Random Transport Chatter

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I hope the emergency stop button is a big red button. I'll be so disappointed if it isn't...

[Pilot]

I hope the emergency stop button is a big red button. I'll be so disappointed if it isn't...

Geo will have to confirm, but I believe so!

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I know in Australian trains, or at least those operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is indeed a red button. I e-know one of the drivers for them, so get all the scoop on happenings on that network.

I even once planned a holiday in Melbourne. Not to look at hot guys/girls on the beaches, or go sight seeing, or watch the Australian Open tennis.
But so I could look at the trains and ride them.

[Dave]

It's a big red button on most trains, much like the one the bloke in my avatar presses in Flight Into Terror.

http://www.dawlishtrains.com/cabs-loco-class-47-70.html

Great resource for train cabs (there's pages for other locos, DMUs and EMUs)

Am I right in thinking modern MUs with a combined power handle can be put into emergency from the handle? This would seem more efficient than a separate button, as opposed to older vehicles where a button would be quicker than moving to another control handle.

[Geo Ghost]

"So many buttons... I want to push them all and see what happens!"

Well what's the worst that could possibly happen? I'm sure none of them detact the cab from the rest of the train, or ejector seat everyone into the sky!

I'm sure the passengers would love an emergency brake application at 110mph

I wish! Not allowed to go up to the full 110

[supermop]

I know in Australian trains, or at least those operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is indeed a red button. I e-know one of the drivers for them, so get all the scoop on happenings on that network.

I even once planned a holiday in Melbourne. Not to look at hot guys/girls on the beaches, or go sight seeing, or watch the Australian Open tennis.
But so I could look at the trains and ride them.

Time better spent in Melbourne looking at and riding trams in my experience!

[Ameecher]

Well what's the worst that could possibly happen? I'm sure none of them detact the cab from the rest of the train, or ejector seat everyone into the sky!

I'm sure the passengers would love an emergency brake application at 110mph

I wish! Not allowed to go up to the full 110

And if you did you would find yourself in the middle of a nice spider web of fallen down contact wire.

I'm almost disappointed that no one bit, especially Jamie on my dismissive statement about Digital railway.

[Geo Ghost]

I wish! Not allowed to go up to the full 110

And if you did you would find yourself in the middle of a nice spider web of fallen down contact wire.

Oh no, they can go up to 110mph, so long as the correct pantograph is fitted. But they've not been cleared for it on the ECML as of yet. Hoping they will be, but haven't heard anything about if or when.
It would certainly be handy for a bit extra 'catch-up time' when delayed

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Whilst looking to see if there was any evidence to support a station rumour about the HUD-WKF route being pulled at the next major timetable shakeup. I came across the new trains Northern are getting.

They're rather neat looking, I have to say.

Class 195 - DMU
Class 331 - EMU - Concerningly, the three carriage version of this train, which is due to replace the 321 & 322s currently operated on routes in West Yorkshire, have 100 less seats than the 321/322...

[Pilot]

Class 331 - EMU - Concerningly, the three carriage version of this train, which is due to replace the 321 & 322s currently operated on routes in West Yorkshire, have 100 less seats than the 321/322...

I don't imagine the local Doncaster - Leeds stopper is that busy that it actually needs 4 carriages. Every time I've seen it, I've never seen more than about 2 carriages worth of people on it. Plus, it may be possible that the WKK-LDS services are going to gain an extra carriage, so balances it out. The Manchester Stoppers that the 4 car ones are going to replace could really do with an extra carriage, especially on the Hadfield/Glossop route.

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The LDS - DON train is usually only full at peak times. But 100 less seats is going to turn it into the sort of stuff I expect to see on XC & TPE trains at those times.

[Pilot]

The LDS - DON train is usually only full at peak times. But 100 less seats is going to turn it into the sort of stuff I expect to see on XC & TPE trains at those times.

