement and

effi cient monitoring of safety performance

in the railway industry as a whole. Within

such a regulatory institution, the continuing

enhancement of railway safety is ensured,

One of the RSR Inspectorate’s vehicles at the Rondebult level crossing in Ekhurhuleni, Gauteng.

OVERVIEW OF THE NRSR ACT

7Railways Africa June 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com


MANDATEThe RSR is a South African public entity, governed and

controlled by a board of directors appointed by the minister of

transport. The Board holds offi ce for a period of three (3) years.

The mandate of the RSR can be summarised as follows:

• To oversee safety of railway transport, while operators

remain responsible for managing safety of their operations;

• To promote improved safety performance in order to

promote the use of rail;

• To monitor and ensure compliance through the conducting

of audits, inspections and occurrence investigations;

• To conclude appropriate cooperative agreements or other

arrangement with organs of state to ensure effective

management and overseeing of safe railway operations

and to minimise duplication;

• To collect and disseminate information relating to safe

railway operations;

• To develop, adopt or accept standards and regulations for

safe railway operations;

• To collaborate with and conclude contracts, where

appropriate, with any person, body or institution with

the view to furthering the objects of the RSR, including

scientifi c and technical information, and training;

• To promote the harmonisation of the railway safety regime

of South Africa with SADC railway operations.

The next article in the series will examine achievements by the RSR

in conducting operator audits and inspections, as well as post-

accident investigations, the issuing of improvement directives

and other interventions aimed at addressing railway safety.

The RSR’s interventions are informed by overall governmental

priorities, the Department of Transport’s strategic priorities in

the medium term, the RSR’s mandate and key safety challenges

in the railway environment.

The medium term interventions of the RSR are thus to achieve

the following fi ve key strategic goals:

• A conducive regulatory safety environment;

• Improved levels of safety and security in the railway

industry;

• RSR: A recognised authority in the provision of railway

safety expertise;

• Sustainable railway industry capacity; and

• Sustainable institutional effectiveness.

RSR & Transnet Freight Rail staff on site near the Rondebult

level crossing, observing the installation of concrete

barriers to prevent vehicles illegally crossing.



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2. Tamping Process DescriptionThe working units of a tamping machine are the tamping units

which are located between the bogies or axles. Refer to Figure 2

for the layout of a typical but simple tamping unit for illustration

purposes.

Over a period of time however, the track geometry will deteriorate

again. This period of deterioration is very important to the railway

engineer since this will determine the track tamping cycle. The

longer the tamping cycle, the less the disruption to traffi c, less the

demand on railway resources and the cheaper the track will be

over its life-cycle. The durability of the tamping process therefore

plays an important role.

Durability can only be proven over time with traffi c running over the

track. This poses a problem since many factors other than tamping

can infl uence durability, e.g fouled ballast, rail defects, joints and

welds in the track, fl at wheels on wagons, etc.

This article will therefore show scientifi cally why the Plasser

tamping process is so durable by drawing from various research

studies done by prominent international railway engineers,

researchers and academics, Plasser & Theurer, Plasserail and

Transnet Freight Rail.

1. IntroductionUnder repeated loading from traffi c, the track progressively

moves vertically and laterally, causing deviations from the desired

geometry. Ballast tamping is the process used to re-arrange the

ballast under the sleeper to restore the vertical and horizontal

alignment and elasticity of the track structure.

Figure 1: Poor track geometry.

It is the tamping units that carry out the tamping process as

illustrated in Figure 3. This acts as background in determining

and explaining those parameters of tamping that will infl uence the

durability of the tamping process.

Step 1 – A basic tamping machine indexes forward and comes to

a standstill with its tamping units over the sleeper to be tamped.

The tamping tines of the tamping unit straddle the sleeper on

both sides.

All Plasserail tamping machines are equipped with a fully

automatic three-point measuring system consisting of a rear,

centre and front measuring trolley connected by a lifting wire

and an alignment wire which establishes the vertical and

horizontal position of the track in order for defects to be

corrected and for instating a uniform lift and line to the track.

Step 2 – The combined lifting and aligning unit works in

conjunction with the measuring system and grips the rail under the

crown, lifts the track to a predetermined height while correcting

any vertical defects in it and at the same time slews the track to

correct the horizontal alignment. Without a lift the ballast stones

will not have enough space to rearrange. Within a short time, the

track will revert back to its position before tamping took place.

Step 3 – After the track has been lifted and aligned to the desired

position, the tamping units are lowered. The tines of the tamping

units enter the ballast and come to rest at a predetermined depth. Figure 2 : Movement of tines due to vibration.


PLASSERAIL

THE SCIENCE BEHIND PLASSER TAMPING MACHINES

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In the third article in this track maintenance series (Railways Africa May 2011), the tamping machine, its functions and functional components were discussed. This, the fourth article, delves into the scientifi cally researched working principles of tamping machines.

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The tines perform a squeezing motion which compacts ballast

underneath the sleeper in the void created by the lifting process.

In practice it soon became very clear that by merely squeezing

the ballast into position under the sleepers requires huge forces

and does not provide even compaction. The reason is that the

ballast stones are unable to re-arrange in relation to one another.

Forcing the ballast stone will result in it being crushed.

Vibration of the tamping tines is therefore necessary to excite the

ballast stone, creating a liquid effect which permits it to re-arrange

and settle in a dense matrix. Vibration also greatly reduces the

force required for the tamping tines to penetrate the ballast.

The vibration of the tamping tines is induced by an eccentric shaft

within the tamping unit. The cylinder assembly which produces

the squeezing force of the tines also transfers the vibration caused

by the off-centre cam of the eccentric shaft. This will cause the

tines to move forward and backward around the stationary pivot

point. See Figure 2. The revolution speed of the eccentric shaft

determines the frequency of the vibration and the size of the off-

centre cam on the shaft determines the amplitude of the vibration.

