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Journey by Journey / London to the Cotswolds / Re: 2024 Delays and Cancellations - North Cotswold Line
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on: February 23, 2024, 16:28:14
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It's unfortunate that services were cancelled due to more trains than usual needing repair etc when the weather was already causing so much disruption.
With no end in sight, and worsening availability of IETs▸ , the situation can’t continue. Something needs to change and I can’t see Hitachi making any significant improvements to IET reliability. It should have and would have happened by now. You either start electrifying more GWR▸ routes to alleviate the reliability issues with the diesel engines or you ditch the fleet and bring in an interim solution in the form of the ex- TPE▸ Mk5 stock. They’ll come a point, if it’s not already been reached, where the GWR IET stock is simply too costly to keep running. There’s obviously a maintenance contract currently in place, once that’s up for renewal, is it possible Hitachi could just walk away from it and saddle GWR with all the reliability issues? I very largely agree, though no doubt a few diehard IET supporters will still maintain that IETs are excellent and that the problems lie elsewhere. I have understood correctly, hitachi own and maintain the nasty things and are liable for the extra costs resulting from poor reliability. I do not trust hitachi and strongly suspect that they have better lawyers than do GWR/the UK▸ government and that they have found some way to evade their liabilities. IMHO▸ , the government should take a very much firmer line with hitachi over this failed project. And there should also be a ban on scrapping ANY trains until the railway have enough trains available to run a proper service, not just on this line, but more generally. |
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48
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All across the Great Western territory / Introductions and chat / Re: Health and safety - comparison with Czech Republic
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on: February 17, 2024, 20:20:11
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I feel that some safety rules applied to UK▸ railways are OTT▸ .
In particular the strict rules on fencing railways. I am not convinced that a train is inherently much more dangerous than a bus or an HGV, yet we do not require most roads to be fenced.
A railway with a speed limit of say 30 MPH that is enforced by data recorders and other means is arguably lower risk than a road with little enforcement of a 60 MPH limit.
A railway with a dozen trains a day is arguably lower risk than a road with dozens of vehicles an hour.
Fences along railway lines are not to keep the trains in ! they are to keep children and animals out, therefore the owners of the children or animals should pay for them.
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50
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: The Polar Express
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on: February 15, 2024, 13:07:24
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More seriously, it cant be that hard to fit some mains powered electric heaters, to preheat the train prior to departure. Either standard convector heaters, or immersion heaters in the existing engine cooling system. This later option would preheat the engines and assist reliable starting.
Starting with a warmed train, then the engine derived heat should suffice, especialy as the engines would be working and not simply idleing.
I think that they have electricity in much of Scotland now.
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: HS2 - Government proposals, alternative routes and general discussion
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on: February 14, 2024, 17:42:40
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The price we’ve paid so Rishi can sort out those pesky potholes. When rail infrastructure is in poor condition, it is common practice to impose a lower speed restriction then previously, in order that trains may still run safely albeit with delays. These reduced speeds sometimes remain in place for years, pending major repairs, or closure. Not aware of this happening regularly with roads ! "temporary speed restriction of 20 MPH for next 5 miles due to potholes" Reduced speeds would reduce the consequences of hitting potholes or other defects, AND ALSO reduce the chance of such defects becoming worse. |
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52
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Trains idling at termini
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on: February 10, 2024, 08:47:08
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How about installing a short length of 750 volt DC▸ conductor rail, to supply electricity for lighting, air compressors, heating and other needs.
Would also be useful for charging any battery trains that might be introduced in future.
It should be possible to appease the health and safety industry by only energising this conductor rail when a train is over it. Also install it centrally between the running rails to render it hard to reach/touch.
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Problems with IET trains from April 2021
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on: February 03, 2024, 12:25:57
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Sadly as with so many things these day, IET▸ built to a price ,not to a standard.
I thought that the price was relatively high, one criticism of the project was the substantial cost of the trains. IET=Incredibly Expensive Trains ! According to some critics. In the early days of the project, many promises were made about the quality and reliability of these new trains. |
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57
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Problems with IET trains from April 2021
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on: February 02, 2024, 16:15:25
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Aluminium is very vulnerable to corrosion especially if in contact with steel.
Did someone use steel fixings at the factory?, or subsequently during maintenance, either is a rather basic error.
Even different grades of aluminium alloy are liable to corrosion if used in contact with each other.
Electrical leakage currents through aluminium structures can also accelerate corrosion. DC▸ is worst.
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58
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Re: Coffee Shop time format
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on: February 02, 2024, 12:57:12
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But are we on Greenwich Mean Time or Melksham local time?  Or even Swindon time ! ISTR▸ that "railway time" was once as told by the station clock at Swindon, GMT came later. At the Bristol corn exchange there is still a clock with TWO minute hands, one for Bristol time and the other for London time/GMT. |
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / News, Help and Assistance / Re: Coffee Shop time format
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on: February 02, 2024, 07:10:58
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So would I! And just to make a nerdish point, the time separator in the UK▸ is traditionally a full stop rather than a colon, so 23.47 rather than 23:47…
Yes, but the old digital clocks widely used on "network southeast" stations used a semi colon I think. The clocks with an electro mechanical display of dayglow yellow figures against a dark background. Large stations often had several such clocks, each showing a slightly different time. |
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