Gday Robert

Welcome to TDU Good to hear you are still on the bridge

Gee,we had some fun at Camberwell

Cheers, Mick.
----- Original Message -----
From: robinnisfail
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 12:21 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Sydney monorail

As ex-Senior Bridge Operator, Pyrmont Bridge, Darling Harbour, I can tell you the Bridge opens to 83 degrees, which is the angle that places the opening span perpendicular to the Western shores of Darling Harbour. It has many fairly recently added safety measures added to ensure that the swing span stops at this point or just a little more. The Bridge still (at Nov 2000) operates using the original G.E. Electrical Equipment. Power to operate the bridge come up the centre of the sandstone pier and are laid out on a "floor" so they unwind and wind back to their position as the span opens and closes. This would also prevent the swing span from turning much more. Sparks would fly and the span would come to a grinding halt through a lack of juice! (600VDC)

The monorail is single ended. The 2 Bus-bars on the outside of the operating loop are power supply to the train, and the 2 on the inside of the loop supply operational functions for when/if running without an operator. Therefore it can not be turned around to run Anti-clockwise around the loop.
As I have not been near the Monorail or Sydney for almost 13 years, I am not sure if they are running without an operator yet as they were designed to do in 1988!

Regards,
Robert Aspinall.

--- InTramsDownUnder@..., "Dudley Horscroft" <transitconsult@...> wrote:
>
> John, I think the "turntable" Rod refers to is the swing bridge at the entrance to Darling Harbour. But I doubt that it can turn more than 90 degrees! All it was required to do is to turn from connecting the roadways to permitting water traffic. 90 degrees would be quite sufficient.
>
> BTW - are the cars double or single ended? Are they double or single sided?
>
> Regards
>
> Dudley Horscroft
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: John Wayman
> To:tramsdownunder@...
> Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 3:21 PM
> Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Sydney monorail
>
>
>
>
> Hi Rod,
>
> This photo of the Sydney Monorail depot seems to have a traverser. Where is the turntable?
>
> View this at http://tdu.to/sydney_monorail_depot_2010-01-19.jpg
>
> Cheers
> John Wayman
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To:TramsDownUnder@...
> From: rodsmith@...
> Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:52:58 00
> Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Sydney monorail
>
>
> Brian's comment about boredom has triggered a brilliant thought.
> Most monorails have traversers. Sydney's is a rarity: it has a turntable.
> Why should operation always be clockwise?
> Do that in even years.
> In odd years, turn the whole fleet and run anticlockwise.
>
> Recalling the story about staff & ticket operation, would changeover night provide the one opportunity for the year to carry the staff around the circuit?
>
> Roderick B Smith
> Rail News Victoria Editor
>