Step 4 – The cylinder assembly exerts a force on the tine arms

which perform a squeezing motion of the tines. The tines compact

ballast underneath the sleeper in the void created by the lifting

process. The tamping machine indexes forward to the next sleeper

and the process repeats itself.

3. Operating Parameters of the Plasser Tamping Process That May Infl uence Durability

3.1 Lifting HeightAs mentioned before, a predetermined minimum lifting height

is instated in the track to ensure that its vertical level is uniform

behind the machine and to provide the necessary space for the

ballast stones to rearrange in relation to one another. The value of

this minimum lifting height has been thoroughly researched due

to its effect on the durability of the tamping process.

In the book Track Geotechnology and Management by Prof Ernie

Selig and John Waters, the lift given by a tamping machine is

plotted against the settlements that occurred in the subsequent

66 weeks under traffi c loading. The objective was to determine the

residual lift achieved after traffi c as a measure of durability. See

Figure 4 for the results.

Each red dot on Figure 4 corresponds to a sleeper end. A trend can

clearly be identifi ed and can be represented by the two red lines.

Step 1

The tamping machine stops over

the sleeper to be tamped.

Step 2

Lifting units lift the rail and sleeper

to pre-determined height.

Step 3

Tines enters ballast and stops at

pre-determined depth.

Step 4

Cylinder assembly performs squeezing

action and compacts ballast in the void.

Figure 3: Tamping process description.

Figure 4 : Track lift vs settlement.


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It can be seen that for relatively low lifts, the lift given by the

tamping machine (for example 10mm) is less than the settlement

(approximately 13mm) that occurred in the subsequent 66 weeks.

A possible explanation for the high settlement that occurred with

a low tamping lift may be that by squeezing and vibrating the

ballast, the ballast stone will expand upwards into the void but,

due to the limited void space, it cannot re-arrange completely nor

interlock in a new stable position.

Re-imposition of the vertical traffi c loading will re-compact the

ballast and the particles will adopt their original positions with

respect to each other. The track will thus revert to its original

irregular geometry, also referred to as the memory of the track.

However, where the two red lines cross, the lift given by the tamper

is more or less equal to the settlement as measured.

During maintenance tamping at Plasserail the track is lifted to an

approximate minimum of 20mm to ensure a residual lift that will

achieve a lasting improvement in the track condition.

3.2 The Frequency of Tine VibrationsThe durability of the tamping process is also infl uenced by the

frequency of the tamping tine’s vibration. Refer again to Figure 2.

As can be seen from Figure 5, frequencies in the range of 16 to

25Hz produce a lasting lift, whereas frequencies exceeding

40Hz result in a negative settlement of the sleeper. This negative

settlement can be attributed to a phenomenon referred to as

the plasto-elastic deformation; also known as liquefaction of the

ballast stone.

The higher the plasto-elastic deformation, the more liquid the

ballast stone becomes and the more diffi cult it is to pack it in a

dense matrix. It just fl ows away.

At a frequency of 16-25Hz, the tines experiences diffi culty in

penetrating the ballast. The graph in Figure 5 shows that the ideal

frequency is between 25 and 40Hz and will have to be:

• the highest possible frequency for ease of penetrating the

ballast;

• a frequency low enough to produce a lasting lift; and

• a frequency having the lowest possible plasto elastic

deformation properties.

Figure 5 : Frequency vs sleeper settlement.


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Researchers have plotted the relative plastic deformation of

ballast against different frequencies. Figure 6 shows that at a

frequency of 35Hz, a minimum deformation of the ballast occurs,

meaning that at this frequency, the highest possible durability

is achieved by tamping (based on clean and properly graded

ballast). Thus, the optimum tamping frequency and the frequency

used by all Plasserail machines is 35Hz.

3.3 The Amplitude of Tine VibrationsThe distance the entire cylinder assembly moves horizontally away

from the centre of the eccentric shaft is determined by the size

of the off-centre cam on the shaft. This distance travelled by the

cylinder assembly determines the amplitude of the tine as the

tine arm pivots around a stationary point. The tine will vibrate

forward and backward, the total distance representing twice the

amplitude. Refer to Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 6 : Determining minimum plastic deformation.

Figure 7 : Amplitude.

Figure 8 : The tine vibration sine wave.


PLASSERAIL

Practice has shown that amplitude greater than 5mm causes

crushing of the ballast whereas amplitude less than 5mm

fails to transfer the energy of the vibration to the ballast stone.

The amplitude used on Plasser tamping machines is therefore

approximately 5mm.

3.4 Tamping DepthWhen the tamping tines enter the ballast, they come to rest at a

pre-set depth. The tamping tine depth has great practical

signifi cance for durable packing of the ballast under the sleeper.

When the depth is too shallow, the tines strike against the

sleepers, and when the depth is too deep, there is uneven and

incomplete packing of the sleeper bearing area. This can be

attributed to the liquefaction of the ballast and the ability of the

stone to fl ow over the tamping tine plate.

The ideal setting range of the tamping depth is approximately

15mm free space between upper edge of the tamping tine plate

and the lower edge of the sleeper.

On Plasser tamping machines, the tamping depth is controlled

electronically to 15mm under the sleeper.

3.5 Squeezing Action of the Tines – Synchronous or Asynchronous Pressure Control

When the tines enter the ballast bed, the cylinder assemblies

exert a force on the tine arms to perform a squeezing action

which packs the stones in the void under the sleeper created by

the lifting process.

If all tines are forced to travel the same distance during the

squeezing action (synchronous tamping), this may result in

under-compaction - if there is an obstruction which prevents full

tine-squeeze distance. This may also result in crushing of the

ballast stones.

Only the asynchronous tamping process, whereby all tamping

tines receive the squeezing pressure from the same circuit, fulfi l

the requirement of a homogenous compacted ballast bed. Should

one tine experience an obstruction, the other tine will continue

through its squeezing motion.

All Plasser machines use the asynchronous pressure control

system.