The Glossop/Hadfield trains are full for quite a large portion of the day, so I see why there is a swing more towards providing them in the Manchester area. Of course, it's not the most convenient during peak times on the DON-LDS stoppers, but it may be possible that an extra train an hour is introduced on the route, which would also increase capacity (there certainly appears to be paths available for it during the Off-Peak period, maybe not so much during peaks, at least not at a regular interval)

[Pilot]

So, the first train from the UK to China is set to depart (despite what the article says, Trust doesn't have it as departed yet, and I know which one I believe!). I'm sure the Chinese will be impressed at our efficiency at turning the train around, after all, the inbound trip only arrived 3 months ago!

I'm also impressed at the pathing! 7 hours to cover a little more than 110 (route) miles from Essex to Dollands Moor, and the route it takes gives it a nice tour of London as well!

[Dave]

What is it? 1457 Gateway-D Moor?

Shows how bad Essex-Kent rail connections are - obv not cleared via Shoreditch et al, and no way to actually get down that way. I've got it showing as a 3 hour layover at Ripple Lane - why can't a 92 take the train down HS1 from there!? Stupidity.

From what I can see the route it's on is genuinely the fastest route (without using HS1). Which is stupid.

[Pilot]

What is it? 1457 Gateway-D Moor?

Shows how bad Essex-Kent rail connections are - obv not cleared via Shoreditch et al, and no way to actually get down that way. I've got it showing as a 3 hour layover at Ripple Lane - why can't a 92 take the train down HS1 from there!? Stupidity.

From what I can see the route it's on is genuinely the fastest route (without using HS1). Which is stupid.

Yep, that appears to be it, has the same loco on it as in all the publicity shots (66136). It's running as a class 7 as well, which I find rather interesting and probably explains why they aren't running it down HS1 with a 92. It really is such a long way around for the most direct and fastest route whilst avoiding HS1!

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Surely it's faster to ship these goods via air? Whilst I am surprised its only going to take 17 days of rail travel to get to China (forget freight, make that a passenger route, i'd use it - think of all the different scenery you pass to get there!), does seem a bit excessive to use a train for this.

Also, i'm surprised the gauge uses all the way there is the same and suitable for just a single train.

[Pyoro]

Well, the idea that it's slower than air but cheaper, and faster then via ship but more expensive seems intuitively correct to me. And I'm sure that there's certain products that fall right in the margin where the speed of airtravel is not so important as to pay the extra prize, but ship travel is too slow. If 17 days are correct, that's about twice as fast as via ship (port to port).

Seems like it's worth a try to me.

[Pilot]

Surely it's faster to ship these goods via air?

The idea is to be cheaper than air, but faster than boat, so a sort of middle ground. (Edit: Pyoro beat me to it!)

Also, i'm surprised the gauge uses all the way there is the same and suitable for just a single train.

It isn't just one train, I believe there is a break of gauge in Belarus (Standard to Russian) and then another in Kazakhstan (Russian to Standard). There is of course, developments in a train that can change gauge however, I don't know how far this has come along.

[Ameecher]

Also, i'm surprised the gauge uses all the way there is the same and suitable for just a single train.

It isn't just one train, I believe there is a break of gauge in Belarus (Standard to Russian) and then another in Kazakhstan (Russian to Standard). There is of course, developments in a train that can change gauge however, I don't know how far this has come along.

The Spanish regularly change gauge on the move, not sure anyone does it with freight though.

Even if you could phsyically fit a rake of containers through the Thames Tunnel, you'd wreak havoc with the timetable with that sort of train lumbering up and down the gradients round there - the ELL runs pretty tight headways already.

Surely it's faster to ship these goods via air? Whilst I am surprised its only going to take 17 days of rail travel to get to China (forget freight, make that a passenger route, i'd use it - think of all the different scenery you pass to get there!), does seem a bit excessive to use a train for this.

Well yes it's faster but airfreight is eye-wateringly expensive.

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The list of products contained on the train is rather vague, but what is listed is nothing the Chinese couldn't make themselves, most of it they already do make in China after checking with chinese wholesalers for list of exportable items back to the UK.

Almost feels like they're feeling sorry for us because we Brexit'd ourselves out of trade deals later on and they're just accepting any old tosh we have lying spare in warehouses.