Did anyone else who happened to watch the Y2K movie, notice the similarity between the lead character who saved the world and the ever resourceful lead character from the old MacGyver TV series?

Other mention:. Watching CNN coverage of train crash in Australia. Seems their is a possibility that a switch box warning light didn't operate properly. Ironically, this switch box was scheduled for maintenance in a couple of weeks. Officials won't speculate until after official investigation, naturally.

-- Lisa (lisa_dawn@yahoo.com), December 02, 1999

Answers

Lisa,

MacGyver was a lot more fun to watch than that oaf on the Y2K movie. But the problem, I think, is that society in general, and senior management in particular, assume that ALL programmers can perform instantaneous, high-tech, razzle-dazzle tricks like MacGyver if/when a system breaks down. "Why don't you just patch it?" they ask. "You know ... just put in a work-around, a stop-gap, a thingamajig to get us back up and running again. Do you know how much this is costing us while you lazy programmers are sitting there, staring at the ceiling, trying to think up some kind of code patch? Stop thinking! DO SOMETHING!!!"

Been there, done that...

Ed

-- Ed Yourdon (ed@yourdon.com), December 02, 1999.

Lisa,

I believe this is what you are referring to. Interesting.

http://www.news.com.au/news_content/dtm/4392877.htm

Link

Inquiry will ask why Intercity ran a red signal By KELVIN BISSETT and KIM SWEETMAN 3dec99

THE judicial inquiry into yesterday's devastating crash will focus on why the 6.39am Intercity service from Lithgow ran a red signal at Glenbrook station.

With the rear of the 18-car Indian Pacific just a few hundred metres ahead around a blind curve, there was never enough time to stop a disaster from occurring.

Although less than 10 years old, the signalling on the city-bound track of the Blue Mountains line appears to have malfunctioned.

When the Indian Pacific arrived at Glenbrook station on schedule shortly after 8am, it came up against a red light at signal 41.6.

The driver followed strict operating instructions waiting the specified minute before contacting Penrith signal box by radio. He was given permission to proceed with caution.

A further 1.3km farther down the track towards Lapstone station, the Indian Pacific was stopped at another red light at signal 40.8. Again Penrith signal box gave him permission to proceed with caution.

Passengers on the luxury cross- continental train, many in the midst of a silver service breakfast, were told over the loud speaker system that signal problems were to blame for their delays.

Under safe working rules, trains may proceed slowly where there are signal problems.

Meanwhile, the Lithgow to Sydney service had arrived on time at Glenbrook station where passengers alighted and boarded the train.

The Glenbrook signal was still showing red when the train pulled out at 8.17am.

The train accelerated out of the station towards the 500m-long Indian Pacific which was travelling slowly on the same track towards Sydney.

As the Lithgow driver rounded a blind corner, he would have seen the rear carriage of the Indian Pacific, a vehicle transporter, less than 200 metres in front.

He left his cab, releasing the "dead man's handle".

Once he stopped applying pressure to the handle the engine's power would have been cut and emergency brakes applied.

The four-car Intercity train should be able to stop in about 100 metres on a level track in good conditions.

But the downhill gradient would have added considerably to the time taken to bring the train to a halt. The force of the impact on the crawling Indian Pacific indicates the train was travelling at considerable speed when the collision occurred.

State Rail sources confirmed last night there was no obvious reason for the Indian Pacific to be shown red signals. There were no trains ahead and no trackwork, indicating a signal failure.

When there is a malfunction, the failsafe system that backs up signalling automatically shows red signals.

State Rail chief executive Simon Lane said last night there appeared to be three facts that the inquiry would have before it.

Firstly, the guard on the Indian Pacific notified passengers the train would proceed with caution because of signal failure.

Secondly, the signals were all showing red in the area, as they do when there is a signal malfunction.

And thirdly, there are standard operating procedures that must be followed when signals fail.

"The inquiry will have to look at all these facts and try to determine what happened," Mr Lane said.

He said a red light did not mean a train was stopped indefinitely because such a scenario would hold up the system.

After a minute, drivers can make contact with the nearest signal box and seek permission to continue "with caution".

The silver electric-powered V-set Intercity train in yesterday's trgedy is the usual service on the Blue Mountains route.

Introduced in the late 1970s, it is popular with passengers because of its reliability and comfortable ride.

The 6.39am service departs Lithgow just nine minutes after the Indian Pacific leaves that station.

Where the Indian Pacific is late, the 6.39am is held up too.

No doubt there is pressure to make up time during the trip  reducing the distance between the two trains to a legal minimum.

But even in these circumstances the signalling system should have kept the two trains apart.

This Intercity train had built up considerable speed between leaving Glenbrook station and hitting the Indian Pacific.

Premier Bob Carr yesterday warned against making judgments too early on what caused the disaster.

"I don't want to enter into this kind of speculation while emergency workers are entering the wreckage to see what they will find," he said.

Mr Carr gave an assurance that the inquiry by Supreme Court judge Peter McInerney would be open and independent.

His Transport Minister Carl Scully quickly dismissed any links to the commissioning of the Blacktown signal box next week.

This essential work requires the shutdown of many train services across Sydney's west for nine days from Friday midnight.

But Mr Scully said this work was "completely unrelated" to the area in which the accident occurred.

He similarly dismissed Opposition claims in May 1998 of poor track maintenance in the area.

A spokeswoman later said the area had been re-railed in the area of the accident just 12 months ago.

The signalling system, too, was reasonably new, having been installed in 1990.

Australian Services Union assistant State secretary George Panigiris demanded a full royal commission into the disaster.

He said the accident was a tragedy waiting to happen.

"Already this year we have had four derailments and one near- miss of a track worker," he said.

back

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), December 02, 1999.

"Nothing's gonna happen." - Alfred E. Neumann

"Duh. What-me-worry?" - Ken Decker

-- a (a@a.a), December 02, 1999.

Interesting about the train crash. Anyone know any details about the train crash in England last (I think) month? One train ran a red signal? I never heard anything more about it. Additionally, did anyone hear any follow-up on the ammonia leak in Florida a couple weeks ago?

-- QUESTIONSnoANSWERS (follow@up.com), December 02, 1999.

I'm still waiting for the planes to quit falling from the sky...

-- eubie (eubie@stillwaitin'.com), December 02, 1999.