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Author Topic: West Somerset Railway - heritage line, Bishops Lydeard to Minehead - merged topic, ongoing discussio  (Read 184026 times)
broadgage
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« Reply #390 on: March 01, 2022, 12:22:32 »

The first scheduled passenger trains are expected on March 19 AFAIK (as far as I know).

There might of course be the odd ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) or other non public trains planned before then.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
IndustryInsider
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« Reply #391 on: March 01, 2022, 14:20:58 »

Probably no great rush to complete the repairs then?
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To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
broadgage
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« Reply #392 on: March 02, 2022, 02:30:36 »

The Seaward lane and Minehead station webcams are back on line.
The view APPEARS to show all 4 four level crossing barriers in place, but they look to be of two different designs.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
stuving
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« Reply #393 on: March 02, 2022, 10:51:05 »

Aren't barrier arms short-life items, needing frequent replacement? I can't find any statistics, but there's two or three old ones dumped beside the track at our crossing, and they havn't been there that long.

That's due to vehicles driving into them. If wind damage is going to be a recurrent problem, there is the "Redcar Solution".

Quote
Britain’s first sliding gate level crossing barriers are now operational in the North East after a recent upgrade as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.

The new, telescopic barrier slides out across West Dyke Road in Redcar from alongside the railway tracks and marks the end of the existing boom gate barrier which was plagued by reliability problems during high winds.
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #394 on: March 02, 2022, 11:01:59 »

Presumably they’re designed to break if hit with strong winds or a vehicle, without causing damage to the raising/lowering mechanism?  Spare sets are kept by the crossing at some locations to allow a speedy replacement.
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Oberon
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« Reply #395 on: March 02, 2022, 15:17:52 »

In any case what's wrong with posting a couple of people with red flags to stop traffic. Or is this reckoned to be a dangerous thing to do in these days of health & safety dominance over common sense?
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« Reply #396 on: March 02, 2022, 15:30:17 »

In any case what's wrong with posting a couple of people with red flags to stop traffic. Or is this reckoned to be a dangerous thing to do in these days of health & safety dominance over common sense?

If the average modern day human came fully equipped with common sense it would make sense.
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To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
broadgage
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« Reply #397 on: March 02, 2022, 16:02:56 »

Presumably they’re designed to break if hit with strong winds or a vehicle, without causing damage to the raising/lowering mechanism?  Spare sets are kept by the crossing at some locations to allow a speedy replacement.

Indeed, and I understand that the WSR did have spare barriers stored, not certain where exactly but said to be available. There was however an initial reluctance to simply fit the spare barriers, without investigation into the failure in extreme but foreseeable wind conditions.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
broadgage
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« Reply #398 on: March 02, 2022, 16:10:22 »

In any case what's wrong with posting a couple of people with red flags to stop traffic. Or is this reckoned to be a dangerous thing to do in these days of health & safety dominance over common sense?

I suspect that these days it might ACTUALY be dangerous. The more rabid motorists might run over the man with the red flag !
"How dare you tell me what I can and can not do ! I have GOT to take my children to school. MOVE NOW !"

The slightly less rabid motorists might drive around the man with the flag, and after being hit by a train would complain.
"I did not know that it meant stop"
" I could not see a train coming"
"I did not see the flag"
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
IndustryInsider
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« Reply #399 on: March 02, 2022, 18:41:20 »

Presumably they’re designed to break if hit with strong winds or a vehicle, without causing damage to the raising/lowering mechanism?  Spare sets are kept by the crossing at some locations to allow a speedy replacement.

Indeed, and I understand that the WSR did have spare barriers stored, not certain where exactly but said to be available. There was however an initial reluctance to simply fit the spare barriers, without investigation into the failure in extreme but foreseeable wind conditions.

Perhaps any investigation that took place had something to do with the fact the crossing is new?  Perhaps that would make sure a warranty claim to cover the cost of replacement barriers was successful?  Or to check there was no obvious design flaw - I should imagine elements of every crossing is bespoke even if the bulk of the equipment is 'off the shelf'.

Perhaps it could, and would, have been repaired much more quickly, but they knew they have a month before any train movements are planned?