Figure 9 : Tamping depth.


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During the oscillation the tine will create a void in the ballast of at

least twice the size of the amplitude i.e 5mm forward and 5mm

backward of the zero position (Figure 11).

During the forward motion of the vibration cycle, impact with the

ballast stone will only take place once the tine has travelled the

total void distance, in other words, if the tine was not moving

forward at a squeezing speed, impact would have taken place at

the turning point of the vibrating cycle.

However, impact will occur before the tine has completed its

forward cycle of the vibration because the tine is at the same time

moving forward at its squeezing speed (see Figure 12).

After impact the tine tip will remain in contact with the ballast

until the oscillation starts its backward movement. This means

that only during a short phase of the forward movement will the

tine make contact with ballast stone. The impact duration is

therefore a function of the squeeze speed.

Dr Johann Fischer in his thesis, Infl uence of frequency and

amplitude on the stabilisation of track ballast (1983), plotted the

squeeze movement over time on the sine graph. Figure 13 illustrates

how a fast squeezing speed (short time – ti2) will have a longer

impact duration than a slow squeezing speed (ti1).

The rationale is that the faster the squeezing speed, the earlier

during the forward oscillation will the tine start making contact with

the ballast and in so doing remain in contact with the ballast. The

tine has travelled faster through the void space.

The question still remains - what is the required impact duration

to transfer the necessary energy to overcome the inertia of the

ballast stone?

3.6 Squeezing speed and timeThe squeezing speed (closing speed) and duration of the tamping

tines in the ballast also infl uences the durability of the tamping

process. Even though this may not seem important, it is critical to

the process.

To squeeze the ballast into the void, a certain kinetic energy is

required to overcome the inertia of the ballast stone. A minimum

length of time for contact between the tine and the ballast stones

is therefore required to transmit the required energy.

At fi rst one will conclude that energy transmission takes place

during the entire period and squeezing distance of the tine. This

however is incorrect. Due to the vibration-induced forward and

backward movement of the tine which is much faster than the

squeezing speed, energy can only be transmitted during a short

impact period between the tine tip and the ballast face during the

tine’s forward motion.

Figure 10: Forward and backiward movement of tines.

Figure 11 : Forward and backward motion of tines during vibration.

Figure 12: Impact time of the tine due the squeezing action of the tines.

Figure 13 : Impact duration between tine and ballast.


PLASSERAIL

4. CONCLUSIONScientifi c studies and comparisons between various tamping

techniques have documented the high quality and durability

of the Plasser tamping process. Even in practice the Plasser

tamping process has proven to be thoroughly reliable in countless

operations all over the world since 1953.

High capacity lines throughout the world are serviced using Plasser

machines and the preparation of sections of track for world record

runs was also performed using Plasser tamping machines.

It should however be noted that various other machine

parameters will also infl uence track durability. This includes

the skill and experience of the machine operator, the accuracy

of tamping unit settings, size and condition of the tine tips,

etc. These parameters do not have a scientifi c basis and is

therefore not included herein. However, Plasserail’s skilled and

experienced workforce together with their continuous training

programmes ensures that this is not the weak link in an otherwise

impressively strong chain.

From the fi ndings of a research report of G Kronenberg in 1961,

a guide value for the minimum impact duration of 5 milliseconds

(ms) was established. In this document, this will be taken as a given.

Figure 14 shows that the squeezing speed that will guarantee a

5ms impact duration at 35Hz is 150mm/second.

It can be seen from this graph that at higher tamping frequencies

the ideal impact duration of 5ms cannot be achieved. The ideal

squeezing time can now be derived. Normal squeezing distances

are 120mm.

Figure 14 : Required squeezing speed at 35Hz for a 5 milliseconds

impact duration.

Ideal tamping time =120mm

150mm/s

= 0.8 seconds

All Plasser tamping machines are set up to squeeze at

approximately 150mm/sec, permitting the tine to remain in

the ballast bed for a minimum of approximately 1 second which

achieves the minimum required impact time between ballast

and tine.

REFERENCES

1. KLUGER, KARL. Consideration on stabilising of track, June 1977

(presentation in Budapest).

2. FISCHER, JOHANN. Infl uence of frequency and amplitude on the

stabilization of track ballast (thesis), June 1983

3. ERNEST T SELIG and JOHN M WATERS. Track geotechnology and

management.

4. KRONENBERG G. Study on the compaction and working behaviour of

a single mass compactor on ballast and fi ne gravel for establishing the

leading infl uence factors riddle compaction, 1961

5. RIESBERGER, KLAUS. Measurements of DB/asynchronous tamping, 1972

6. PLASSERAIL (various internal research reports).

The next in this series will be on the History of Track Tamping. Though

not a technical article, it is very interesting to see how technology

has changed the face of mechanised maintenance.


PLASSERAIL

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The author recently attended the 9th World Congress on Railway Research in Lille, France - a memorable experience in many ways. Much more than railway research alone, it offered a few days in Paris - always a pleasant experience that includes good rail-based public transport. The metro was superb, including a trip on rubber-tyred driverless Line 14, with spacious cars sans end walls, to encourage passengers to spread evenly when trains are crowded.

Comparing the sizes of Paris and Joburg using Microsoft Encarta fi nds both built-up areas to be roughly 30km x 30km. Paris’ population density is much higher, while the aforementioned area excludes outlier destinations such as Disneyland and Charles de Gaulle Airport. Joburg’s area stretches Germiston to Roodepoort, Four Ways to Southern Bypass. The ease with which one can move around Paris and environs by short-appearing journeys, mainly by RATP’s Metro, but also by SNCF’s Réseau Express Régionale (RER) and Transilien, perceptually compacts its true size. Several readers will have experienced this fi rst-hand, but those who have not should seek the exposure. Coordination by autonomous authority Syndicat des transports d’Île-de-France (STIF) is exemplary.

