The search for high speed - rail & other technologies

[Ian Morgan]

High speed on rails? How about Mach 8.6?
 
Holloman High Speed Test Track

[DCB]

Might be difficult to run scale speeds on a 6X4ft H0 layout.  My sons Triang diesels could barely manage a scale 200mph without derailing on the 2nd radius curves, would banked curves a la scalextric suffice?

[Allegheny1600]

It seems that 'Hyperloop' technology will face problems akin to and perhaps greater than the previous 'Maglev' technology;

http://www.railwaygazette.com/analysis/single-news/view/dont-believe-the-hype.html

[Allegheny1600]

In the meantime, High Speed Rail progresses apace, this time in Africa (Morocco);

https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/oncf-prepares-for-launch-of-high-speed-services.html?channel=000

 

Dang it! Here in Britain, we spend decades discussing whether or not we should have HSR, now even the Moroccans are in on the act. When I was last there, their transport network was what you'd expect for a developing nation (at best), now look at the place!

[Mike Storey]

Mike - all your points are good ones, but I just can’t help thinking there has been a lack of ambition at Eurostar. It seems to me there is no issue with demand for long distance rail services in Europe. The TGVs are full, the Eurostars are full, the ICEs are full and the German cut-price London Special tickets always sell out quickly. Take-up of the new ES services to Marseille and Lyon appears to have been very good, and I fully expect the forthcoming Amsterdam service to gain a big market share. Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Geneva, Stuttgart and many other cities could all be reached in under six hours, which is still competitive with air travel when you take into account all the inconveniences of flying. I also think we’re going to see a resurgence of the continental City NightLine sleeper services under OBB’s stewardship, not to mention our own sleeper services in the UK which are going from strength to strength, despite the abundance of cheap flights. I for one will always try to avoid air travel within Europe unless it’s absolutely necessary, and I think many others are coming to the same conclusion, especially now that you can book tickets all in one place using Loco2. I also expect the unfair subsidisation of air travel by national governments and the EU to come under greater political scrutiny as concern for the environment grows.

 

John - I agree about the challenges of building a representative high speed layout. I too have been trying to start a collection of high speed models in HO and OO. So far I have a Rapido APT-E and a Fleischmann ICE BR407. I have ordered an APT-P from DJ Models and am looking for a good quality TGV. I would welcome any suggestions! My preference is for DCC sound models with all the bells and whistles.

 

Cheers,

Will

 

There is not much choice at present. Either the Mehano HO TGV, as already mentioned, or the more recent Jouef (Hornby International) TGV Duplex HO model, which has had good reviews in the French modelling press. There was a very good, DCC fitted version by Trix, but this is out of production, so you would have to search for a second hand version. I have not come across a sound chip for these, but surely someone has done one?

 

There is more selection in N gauge,particularly from Kato.

[Mike Storey]

In the meantime, High Speed Rail progresses apace, this time in Africa (Morocco);

https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/oncf-prepares-for-launch-of-high-speed-services.html?channel=000

 

Dang it! Here in Britain, we spend decades discussing whether or not we should have HSR, now even the Moroccans are in on the act. When I was last there, their transport network was what you'd expect for a developing nation (at best), now look at the place!

 

Well, "apace" is a slight exaggeration. This was first mooted in the early 1980's (the first time I was in Morocco). It has taken since the 1990's for the Moroccans to find a finance deal they could afford, and since then only the equivalent of something a bit longer than HS1 has been built, and that took about 9 years from contract award with finance in place. (The UK's HS1 had to be privately financed by law, which is what caused most of its delay).You will note their target date for completion of their "network" (essentially an HS2) is 2040. You will also note that the French government has played a major part in assisting this ambition, and that only French companies have received the bulk of contracts.

 

As to other posts. I read a week or so ago a report taken from the Financial Times, stating that the Chinese High Speed Railway Corporation (technically a private company, but that description is meaningless in China), now has a debt of c.£450 billion, from the construction of the new high speed lines over the past seven years. (Network Rail's entire debt, across its entire network of assets, built up since 1996, is just £46 billion). It is almost certain that this debt will never be paid back, as the high speed lines in China do not run at a profit, and unless fares are raised dramatically, it never will.

 

As for France, it has now adopted a strategy of running fewer trains, but with more seats, over shorter distances (i.e. not extending TGV's very much over non-TGV lines). So the hardware may look great, but look at the other aspects before making comparisons. You will be able to travel further and faster across Britain without changing trains, and more often, than in France, even before HS2 comes along.

[Allegheny1600]

Phew!
https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/asia/single-view/view/600-kmh-maglev-prototype-unveiled.html
The Chinese company CRRC is developing a 600Km/h prototype Maglev.

[Allegheny1600]

Hyperloop closer to reality in India;

https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/news/86483/india-first-passenger-hyperloop-system/

 

[Allegheny1600]

Have you ever wondered just how to go about making a train run at record breaking speeds?

This article explains it in easy to understand “layman’s” language;

https://mappingignorance.org/2020/01/22/the-limits-of-high-speed-rail/

 

There looks to be some other interesting articles about rail technology too.

Enjoy,

John