Sensational-Adelaide.com

fabricator wrote:Originally these came fitted with red LEDs, which caused a problem for train drivers when the displays face the on coming trains

To solve this they fitted replacement display modules with blue LEDs, must have used cheap ones though as I've seen some burn out within weeks of being installed. Plus the modules can come loose as well, which makes things even worse.

Any half decent LED should last decades.

danielphin wrote:It seems at some stations that an entire vertical band of led's are off, repeated multiple times on the board. Seems more of a circuitry issue.

LED's simply dont blow after a couple of months of usage. They would die gracefully, after many many years.

The bands of LEDs being off is related to the loose module faults I mentioned, the multi-pin plugs between the two sets of circuit boards aren't every secure.

If you direct too much voltage/current through an LED it will burn out, blue LEDs used to be really expensive to make ($3 each instead of 30c now), so its possible some may have taken too big a shortcut.

Remembering back to my days in electronics - the lifespan of a large LED is largely governed by the quality of the heatsink at its base. The 'glowing' part of the LED won't get hot (unlike a traditional light globe), but the 2 wires at the back do get very warm and can damage the circuitry if an adequate heatsink is not in place.

Not sure if that's the reason here though...

They could just make it easy for themselves and install the LCD screens they have at Adelaide Station

Updating the previous list:

Belair Line
Work to be done: Rebuild/Resleepering
Work to start: Started April 2009
Work to be completed: 22 August 2009

Dry Creek Depot
Work to be done: Construction
Work to start: Started Early 2009
Work to be completed: 2011

Entertainment Centre Line
Work to be done: Construction
Work to start: Started April 2009
Work to be completed: Early 2010

Gawler Line
Work to be done: Resleepering & Electrification
Work to start: 2010/2011 for Resleepering, 2011/2012 for Electrification
Work to be completed: 2013

Grange Line
Work to be done: Resleepering & Electrification
Work to start: 2011/2012
Work to be completed: Unknown

Lonsdale Depot
Work to be done: Expansion
Work to start: 2009
Work to be completed: 2010/2011

Noarlunga Line
Work to be done: Resleepering & Electrification
Work to start: September/October 2009, 2011/2012* for Electrification
Work to be completed: 2013

O-Bahn
Work to be done: Extension into CBD
Work to start: Late 2009
Work to be completed: 2011

Outer Harbor Line
Work to be done: Viaduct Improvements & Electrification
Work to start: September/October 2009 for the Viaduct, 2011/12 for Electrification
Work to be completed: 2014/2015

Seaford Line
Work to be done: Construction
Work to start: 2009/10
Work to be completed: 2013

Semaphore Line
Work to be done: Construction
Work to start: Unknown
Work to be completed: 2018

Ticketing System
Work to be done: Replacement of current system
Work to be completed: 2012/2013

Tonsley Line
Work to be done: Resleepering & Electrification
Work to start: 2011/2012
Work to be completed: Unknown

West Lakes Line
Work to be done: Construction
Work to start: Unknown
Work to be completed: 2015

*Estimation Only[/quote]

this has probably been asked and aswered before, but i could not find any reference in this thread...so here goes:

==> when is the Belair line scheduled for electrification?

It's not, yet. They are waiting until the study finishes on the feasibility of a freight diversion line through the Adelaide Hills, so that it bypasses Adelaide, and joins at Port Adelaide instead (via Golden Grove, I'd imagine - along the Dry Creek rail corridor? Could be wrong) Anyways, so, essentially if the current Belair line can be duplicated, if the ARTC line no longer needs be used; they might look into electrification then.

The bypass is set to join the existing track near Gawler.

Norman wrote:The bypass is set to join the existing track near Gawler.

From what I've seen proposed, the bypass is set to head north on the Murray Plains to around Dutton before turning west to cross the Kapunda line at a locality called Fords, then head west to meet the northern main at Mallala. There is apparently no easy place for it to climb the hills until it's north of Truro.