There was also an opportunity to sample Lille Metro, a driverless VAL system—indeed the fi rst such system in the world, which technology has since spread further afi eld. The small profi le vehicles minimise the cost of civil works. Rubber tyres allow rapid acceleration and braking, somewhat above the 0.9 to 1 m/s2 normal passenger comfort limit. Regular passengers get used to it, thus adjusting their comfort limit. The result is cost-effective for small cities that integrate their public transport around a guided rapid transit system.

Refl ections on the CongressThe congress was structured around eight key challenges - a

more and more energy-effi cient railway; an environmentally

friendly railway; increasing freight capacity and services; a world

of services for passengers; bringing the territories closer together

at higher speeds; even more trains even more on time; an even

more competitive and cost-effi cient railway; for an even safer

and more secure railway. Great aspirations for any railway. Or are

they? To participate in these challenges, to be relevant to them,

one must have a railway that actually works. The fundamentals of

positioning railways as worthy corporate citizens in the economies

and societies that they serve are well known. Ineptitude and

recalcitrance seem not to be the stuff of contemporary railway

research: The world of railways has left behind those that do

not work.

Plenary sessions were upbeat, and well they should be. The oral

and poster presentations showed diligent work. Overall, they left

the impression of a gathering of happy railway people that, while

not without problems, appeared to be on top of those they did

have, and enjoyed the continuous improvement that their solutions

provided. Nevertheless, nothing is perfect, and although downside

was not glaringly obvious, it was perceptible. Unsurprisingly for

a conference with a strong European fl avour, freight did not take

the limelight. However, less than 10% of the papers were overtly

freight-oriented. On the whole, the rest were passenger-oriented,

particularly to high speed. Again no surprise, but consider the

following:

The author saw off Railway Corporate Strategy’s operations

manager Fienie Möller and her husband on a TGV from Paris

Gare de Lyon on a Saturday morning. Bearing in mind that TGVs

have progressed from the original single trains, then to coupled

trains, and then again to coupled double-deck trains, not to

mention increased frequency, the throng of people making their

way to the TGVs was at once disorientating and logical. France’s

TGVs, like high-speed trains in other countries, have decimated

or eliminated short-haul air services. Essentially, airports have

now moved into city centres - indeed one of the notions emerging

in the US high-speed awakening. However, the challenge of

handling mass passenger fl ows far in excess of that for which

stations were conceived is a real issue. Gare de Lyon groaned

under the load, and the construction that will one day relieve the

turmoil did not make things easier. Direct high-speed rail access

to city centres is a key attraction, but it does need to align with

reasonable passenger expectations. This is the sort of problem

which railway people are happy to research.

Brest

Dunkerque

Paris

Nantes

Bordeaux

Tours

Orléans

Toulouse MontpellierMarseille

Grenoble

Lyon

Dijon

Avignon

Strasbourg

Saint-Étienne

Nancy

RouenLe Havre

Nice

Toulon

Lille


INDUSTRY COMMENT

Dave van der Meulen / Managing Member / Railway Corporate Strategy CC

Report-back From WCRR 2011

The foregoing is salutary for those that contemplate ambitious

freight shifts from road to rail. By the time that rail freight’s market

share dips to around 10%, calls to shift freight from road back to

rail become strident. However, a shift to say 20% of the freight

market, half of what is achieved by North America’s competitive

freight railroads, would then represent a doubling of rail freight,

or even more in a growing market. Railways that have actually

doubled their freight traffi c in a short space of time do not

come readily to mind: Similarly to the success of high-speed rail,

to physically accommodate such a freight shift would require

formidable effort.

Thinking again of Europe, where closely following trucks on

motorways at times give the appearance of trains running on the

roads, concerned stakeholders have envisaged such a shift from

road to rail in research agendas, but it has not materialised. Did

the research that should have supported the shift miss its mark? Or

was it simply not done?

BRICS was represented in neither the organising committee nor

the executive committee of WCRR. Yet its railways convey around

half the world’s rail freight, on a par with the rest of the world

combined. The author has not checked passenger statistics,

but expects a similar outcome. Of 231 papers, only one was by

authors from Brazil, a minuscule representation. If the RICS in

BRICS submitted abstracts, none made the cut. For the record,

the author’s abstract was not accepted. After fi ve papers at

consecutive WCRRs, he arguably knows the ropes. During

preparation of the abstract his wife passed away, so perhaps he

was distracted. On refl ection after the congress, perhaps he missed

the theme. A World Congress? With insignifi cant representation

from developing countries? BRIC railways are doing great things.

We’ll get to the S later.

Brazil shares a colonial railway legacy with South Africa and much

of the rest of Africa. Moreover, it has a medley of track gauges -

both broad and narrow, plus a small amount of standard gauge.

Notwithstanding that handicap, it is implementing a plan to link

its presently isolated northern and southern broad gauge

networks by means of its broad gauge North-South line, ultimately

to support several east-west branches, to develop the interior of

the country.

Russia is liberalising and modernising its railways. Among other

things, it has formed two joint stock companies to exploit the

lion’s share of its freight wagon fl eet; entered into technology

transfer agreements to implement new locomotive technologies;

planned high-speed railways and implemented service on one of

them - Moscow-St Petersburg; raised axle load to 30 tonnes as it

rebuilds its network; acquired US freight wagon technology; and

recognised the strategic requirement to separate high-speed and

heavy freight.

India leads the world in implementing dedicated freight corridors,

to separate growing freight traffi c from its heavy passenger

traffi c, thereby optimising their contending infrastructure

requirements. They will feature double-stacked container trains

hauled by electric locomotives under high catenary, giving the

lie to the pretext that double-stacking and electrifi cation are

incompatible. It is implementing technology transfer arrangements

to acquire modern locomotives, and building contemporary

metro systems on standard gauge separate from its broad gauge

national network, New Delhi being the fi rst.