Anyway, lots of theories...not all of them negative or linked to a conspiracy.
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To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
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« Reply #400 on: March 02, 2022, 22:08:29 »

Repair works to the level crossing have now been completed and normal working has been restored.

As II rightly said in an earlier post, the barriers are designed to break without damaging the moving gear so it turned out to be a simple replacement of the broken barriers but understandable that the WSR wanted to investigate properly before fixing.

Staff training and various ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) movements will now take place before Minehead welcomes its first passenger train in over 2 years on 19 March.
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broadgage
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« Reply #401 on: March 03, 2022, 10:08:42 »

I will NOT be there, on the first day.
Probably overcrowded and more chance of something going wrong. I look forward to travel after a few days.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
stuving
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« Reply #402 on: April 07, 2022, 14:11:23 »

Here's a rather strange thing for a heritage line to be doing. Selected quotes from Thales (for now):
Quote
Rail safety system demonstration shows importance of agile innovation

Thales is working with Network Rail and the West Somerset Railway (WSR) to run a live demonstration of its Train Protection and Warning System - Continuous Supervision (TPWS (Train Protection and Warning System)-CS).

TPWS-CS builds on radio-based limited supervision (RBLS) system, which is currently being defined by Network Rail and industry. The new system continuously updates a train’s position and warns the driver when approaching a stretch of track closed for maintenance or under speed restrictions, applying an emergency brake if necessary. The system enables the Person in Charge of Possession to apply specific permitted movements to trains within the possession, which will be automatically supervised by the TPWS-CS to warn the driver or apply the brake when necessary. The driver can receive updates in their cab constantly, without the need for trackside infrastructure.

The technology

The system consists of three core elements: continuous positioning sensors, including radar, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and inertial measurement unit (IMU); an interface for communicating with the driver; and access to the emergency braking system through the existing Train Protection & Warning System.

Thales has also shown that the TPWS-CS system can be fitted and integrated quickly and cheaply into a cab. The system has been installed as part of Thales’s Robust Train Positioning System on an in-service GWR (Great Western Railway) Class 150 cab, which is acting as a rolling laboratory to gather data.

It does seem a bit odd for a very early prototype, used for proof of concept trials, to get this kind of publicity. Usually it's done in private, or even under strict secrecy, due to concerns about keeping your trade secrets as long as you can and the embarrassment of it not working at all when exposed to real life.
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GBM
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« Reply #403 on: April 07, 2022, 14:27:09 »

I'm concerned about the GPS side of things.
Occasionally in incident reports there are mentions that the drivers GSM-? didn't work, or there was no radio signal in that area.
Everything works well when there is a signal.
There are many areas around the UK (United Kingdom) with either no signal or a very poor signal level.
Perhaps too much dependence on technology?
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stuving
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« Reply #404 on: April 07, 2022, 14:49:15 »

I'm concerned about the GPS side of things.
Occasionally in incident reports there are mentions that the drivers GSM-? didn't work, or there was no radio signal in that area.
Everything works well when there is a signal.
There are many areas around the UK (United Kingdom) with either no signal or a very poor signal level.
Perhaps too much dependence on technology?

The whole point of the Rubust train Positioning System (RTPS) is that it combines several sensors so that it always has a fallback if any of them is not available.

For example, if you have an absolute positioning system like GPS, and one with no external inputs like an odometer, they complement each other. The ododmeter (counting wheel rotations) drifts due to uncertainty about the wheel radius, but only slowly so the position error remains small for many miles. GPS can be obstructed, but when you get it back is drift-free and can be used to remove the position error that's built up due to using the odometer. You can add extra sensors to cover for other kinds of outage/failure, in this case using a radar rather than an odometer, or balises.

The same method is now standard for airliners, combining GNSS (including GPS) with an inertial navigator (INS or IMU, also part of this RTPS). Again, the INS suffers from slow drift and complements the potential error modes of the GNSS (to do with integrity as much as errors). That depends on a bit of magical chicanery called a Kalman Filter, which I think is also used for RTPS.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2022, 15:24:48 by stuving » Logged
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