[Mar/Apr 2017] SA Transport observations

[TA3001]

From my obs, the Outer Harbor trains do not need two carriages after 9PM either. The patronage would barely fill an NL202. I'm not sure why the DPTI continues to waste money letting 2 car trains run mostly empty both ways at night.

[Eurostar]

From my obs, the Outer Harbor trains do not need two carriages after 9PM either. The patronage would barely fill an NL202. I'm not sure why the DPTI continues to waste money letting 2 car trains run mostly empty both ways at night.

Both two trains have to go back to Dry Creek anyway so myswell keep them as a set.

[Eagle Eye]

From my obs, the Outer Harbor trains do not need two carriages after 9PM either. The patronage would barely fill an NL202. I'm not sure why the DPTI continues to waste money letting 2 car trains run mostly empty both ways at night.

Two cars is the standard consist length.

In other news R803, R804 & R805 have been returned to Light-City Buses. Assume R806, R807 & R808 are back with Torrens Transit as well.

[Eurostar]

The boom gates at Anderson Walk and Curtis Road in Smithfield area were playing up this afternoon

[Lt. Commander Data]

In other news R803, R804 & R805 have been returned to Light-City Buses. Assume R806, R807 & R808 are back with Torrens Transit as well.

Can also confirm that 3226, 3227, 3229, 3232, 3233 and 3234 are back at Aldgate, they cropped up on various Aldgate runs this evening.

[route 228]

2579 at Elizabeth has lost its AOA for West End now in AOA for Matilda the Musical.

[mmosca447]

This may seem obvious to everyone else but I am just getting into buses currently, but I have been riding the 645 weekly for the last couple of years and for the first time yesterday I boarded a Yellow-fronted Scania 1533. Is this a rare occurrence or do I just not see this bus often? Thanks

[TA3001]

1521 - 1533, 2501 - 2505, 2586 - 2599 (excluding 2590) were painted in the yellow livery. They were built in mid 2011 around the time when the rules seemingly changed regarding the life limits of the SL200s. Vehicles delivered from around June 2011 and after have typically been painted in the AdMet V2 livery.

There are several variations of the front of these vehicles. Some tend to have yellow at the top, with some being red except for the yellow smile. I think I saw one that was more or less all red at the front not that long ago, but didn't take much notice of it due to it being a CB80.

[Lt. Commander Data]

1521 - 1533, 2501 - 2505, 2586 - 2599 (excluding 2590) were painted in the yellow livery.

3227, 3228 and 3229 are also part of the yellow crew.

[hino rg]

Light City Buses #1129 is geting work done on it at Heavy Automatics at Wingfield and #542 is at Mercedes Benz

[mmosca447]

I boarded a 720 today from Hallett Cove Shopping Centre and it was bus 2746. It had a really cool seat pattern and stopping sound but from all the buses I'd ever been on in the past, I saw that it only had a single door. I'm not sure if this is the only single door bus left nowadays?

[Diesel_MAN]

I boarded a 720 today from Hallett Cove Shopping Centre and it was bus 2746. It had a really cool seat pattern and stopping sound but from all the buses I'd ever been on in the past, I saw that it only had a single door. I'm not sure if this is the only single door bus left nowadays?

SouthLink operates plenty more single-door buses in the Hills.

[jibb]

Light City Buses #1123 is geting work done on it at Heavy Automatics at Wingfield and #542 is at Mercedes Benz

According to the photo I have seen it is 1129.

[jibb]

1521 - 1533, 2501 - 2505, 2586 - 2599 (excluding 2590) were painted in the yellow livery. They were built in mid 2011 around the time when the rules seemingly changed regarding the life limits of the SL200s. Vehicles delivered from around June 2011 and after have typically been painted in the AdMet V2 livery.

There are several variations of the front of these vehicles. Some tend to have yellow at the top, with some being red except for the yellow smile. I think I saw one that was more or less all red at the front not that long ago, but didn't take much notice of it due to it being a CB80.

Southlink 2591 is in RedMet.

[jibb]

Light-City Buses MAN NL202 CNG 764 suffered considerable front end damage after a collision with a motor vehicle on Torrens Road this afternoon.

[TT]

This appeared on Instagram yesterday.

[jibb]

Another disturbing incident on our buses on Saturday night. A Southlink bus driver was assaulted at Seaford Interchange,as well as having a beer bottle thrown at him.
Fortunately he was not seriously injured,but on returning to his depot the Duty Coordinator asked the question-"What did you do to provoke this incident"--pretty poor form!
There have also been recent cases of O-Bahn bus drivers having rocks thrown at their windscreens and drivers windows.

[Crispy!]

O-Bahn tunnel project: Adelaide man moves his family away from roadwork chaos

A Hackney family has temporarily relocated to the hills to get away from noise and disruption from the $160 million O-Bahn tunnel project.

See Here: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger ... c1e8683b3e

[jetbus]

It appears the upgrade and electrification of the Gawler line has been put back another year as a full business case for the Gawler rail line upgrade will not be handed to the agency essential for Federal funding until next year,again stalling the program Infrastructure Australia(IA) and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development accused the the SA Government of not providing a detailed business case for the Gawler line electrification.
An spokeswoman said the agency had only received an early stage submission on the Gawler line upgrade in September 2015.This was not a full business case submission.The SA Government has indicated it will provide a full business case for the Gawler line upgrade. in the next year.

As much as I'd love to see more lines electrified, I have to say it really doesn't make economic sense at this point in time. Probably about half(?) of the current DEMU fleet would be dedicated to the Gawler line and if the line is electrified and new electric trains purchased, what would you do with those large number of DEMU cars that would be left sitting doing nothing in the depot? As long as the DEMUs still have some decent life left in them it doesn't make sense to get rid of them just yet. As maintenance costs increase or their age becomes a real factor only then will new electrics replace them, and the electrification of the line won't precede that by too many years. As for the effects of a partial electrification to either Dry Creek or Salisbury - that may provide some logistical challenges for timetabling, or might be a stepping stone to the DEMU retirements. But all in all, I can't see any electrification work happening on the Gawler line in the next 3-5 years.

I Disagree I think it should be electrified it would attract more tourists

[jibb]

More tourists to see what?+it is a commuter line !

[Eurostar]

More tourists to see what?+it is a commuter line !

Although many locals may not see towns like Gawler as places for tourists or new electric trains as tourist magnets in many ways they are. Gawler is an old beautiful town and the gateway to the Barossa Valley which can be accessed by catching LinkSA services from Gawler. The electric trains that are due to run on the line soon are good to see from a train enthusiast point of view.