China’s claim to world railway leadership hardly needs

justifi cation. It is set to be the fi rst country in the world to

concurrently exploit all four of rail’s inherently competitive market

spaces. A world leader in heavy-haul and high-speed on dedicated

freight and passenger lines, metros are advancing rapidly in its

huge cities, and even double stacking has emerged.

Overall, BRIC has made substantial progress in high-level railway

positioning. Surely it has much to share from the research that

underpinned that progress?

High-speed TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) in the very fi rst months of operation at the Gare de Lyon, Paris, in 1982. Photos: Editor.


INDUSTRY COMMENT

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Why is this relevant to South Africa?A key take-away from the foregoing

narrative is that South Africa appears to be

grappling with railway issues to which the

rest of the world is insuffi ciently sensitive

to contribute. The author has done much

research on fi tting railways to their settings,

with a view to identifying issues and

seeding solutions. At this time it seems

that what is critical for South Africa

escapes those countries and people that

have revitalised their railways. Are we

therefore beholden to our own insights

and resources? There are quantitative and

qualitative perspectives on this question.

Quantitatively, the number of issues is

simply much higher than that with which

other railway countries have had to deal

concurrently. South Africans of many

persuasions have generated a strong

current of thinking around what the issues

are, what needs to be done, and when,

and how.

Qualitatively, the inherent competitiveness

of South Africa’s railways is not up to the

mark. They are precluded by heritage

from entering or fully exploiting rail’s four

inherently competitive market spaces.

This author has mentioned the underlying

reasons on many occasions, so this is

simply a reminder.

South Africa is now a member of BRICS,

a grouping of world signifi cance in many

respects. Aside from general membership

qualifi cations, well-founded railways were

a BRIC hallmark. Now that the S has been

added, it is time to accelerate revitalisation

of South Africa’s railways, so that it too

can align on this important attribute. We

know what needs to be done. Let’s do it!

Summer twilight (10:20pm) at the Gare de

Lyon, Paris. Photo: Editor.

Rubber-tyred Paris underground train. Photo: Editor.


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quipment and machine specialist

Reefsteamers, GermistonClass 12AR no 1535 Susan suffered a leaky fl ue not long ago but

happily she is back in service. Class 15F no 3046 Janine competently

took over no 1535’s train operations while she was indisposed.

The club had an unexpected visitor recently in the form of an

inspection by the Rail Safety Regulator (RSR). This followed an

apparently malicious communication suggesting that class 15F

no 3046 was running with no brakes and that the rolling stock

was unroadworthy.

The inspection found no foundation for the claims made but did

ask for stickers warning of overhead wire dangers to be posted

in the locomotive’s tender. According to RSR regulations, these

signs have to be posted on the tender ladder and on the scuttle

plate above the coal gates.

Considering adverse press comment on the RSR in past months,

the fast response to the allegations was commendable.

Rovos Rail, PretoriaClass 25NC 4-8-4 no 3442 with its oddly-shaped “worshond”

tender took part in a Johannesburg photographic club’s shoot at

Capital Park recently. Seven of the nine class 5E1 electrics (ex-

Danskraal, KwaZulu Natal) remain on the Rovos books, though it

is believed that two have been written off.

Rovos Rail’s class 25NC 4-8-4 no 3442 with “worshond” tender moves a

luxury trainset to the departure platform at Capital Park, Pretoria, in late

May 2011. Photo: E Armer.


Preservation is A Preservation is A Vital Part of The Picture Vital Part of The Picture

By John BatwellBy John Batwell

RAILWAY HERITAGE

East African Railways’ class 59 Garratt no 5918 – in steam for Geoff’s

Trains tour in May/June. Photo: T Kautzor.

Steam Tour Down AfricaDuring May and June 2011, United Kingdom operator Geoff

Cooke ran a successful rail tour embracing Kenya, Zimbabwe,

Botswana and South Africa. Not everything came together exactly

as hoped, but participants greatly enjoyed the experience. In

Kenya, class 30 no 3020 ran late on the Naivasha-Nairobi run

owing to cold and viscous fuel oil, necessitating several stops

to brew up, but such stops became unscheduled photo

opportunities. Former East African Railways (EAR) class 24 no

2409, dating back to 1922 and therefore almost 90 years old,

put on a fl awless performance, working to Makadara. Class 59

Garratt no 5918 experienced a few steaming problems so was

late off shed at Nairobi for an afternoon trip along the Mombasa

line. The loco failed just before Embakasi. Both Garratt and train

were returned to Nairobi behind a diesel, arriving back after dark.

Nairobi rail museum’s preserved class 59 locos from the mid

fi fties nos 5918 and 5930 enjoy historical signifi cance, being

Beyer Peacock’s largest ever Garratts for the metre gauge.

Enthusiasts of aged diesel motive power were able to photograph

four remaining old English Electric class 87 units (nos

8720/3/40/1), all sporting today’s Rift Valley Railways’ (RVR)

colour scheme. Despite the occasional glitches, positive reports

were posted on the internet by members of the touring party.

Future rail tours to Kenya will no doubt benefi t from experience

gained by the railway this year.

In Zimbabwe, a new variety of water chemical treatment used by

NRZ staff on their Garratts resulted in excessive boiler foaming

and poor steaming - both on class 15 no 395 and class 16A

no 611. On the southward journey from Thomson Junction, steam

traction had to be abandoned at Lukosi (fortunately following

the best photo opportunities) instead of further down the line at

Dete. The rest of the trip to Bulawayo was handled by a class

DE 6 diesel.

In South Africa, the visitors were hosted at Pretoria by Friends

of The Rail, who lit up class 24 no 3664 for a run to Rooiwal

power station, and also facilitated night photography on shed.

Geoff Cooke remains a good, faithful and very patient tour operator

- year after year – to this part of Africa.

Friends of The Rail, PretoriaThe class 19D 4-8-2 no 2650 was taken out of service recently, to

undergo its three-year inspection.

