A single sick worker blamed for widespread delays across Sydney train network

[aussiesteve]

Firebox roaring like a blacksmiths hearth.
Yep, it gets mighty hot inside a long tunnel stomping up hill while madly swinging the banjo.
But, after a long day rattling around, you finally enjoy the sight of the loco depot hoving into view.
My only problem was that I forgot that it was a 1 in 25 climb up into loco and I was resting on me laurels.
I had actually swung the banjo a little too aggressively while still down at the station depositing the patrons.
It is severely frowned upon to make her blow off while sitting at a station.
I was just getting ahead of meself planning to have that blacksmiths furnace for the trip up to loco.
Forced to rip the fire door open and open the injectors to cool her down a tad.
But, then I had lost the oomph of me banjo swinging, when the tail-gunner blew his pea whistle.
As the old hands liked to extol, it is all by sight, ear and seat of the pants when working soot belchers.
Something that is gained over years of experience, not just a week-end of playing trains.
Assisting with a similar class of soot belcher would be the easiest to manipulate.
Similar road speed for the similar setting of the reverser screw, unless one was steaming poorly.
But, toss a smaller loco into the mix, one with smaller diameter drivers, then they hafta sort it out.
I have squizzed triple header soot belcher tours here, all three locos performing differently a that same road speed.
The 69 inch drivers of the Jolly Green Giant just loping along, while the 51 inch drivers of the standard goods were a blur.
Mind you, the Standard Goods 2-8-0 beasties were not supposed to travel in excess of 35 mph.
Even weasels of different design will perform slightly differently when in multiple.
Different traction motors (oomph and gearing) and wheel diameter creating the balancing speed.
Plus the motor combination and whether it transitioned or only field shunted.
I never drove any modern AC traction dingi, only DC traction.
When ever we had to MU different weasel classes, we had to adjust the train load accordingly.
A 44 class main line unit could heft 615 tonne up a 1 in 40 at the balancing speed of 19 kph.
A dinky toy 48er could heft 410 tonne up a 1 in 40 at 13 kph.
MU them, and you could not take the combined load of 1025 tonne.
The combined load had to be reduced down to 923 tonne to compensate for the different balancing speeds.
The 44 class would wheel spin and go into short time ratings if getting too far below 19 kph.
But, naturally after privatization and DO MORE WITH LESS, such mathematics went out the window.
No banana skins on the cab floor here, damn things are over $3.99 per kilo.
Might be an avocado skin though, snavelled one when the pricetag reduced to $1.29 each, normally $1.99.
Though, it ain't ripe enough yet.
Oh, and apparently not a single sick traffic controller in the UK but a sick computer creating chaos in the Pommy skies.
Gotta luv modern technology and capitalism.

[hereward]

Reminds me of slipping out of school to watch the Pines Express come through, usually pulled by Samson, they worked that loco to death. In the few seconds it took to pass by the fireman would seem to throw 50 shovels of coal into the firebox. Don't bananas grow in NSW? I saw some banana trees in Queensland and pineapples in NSW.

[aussiesteve]

Yes, while we call Queenslanders (that includes me) bananabenders, actually more bananas were grown in northern NSW.
But, the northern rivers region of NSW copped it bad during the 2020 floods.
Plus there have been various diseases infecting banana growing regions.
The big drama this Xmas is the panic about the drastically reduced crop of mangos being available.
Global warming has seen problems with mango farms.
Hence we are warned that while some mangos will still appear, the pricetag will be extreme.