198503 – Pyle – Use of Axle Counters for Proving Block Sections on CTC Territory on Queensland Railways

A decision was made in 1983/84 to electrify from Gladstone to Burngrove and coal mine branches (Stage 1) and the coal line from Hay Point to Goonyella and Branches to Riverside, Oaky Creek and Blair Athol Mine (Stage 2). Stage 1 and Stage 2 will total approximately 800 route kilometres of electrified track.

The traction system will mainly be the 25-0-25kV AC auto transformer type with some small areas around balloon loops etc. being standard 25kV AC traction. Both lines are at present operated with power signalling and Centralised Traffic Control with the greater majority of the supervisory equipment being operated over open aerial wires.

Existing track circuits in the block sections are either non AC immune DC, fed from mains power or solar power, or Jeumont Schneider high impulse type.

As double rail traction return was required it was decided initially to replace al l the track circuits in the block sections with jointless type fed from an underground power cable installed from station to station and derived from the stations guaranteed supply. stations. The block cable will also be buried between As there is no underground cable route in the block sections and some of the block sections are very long, alternative less expensive methods of working the block sections were investigated.

The final decision was to install axle counters on the branch lines to the mines and utilising the communications bearer (radio or optical fibre) to transfer the block and axle counter data from station to station.

Jointless track circuits with a copper block cable will be used in al l other block sections.