On behalf of a local photographic club, Gauteng steam

photographer David Benn arranged to have three steam locos lit

up for the members’ outing this winter. The most was made of

photographing Rovos’ class 25NC no 3442 and the Friends’ class

19D no 2650 (its last public steaming currently); also class 24

no 3664.

Atlantic Rail, Cape TownThis group has taken Cape Town by storm with its weekend

leisure runs behind steam along the False Bay coast to Simon’s

Town. The train consists of timber-bodied vintage coaches dating

from between 1922 and 1938, one a lounge car with full bar

service. Class 24 2-8-4 no 3655, the star attraction- built by North

British in Glasgow more than sixty years ago - had eight tubes

replaced recently.

The driving force behind this venture is well-known personality Ian

Pretorius, synonymous a decade ago with Transnet Foundation’s

fondly remembered and highly successful Union Limited safari

operations. Notable among these and popular with both overseas

and local tourists was the regular Golden Thread run from Cape

Town to Oudtshoorn, including a side trip down the scenic

branch across the lakes to Knysna.

Ian, ably assisted by his wife Jenny, organised and personally

managed the Union Limited excursions. Sadly, Jenny died early in

July. She will be missed by the many who came to know her and

who so appreciated the devoted work she put into the enterprise.

Friends of The Rail’s class 19D no 2650 entertains photographers in May

prior to being pulled out of service. Photo: C A Janisch.

Jenny Pretorius. Photo: G.B.White.

www.railwaysafrica.com

and a crew of four. The driver was among those hurt. An estimated

1,500 people were on the Metra train. The conductor broadcast

that there had been a derailment and asked that anyone with

medical training come up to the front of the train. Many of the

passengers climbed out into the “partially lit” tunnel and walked

to the station. Fire crews put down a fi bre-optic rope to help show

the way.

The accident obstructed other trains headed into Union Station,

and buses were brought in to assist.

SUDAN: DEADLY ATTACK ON TRAINOn 26 June, UN peacekeeping mission spokeswoman Hua Jiang

told AFP, “a train transporting southern returnees from Kosti to

Wåu was attacked by Misseriya militia in the area of Meiram,

around 50km south of Muglad.” This was just two weeks before

the region was to celebrate full independence from the north. One

person was killed and four wounded in the raid. Meiram lies in

PASSENGER TRAINS COLLIDE IN CHICAGOOn 3 June, two slow-moving

passenger trains collided in

an underground tunnel near

downtown Chicago’s Union

Station, putting 12 people in

hospital with minor injuries.

The injured reportedly suffered

neck and back pain - and

possibly broken ribs. An injured

pregnant woman was among

them, according to Chicago

fi re department assistant

deputy fi re commissioner Marc

Levison.

There were 117 passengers on

the southbound Amtrak train

Pedestrian entrance to a Chicago

underground railway station, beneath

the steel structure of the elevated

lines. Photo: Editor

34 Railways Africa April 2011 www.railwaysafrica.com

Mishaps & BlundersMishaps & BlundersOne objective of our regular feature reporting and commenting on rail mishaps is to provide information and object lessons from Africa and abroad, in the hope that – in some cases at least - this might help avoid recurrences.

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north Sudan’s state of South Kordofan,

adjacent to Darfur and the tense Abyei

border region. Muglad is the historical

capital of the Misseriya tribe.

According to AFP, “The heavily armed

Arab nomads were a key proxy militia of

Khartoum’s army during its 1983-2005

confl ict with the former southern rebels,

the Sudan People’s Liberation Army

(SPLA). One of the tribe’s chiefs, Omar

al-Ansari, confi rmed the train attack had

happened in a Misseriya area, but denied

that his people were responsible. ‘The train

experienced technical problems in a place

called Hierika, close to South Darfur, and

that was when a group of Darfur rebels

attacked it and grabbed some belongings

from the passengers,’ Ansari told AFP. He

said no one was killed.

“Tensions were running high between

north and south Sudan in the run-up to the

south’s formal declaration of independence

on 9 July, driven by confl ict in the border

areas of Abyei and South Kordofan, and

exacerbated by the lack of progress

in negotiating key unresolved issues.

Northern troops overran Abyei in May in

response to a deadly attack on an army

convoy, prompting more than 100,000

residents to fl ee south, and with the

Misseriya reportedly moving in with

Sudanese soldiers to fi ll the vacuum.”

WESTERN CAPE “TRAIN TRAPS”The realities of driving commuter trains in

Cape Town are spelled out by Janis Kinnear

in the Cape Argus.

“He has watched helplessly from his

cockpit as more than 30 people died on

the tracks in his 30 years as a train driver. ‘

It’s like a car accident, only slower. You can

see you’re going to hit them but even if you

slam on the brakes and blow the hooter,

there’s nothing you can do to stop it.’

“This was the description of only one of

the deaths experienced by the 48-year-

old train driver. With about 300 train

drivers operating in the Western Cape,

he said, the job, once well respected, has

become gruesome and dangerous. He said

damaged fencing and many level crossings

with no booms or warning signals resulted

in people being killed in what he describes

as ‘train traps’.

“The man recalled one of the worst

incidents, which happened just before

Bonteheuwel station, when he watched a

father fail to save his young daughter from

being hit, after they attempted to cross

the tracks with the train bearing down

on them. ‘He tried to pull her back to the

fence but I still bumped the kid. Even if

you don’t get hurt physically, you feel the

impact on your stomach. I missed three

stations, which never happens to me, but

your mind blanks out. The worst part was

that it was a father with his daughter in his

hands. I still remember the bright red jersey

she had on.’

Ed Damazin

N

LIBYA

CHAD SUDAN

CENTRALAFRICANREPUBLIC

UGANDA KENYA

ETHIOPIA

SAUDIARABIA

ERITREAKHARTOUM

Nyala El Obeid

Waw

Kassala

Babanusa

Bur Sudan

Karima

Atbara

CONGO (DRC)

Wadi Halfa

RedSea


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“The majority of incidents occur at level

crossings, he said. Once, the train he was

driving hit three women at once, who all

died on impact. Images of the accident are

still vivid in his mind.

