roger440

Indeed. It was certainly in occasional use in the late eighties as i recall on services out of Padd.

You are right, but i prefer to remember the place i started my railway career as it was, not as it is. I think i'll give this a miss.

My thoughts exactly.......................................

The answer to your scenario is the train will be late. Im not entirely sure i grasp the point of your post. Disabled person is assisted, be it by driver, guard or whoever. If its the driver, the delay will be greater. I cant imagine the time saved by someone other than the driver doing it would ever even start to make economic sense?

Its called real life. It happens - a lot. Tell me again why you should be exempted from it?

a large proportion of what you have said above is just plain wrong. But this is the internet, never let the facts get in the way

Nobody is allowing anything. Its just rods of revolutions over active imagination running away with him!

I think what i have gleaned from your post is that you dont run/own your own business do you? In your favour, at least you say its your "imagined Vivarail point of view". Which is exactly what it is.

Thus ^^^^ Start messing with bogies and wheels is when costs really start to rack up.

Hmmm, not sure you really grasp the concept. 2 x 130KW engines is roughly 350bhp. So pretty much the same as all the 15x fleet But in a vehicle several tons lighter. AND electric transmission. How exactly is this not able to move the train? Yes, you are right, the life would be shorter than a conventional rail engine such as a cummins or Perkins on a 15X. You can get through a few transit engines before you reach the cost of one "conventional" engine. And the life of said "conventional" engines isn't that great either. The latest issue is of course an unfortunate set back, but thats what prototypes are for.

This ^^^^. Just fantastic!!

whilst that may well be, its what happened. And is it not a representation of real life we are attempting to emulate? Ive seen more back cab propelling moves in days gone by then i care to remember. Also seen a handful that have come to grief mind! Shame you cant see which cab the driver was in at the end.

Im afraid im in the "why is everything operating so slowly" camp. Not all shunting takes place at 2mph. Whenever i see these threads, this always comes to mind!

What i probably wanted to say, but couldn't be bothered to type out! Well put i must say.

What im saying is, some people, including on here, have a better understanding than you do, of the contractural and legal relationships that exist between the various bodies and organisations that make up the modern railway as well as the obligations placed upon those entities. That greater understanding allows a more informed opinion to be formed, than, say, the man in the street who knows nothing about railway operation. As has already been pointed out above, a lot of the facts are already in the public domain. Hence, i suspect, why myself and other posters find your position somewhat at odds with what, at least to some of us, is an obvious conclusion. I spent long enough in the railway to know, that long periods with a lack of strong management and direction will result in a slipping of standards. Thats not a railway thing, its human nature.