Thread: Autonomous Vehicles

Originally Posted by Homestar

Derailers are applied to the track in front of the train - don't need to be anywhere near one to do this. Most sidings and yards have derailers built into them that can be flipped up easily - usually to provide protection to track or yard workers when working on something on the rails or a bolt on unit can be applied to any part of the track if needed in an event such as this.

so the derailer is not on the train but a siding?

thanks mick for explaining

Originally Posted by Eevo

so the derailer is not on the train but a siding?

On the rail.

Damn, never heard of derailers, or train tyres before. Wouldnt want a malfunction to engage the derailer.

As well as derailers track systems often have 'catch points' which have a similar effect but are built as part of the trackwork. Catch points - Wikipedia

I have no idea what was used here, but if it was shortly before a major road level crossing, these may have been built to catch any train proceeding against signals (i.e. when level crossing gates had not closed).

Edit: According to this morning's news, it was diverted onto a deadend track fitted with a permanent derailer at the dead end.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Yes indeed - Only 3 weeks ago, Google maps tried to take me down a farm track that said 'No Through Road' - it's not that good, and based on where the actual road was that it should have taken me down, very unimpressive to be honest.

Originally Posted by SSmith

With my VMS still in for repairs google maps has been my norm (with paper backups) since wombat. It is almost daily that it does this to me, or takes me 10km down a side road to do a u turn at the end of a couldersack or I set it to take the scenic route and it defaults back to the freeways etc halfway along.

I now do a lot of checking of its routes, or nav with paper maps and have it running in the background rerouting constantly because it does not agree with the route I am taking.

Amusing, sometimes..... Damn i hope my VMS is fixed and waiting for me in Coffs

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Some of you have seen the road into my place from Ballimore. A couple of years ago I passed a slow 'L' car on the road heading in. It caught up while I was opening the first gate, so I pulled forward to let it through the gate as well, and while my passenger was shutting the gate, the woman next to the driver got out and came and asked me "Is this the way to Coonabarrabran?".

I pointed out that you could get there using this route, but probably not in that car - the local fire truck had issues going up that road to a fire a few weeks earlier due to fallen trees. I showed them how to take an alternative they would be able to negotiate. They were following their GPS, I suspect set on "shortest route".

Originally Posted by rammypluge

I know a cyclist that google maps sent down boggy sandy 4wd tracks he couldnt ride, into a remote area off a major highway.

Its tried to do all of these to me numerous times, you really do need to keep an eye on it.
One time in Canberra going from Gunghalin to Fyshwick going along Horse Park Drive/Majura Parkway it tried to divert me onto the Federal Highway towards Goulburn and was most distressed I didn't turn left.

Only a couple of years ago it sent a women from Sydney gong to Murrurundi via Merriwa, that's several hundred km out of her way, and at around the same time a couple of blokes were in their way back to Sydney in a new Porsche and stopped at McDonalds in Scone.
They happened to ask a friend if the route over Barrington Tops was ok for a Porsche as that's the way Google maps was trying to send them.
She suggested sticking to the New England Hwy might be a bit easier on the car, and quite a bit faster.

I was lucky enough to do the Mountaineer Track before it was locked up. You wouldnt get a Porsche through that one even if google tried. Was a lovely adventure, now sadly closed off.

I led a canyoning adventure off that track, was probably the first and last to ever abseil the waterfalls. Was navigating by topographical maps in those days.

apparently, the train wasnt "driverless" but had rolled away out of the switching yards. completely different story.