“The driver has refused to operate on the

Muldersvlei and Strand lines, which he

identifi ed as having the most train deaths,

as there was a high number of people

crossing the tracks illegally.

“He said drivers had written letters to

Metrorail management, complaining about

lack of security and warning signals at

level crossings. The drivers had suggested

safety measures to management. These

included installing cameras similar to

speed traps to detect when a pedestrian or

motorist ignores booms, so that the person

caught on camera could be fi ned.

“The man said the country is losing skilled

drivers and technicians and without them

the 2013 target for new trains would be

‘a huge challenge’. He said experienced

drivers were needed to train new drivers

and regular assessments needed to be

done to test their competency levels. ‘Today

they take a guy from the street who gets a

few weeks’ training from a train driver with

only two years’ experience.’

“He started working as a train assistant in

1980 and only qualifi ed as a train driver

seven years later. ‘You used to sit next to

the driver for a few years and then wait for

a vacancy. You had to drive the same train

for about fi ve years.’

“He said operating at night was dangerous,

especially for women train drivers, who put

their lives at risk, often starting as early as

03:00. ‘Imagine if you are a mother with

children, getting up at that time to start a

shift.’

“With only two psychologists assigned to

drivers in the Western Cape, he said drivers

often had to continue working without

counselling, even if they had knocked

down somebody on the tracks and were

traumatised. But he praised a new policy

which insisted train drivers, involved in

accidents be monitored for 72 hours

before being allowed to operate again.

Previously drivers just continued to work.

“Then there’s the issue of drivers fearing

for their lives. In the past you had to bring

the train to a standstill and see if the body

is cleared but nowadays family, and even

passengers, get violent, throwing rocks at

you. There is no protection for you as the

driver.’”

TRAIN STUCK 3 MONTHS IN JAPANESE TUNNELA train that made an emergency stop in

a tunnel moments after the East Japan

earthquake in March remained stranded

there more than three months, while the

operator of the line grappled with the huge

cost of repairing damage caused by the

disaster.

The line, which runs some 36.6km from

Sakari in Ofunato to Kamaishi, remained

closed after the earthquake, as resuming

operations would be extremely expensive -

and possibly beyond the company’s reach.

Level crossings are a nightmare to South African

train drivers. This is the aftermath of a collision

at Buttskop crossing in Blackheath east of Cape

Town, where a minibus driver on the wrong side

of the road overtook a queue of vehicles on 25

August 2010, drove round the lowered barriers

and collided with a Metrorail train, killing ten of

his scholar passengers.


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The land, infrastructure, transport and tourism ministry,

acknowledging the importance of having public transport in

disaster-hit areas, is trying to get special permission to provide

additional subsidies to the company.

On 10 June, Sanriku Railway workers made their way to the

centre of the 3.9km Kuwadai Tunnel and started the engine of

the single-carriage train for the fi rst time since the disaster.

An operator entered the driver’s cabin and turned on the train’s

internal lights and headlights.

Minoru Yasumiishi, 40, was driving the train, which had been

heading north toward Kamaishi, when it made the emergency

stop. He led two passengers on a 1.5km walk to the tunnel’s south

exit while the rumbling sounds of aftershocks echoed through the

tunnel. “It was the most terrible moment in my life,” Yasumiishi said.

He still dreams about the 30-minute walk to escape the tunnel.

To connect towns in mountainous coastal areas effi ciently, 60%

of the Minami Rias Line runs through tunnels. The line suffered

earthquake damage in a total of 247 locations, including broken

rails and damaged station buildings. Seven drivers who were

assigned to the Minami Rias Line have been transferred to the

Kita Rias Line, which has resumed operations.

To resume all services on its Kita and Minami Rias lines, the

company will need about 18 billion yen. Restoration work on the

Minami Rias Line did not even begin until 1 June.

In an operation dubbed “Sanriku no Kibo” (hope of Sanriku), the

company requested help from Self-Defence Forces personnel to

remove broken rails and debris from station buildings.

The company has also asked for fi nancial aid from the ministry,

but the law currently allows the central government to subsidise

only one-quarter of the company’s post-disaster reconstruction

costs, with the remainder to be covered by the private sector and

local governments.

A senior ministry offi cial said it would be essentially impossible

for Sanriku Railway, a third-sector fi rm that was struggling even

before the quake hit, to shoulder the reconstruction costs on

its own. “We want to support the company, to preserve public

transportation in disaster-hit areas,” the offi cial said.

The ministry has asked the Finance Ministry to allow it to subsidise

about three-quarters of the company’s reconstruction costs. As

for the stranded train, Sanriku Railway planed to complete repairs

to the rails inside the tunnel by late June, and drive the train out

of the tunnel’s south exit.

Because of damage to rails outside the tunnel, the company plans

to take the train only as far as the station at nearby Yoshihama. From

there it is to be transported by road to a railway yard in Ofunato.

Tetsu Yoshida, 47, acting head of operations on the Minami Rias

Line, says, “Even if reconstruction takes a long, long time, and no

matter the cost, we want to reopen our railway lines.”


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SURTEES RAIL GROUP

COWS ON THE LINE: 15 TRAINS CANCELLEDFrom RailNews online newsletter:

“Adding a new meaning to ‘cattle class’, cows on the track accounted for 15 train cancellations on a West Midlands’ section of the West Coast line between Nuneaton and Rugby. A spokesman for Network Rail said: “The majority of our rail network runs through rural areas, much of which is farmland. Just as animals are prone to wander across busy roads, they sometimes fi nd their way onto the railway. Our maintenance teams work hard to make sure railway boundaries are safe and secure and to prevent trespassers getting onto the line, whether they have two legs or four.”

