1984 – Aug – Metcalfe – Low Cost CTC Alternative

AJ Metcalfe MIRSE DML Engineering (QLD) Pty Ltd in the intervening years between the two world wars C.T.C. systems were developed, basically as we know them today, giving all the advantages of secure block sections combined with the concept of overall control by one operator of a complete section of line as in the train order system. C.T.C. systems have one major disadvantage to modern railway administration, and that is the relatively high cost and generally, the continued use of many hundreds of kilometres of pole line which is expensive to maintain. In my talk today I would like to firstly consider how the cost of C.T.C. schemes for the more major routes could be reduced without losing integrity or flexibility of the system and then continue to low cost alternatives to obsolescent and labour intensive systems used on low density traffic lines.