Re: GCLR2 Trams Today
  Dudley Horscroft

If I remember correctly, the standard actuating mechanism was a three position arrangement which allowed the points to biased for
left, right, or unbiased. With either of the biased arrangements, the points were set for the one direction, to which they reverted
after passage of a tram trailing from the other direction. With unbiased, the points always remained in the last position set, so
that if set for main line they stayed that way till a tram trailed in from the branch, and then they remained set for the branch
till a tram trailed from the main line.

Perhaps the GCLR engineers were not certain how the springs should be set? and so arranged that they are always set for the facing
direction leading to the crossover? The unbiased setting meant that for the reverse movement to use the crossover, a point bar
would be required to change this. With the permanently biased setting, a side of the road lever would be needed - reasonable when
there were conductors to hold the point level while the tram passed.

Regards

Dudley Horscroft

Regards

Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Youltressteleg@... [TramsDownUnder]" TramsDownUnder@...>
To: TramsDownUnder@...>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2017 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] GCLR2 Trams Today


What surprises me with GC is that mainline trailing points are spring loaded, set for the very rare occasions when they may be
needed for a reversing tram. A very wasteful procedure.

I need to ask drivers if they even carry a point bar.

Regards,
>

> On 10 Nov 2017, at 10:03 pm, 'Noel Reed'noelreed10@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> Trailing through tram points against the switch blade position is common tramway practice where switch blades can be repaired by

> welding.

>

> In Sydney, rarely used crossovers were usually set for the straight on both tracks to avoid unnecessary wear.

>

> Trailing against the switch blade positions at a tramway museum causes gradual wear on the points and wheel flanges. Is it good

> practice at a museum to invite unnecessary wear which costs extra expense for the volunteers ?

>

>

>

> Many US trolley museums use manual non trailable ‘switch stands’ for point operation so points must be set correctly for both

> facing and trailing movements.

>

> From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]

> Sent: Friday, 10 November 2017 1:41 PM

> To:TramsDownUnder@...

> Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] GCLR2 Trams Today

>

>

>

>

>

> On 10/11/17 10:36, 'William Jackson'apairofjacks@...

> [TramsDownUnder] wrote:

> Richard

> Do you have a feeling as to whether trams will be stopping before the

> facing points, ala Melbourne?

>

> Probably not as they have point blade location detection.

>

> I noticed at the Uni terminus shortly after the system opened, while an incoming tram was 'trailing' the crossover points, the

> point indicator signal was flipping between 'set for turn' and 'stop' each time a wheel pushed pass the switch blade.

>

> So the driver has advance warning of the blade positions via these lamps, which appear to reflect what the real blade position is,

> not the commanded blade position.

>

> So they don't have to stop with in visual distance and look at the blades, just see (from a distance) that the right lamp is lit.

>

> The non-connected stub siding, to be connected / has already?

>

> Wasn't this a construction siding ?.

> It will be eventually removed entirely if thats why it's there.

>

> Posted by: Matthew Geier matthew@...>

>

>