We have the technology...

We have all seen in stark clarity one of the worst rail disasters of the modern age. Quite how something so terrible could happen despite the technology and fail safe systems available to us today, is frankly incredible and does fill me with a sense of anger and frustration.
There can be no doubt that the tragedy was caused by excessive speed. You don't need to be a rail industry expert to see that something travelling so fast around so tight a bend will try to leave its tracks. After all, the only thing holding the train to the track is gravity - nothing else. I know, as does many a youngster, how easy it is to crash a model train on a tight bend. Go too fast and off it comes, and it did often, much to the frustration of my father who would have to put the train back on the track each time.
Something clearly went seriously wrong. Why did the safety systems fail and how was it possible for a driver with, so it is claimed, so much experience to drive his train at such speed into a bend that already had gained notoriety for its extreme curvature?
It would be so easy to fit a system that automatically reduced the train speed in time for the bend, overriding the regulator, until it was safe for the driver to resume control. This technology exists - and it is used. We only have to look at our own driver-less Docklands Light Railway to know that it works - and has done very well for many years. A roller coaster has this technology fitted by standard. I find tragedies like this, and the needless loss of life, harder to accept as it would have been so easy to prevent the train from going too fast.
As with all tragedies, we need to learn lessons from them and this is no exception. But in my mind, the lesson is a simple one, and that's simply to use the technology we have.

Modelling progress

A typical Saturday afternoon spent at my best friends. Incidentally, they are godparents to my son such is their close friendship. Each visit involves me giving 2 or 3 hours to the model railway I'm building. As mentioned previously, I've spent many years getting it to where it is now and I estimate another couple of years to get it anywhere near complete.

A particular problem hindering progress has been the track elevations and gradients. What works fine for one loco won't work for another so I've had to do a huge amount of tweaking and testing. I've decided to use fine ballast to mimmic the real thing and I'm using this to hold the track in position  rather than track pins. I have found these rather too severe and 'final' making any adjustments to track almost impossible. An area causing me considerable grief is at the north end of the layout - north being furthest from the camera in the above photo. The line turns into a bend which then elevates on a steady gradient. A slight tilt to the track has been necessary to prevent derailments and after several re-lays, I think I'm just about there. The ballast incidentally is sprayed with PVA mixed with water. When dry, this sets the ballast solid holding the track firm. I normally place a large weight onto 'troublesome track' and remove when the ballast is dry.

Up to a few weeks ago, track condition had been a real problem. As the layout is in a large shed, weather can play havoc with condensation the worst culprit. I read somewhere on the Net that operators of large model railway layouts swear by Wahl Oil. Apparently, despite being an 'oil', it has remarkable cleaning properties and leaves a ultra fine conductive layer which drastically improves transfer of current from track to wheel. So, I duly ordered a bottle or two and I've been amazed at the result after applying just one drop to each rail. Locos now run smoothly and without hesitation on all parts of the layout. I've also noticed the oil has managed to clean the loco wheels. Wahl Oil has to be the most essential accessory for any model railway and I thoroughly recommend it. Do though be careful with steep gradients. The oil can cause increased slippage on drive wheels, as I've found. In such cases, I've double-headed and run continuously for about an hour or so to disperse the oil.

I'll update on progress again next Saturday.