Before the disaster, the Minami Rias Line operated 12 round-

trip services a day, and in fi scal 2009 served about 240,000

passengers. It was opened by Sanriku Railway in 1984, and

includes the route that was formerly the Sakari Line of Japanese

National Railways, now defunct.

JAPANESE EXPRESS DERAILSAccording to an Associated Press report, the derailing of one

vehicle caused a six-coach express travelling toward Sapporo to

make an emergency stop inside a tunnel. Smoke entered several

carriages towards the rear of the train. The 240 passengers were

initially told to move to the front three coaches. Eventually they

were evacuated on foot, and more than 30 received treatment

for injuries. Operations head for JR Hokkaido Masayuki Ichijo

apologised saying “Had we made a decision sooner, we could

have evacuated passengers more quickly.”

A train of the East Japan Railway company following the earthquake on

11 March.

“ Its an old colonial problem we inherited from England”.


MISHAPS & BLUNDERS

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1508

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GAUTRAIN GAUGEDr J F Slabbert wrote to Moneyweb:“I’m a small private investor and a professional engineer.

“I query your clear enthusiasm for the Gautrain and the PPP model

used. I fully concur passenger rail investment is urgently needed

in SA (especially commuter rail - I use Metrorail every day, not

a pleasant experience!). But the Gautrain has in reality put back

rail transport in Gauteng immeasurably by the employment of

the ‘standard’ (European) gauge despite a specifi c requirement

imposed by cabinet when it approved the Bombela contract that

it be fully integrated with the existing network.

“This choice designed to maximise Bombardier profi ts and justifi ed

on entirely specious grounds of speeds (Google ‘Scheffel Bogie’

for information about speeds attainable on the existing 1,067mm

gauge) is an example of how sophisticated international salesmen

can oversell to South African offi cials with no engineering expertise

(Recall the arms deal).

“The many disadvantages accruing from not using the 1,067 gauge

(besides ending permanently the ideal of travelling from Polokwane

to Cape Town on one train passing seamlessly through Sandton

and on below ground level to Park Station and the Jo’burg CBD,

re-emerging before Soweto and thence to points South), include

duplicated track maintenance equipment, workshops, electrical

equipment, artisan training etc., the impossibility of freight

services, the loss of manufacturing opportunities and many others.

These are not only my own views; Jeremy Cronin in 2007 as chair

of the parliamentary portfolio committee fully concurred with me

(although for undisclosed reasons he took noaction) as did many

others.

“That a similar PPP-type project again using the European gauge

is being sold to Prasa for the Moloto Corridor (as well as an

absurdly unsuitable Durban-Jo’burg high-speed project) is another

step towards the fragmentation of the 25,000km 1,067mm sub-

continental network, the PPP model being a vital tool in the process.

“There is a great deal more that can be said about Gautrain

which as already noted bears a resemblance to the arms deal

contracts. Certainly the taxpayers in both cases are suffering!”

– (Dr) J F Siebert Pr Eng

RACEDAY SPECIALS SIXTY YEARS AGOCharlie Lewis reminiscing on sar-L:“This will forever damn me in the eyes of dedicated photographers,

but bioscopes and girls had a lot to do with it. Until the early fi fties,

there ran every Saturday morning from Cape Town to Milnerton

Racecourse a perfect rake of CGR fl at-sided, match-boarded

suburban stock - about seven or eight coaches - with a Belpaire

[class] six in charge. I would see this immaculate train on my way to

town (eightpence for the train fare and eightpence for the bioscope,

just about covered by my pocket

money) in the Coliseum, Plaza

or Alhambra. Whenever I saw

the train I would think ‘must go

out and phot it next Saturday’

but come the day, fl ick and

girls always won out. Then one

Saturday (would have been

sometime in ‘52 or ‘53) the train

didn’t show. That was my fi rst

lesson in getting things while the

going was good”.

“A perfect rake of CGR fl at-sided

suburban stock with a Belpaire six

in charge.” Photo: collection Pierre

de Wet ex the Railway Circle, mid-

twenties.

END OF THE LINE


CORRESP NDENCE

Remember the old song?We’re marching to Pretoria ..

Pretoria .. PretoriaWe’re marching to Pretoria –

Pretoria rules the waves.

Gautrain’s Pretoria debut was scheduledFor March in Twenty-one-one.

We were ready to ride, instead everyone cried -yy

It turned out to be a con-con.y yy

Thanks to one or two gremlins that got in the way;(Or that’s how the story was spun).

g gg g

The tracks were all fi nished, the stations completey py

Except one or two things still undone.

Then service to Hatfi eld was promised (for sure)By June in Twenty-one-one.

p

We were ready to ride, instead everyone cried -y yy


Seems the test runs and checks weren’t fi nished in time(The permit for safety not written)

And leaks in the tunnels! Perhaps the key guys werep yp y

Once shy as they say, and twice bitten?p y g yp y g y

But - trains from Park station would definitely runFrom June in Twenty-one-one.

We were ready to ride, instead everyone cried -yy


High water below ground, the challenge this time,Meant more than just ironing out bugs.

g gg g

Six million litres a day leaking ing

Had the experts out shopping for plugs.y gy g

But service to Hatfi eld began at long last During August in Twenty-one-one.

g gg

So Try-Number-Three turned out to beg g yg g y

Not only win-win, but won-won.yy

We’re marching to Pretoria ..Pretoria .. Pretoria

We’re marching to Pretoria –And Gautrain’s making waves.

MARCHING TO PRETORIAMMMA RIAAA

“We get our water from Gautrain. The day’s fi rst six million litres are free”

New Tubular Modular Track installation at Kwa Mashu Station, Durban.

The first of its kind in South Africa on 1070mm platform to rail height.

World Class track meeting World Class Safety Standards.

Step offnot down.

Tel: +27 12 803 4201 Fax: +27 12 803 5192 Email: [email protected] www.tubulartrack.co.za

Documents

Railways Africa June 2011