Yikes - that's 150 odd kms worth of deviation!

At least it would get rail freight out of the suburbs though.

DM8 wrote:Yikes - that's 150 odd kms worth of deviation!

And therin lies the problem. Although 60% of the freight on the line is bound for Perth, the other 40% is bound for Adelaide, and if you add so much distance (and distance = time) to the journey, you are likely to lose that freight to trucks, making the highway between Adelaide and Melbourne so much more dangerous. Leaving the hills line open for Melbourne-Adelaide freight is unlikely, due to the cost of maintaining railway lines, and anyway, the Mitcham residents would still be complaining if that happened.

Actually its likely some freight trains would still go through the hills, some like the local grain trains would be replaced with trucks if they had to go the long way around. Most likely outcome is TA get the hills line, and allow some freight operators to use it, and I'd expect The Overland to be included in that list.

The majority of the interstate freight trains would be better off using the bypass, higher track speeds and no steep hills means less polution/fuel usage, fewer locos. The average time is unlikely to change too much, the longer distanced would be mostly cancelled out by the higher speeds.

Regarding the screens at stations I think they have started to replace them all this week, I noticed new ones at Oaklands and seacliff stations. What they are doing matches what has been said here: the new ones are red LEDs not blue, and they are being fitted paralell to the line so that they are not in drivers eyes. This must be costing a fortune though!

fabricator wrote:Actually its likely some freight trains would still go through the hills, some like the local grain trains would be replaced with trucks if they had to go the long way around.

I can't see this happening. Grain is one of the least time sensitive of all the freight on the line, and the fact that there is so much of it, all going to one place, means that it will stay on rail if rail is available, despite the further distance, IMHO.

fabricator wrote:Most likely outcome is TA get the hills line, and allow some freight operators to use it

Well they'll be wrapped about that up in the Mitcham Hills!

Will the Adelaide freight yards be moved out to Mallala, or will trains be spilt in a yard there, and re-marshalled depending on whether freight is going north or down to Adelaide? Either way, there go your time savings for Adelaide-bound freight.

If TA own the line and allow freight trains to access it, what priority will they have? Will freight trains be held on Belair loop (or Mount Lofty loop if Belair is occupied) until a path is freed up? Once again, there go your time savings, and you'll still have freight trains going through Mitcham Hills.

rhino wrote:

fabricator wrote:Most likely outcome is TA get the hills line, and allow some freight operators to use it

Well they'll be wrapped about that up in the Mitcham Hills!

Will the Adelaide freight yards be moved out to Mallala, or will trains be spilt in a yard there, and re-marshalled depending on whether freight is going north or down to Adelaide? Either way, there go your time savings for Adelaide-bound freight.

If TA own the line and allow freight trains to access it, what priority will they have? Will freight trains be held on Belair loop (or Mount Lofty loop if Belair is occupied) until a path is freed up? Once again, there go your time savings, and you'll still have freight trains going through Mitcham Hills.

Who knows what happens with the freight yards, I don't think the government have much of a clue here. Same crickets to be heard as to the future of the current ARTC line when the Northern Connector is built.

Currently freights trains around Adelaide use:
1) SCT logistics terminal - killburn [due to be relocated to area next to RAAF base/Salisbury-Virginia railway]
2) AFT (adelaide freight terminal) massive container terminal - killburn opposite Islington Works
3) Islington Works, Heavy Engineering workshop that makes/repairs freight cars and locomotives, also builds wind turbine towers and large bridges.
4) Dry Creek South yard, Broad Gauge yard, turntable and home to the Motive Power Center (locomotive workshop)
5) Dry Creek North yard, Standard Gauge yard with weighbridge.

Those last two would be isolated if the line through Salisbury is taken out of use. A yard with only one entrance could only be used by trains if back shunted. And shunting long trains on the main line isn't a very smart idea.

the only way to avoid the main line is with a dedicated huge headshunt line.

BRING BACK THE 500b.s