gordon s Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27497727 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27497727 One in the eye for those who continually compare the apparent efficiency of French railways to our own. I don't think 'the wrong kind of snow' was anywhere near as costly. Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted May 21, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 21, 2014 One in the eye for those who continually compare the apparent efficiency of French railways to our own. But if you believe the statements coming from French politicians then the whole issue simply wouldn't have been happened under a unified SNCF and it is the fault of the meddling EU commission enforcing the disastrous "Anglo-Saxon" model of splitting infrastructure and operations that is firmly to blame. Besides I don't think SNCF have ever boasted about how efficient they are (which again does seem something of a English obsession). Instead they boast about how fast their trains (well OK their TGV network) is, about how much money is invested in the system (or should that be their LGV lines) and how low their fares are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 The same happened about a 20 years ago when there were many platforms on the ECML altered for Eurostar sets to work on the European services that never materialised other than a HST to Waterloo that was only ever full when Scotland played France! and Mersey Travel acquired Busses that were too wide for the Mersey Tunnel Toll Booths! M Saunders Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 But if you believe the statements coming from French politicians then the whole issue simply wouldn't have been happened under a unified SNCF and it is the fault of the meddling EU commission enforcing the disastrous "Anglo-Saxon" model of splitting infrastructure and operations that is firmly to blame. Well, it's a great way of distracting from the truth that the infrastructure provider (who's job is to look after their infrastructure) either didn't really know what their infrastructure was like, or were unable to accurately convey the reality to the train operator... I'm not convinced that either of those options would become "impossible" just because they were two departments of the same organisation. The same happened about a 20 years ago when there were many platforms on the ECML altered for Eurostar sets to work on the European services that never materialised... That's a little bit different, after all, if there had not been a gradual, incremental improvements in clearances over the years then we'd all have to be travelling round in converted stagecoaches still... (And half the ECML did in the end see Eurostars in service, just not headed for Europe!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Should have stuck with 00 rather than go for P4........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 ...I'm not convinced that either of those options would become "impossible" just because they were two departments of the same organisation... Of course it isn't. But based on my own experience of the French about their work what is quite imaginable is that whoever was responsible on the infrastructure side communicated promptly, accurately and precisely what the situation was with the network section over which the new vehicles were to run. And thereafter referred all further enquires from the department procuring the new vehicles to that communication, and refused to enter any discussion. I have answered, tout complet! Meanwhile on the train procurement side, the responsible person seeking some 'wiggle room' for the design finally decided that his infrastructure oppo was a sack of excrement in human skin (and probably told him or her so, they are not shy of trading insults in the office) and decided to approach the problem on the classic line advanced by various Louis' and Napoleons ( 'l'Etat, c'est moi' style) and had the design fionalised the way he or she believed it should be. It's most entertaining when you have no ox being gored in this process, and can watch Martel Tresfort and Pinces Poursuivant going at it, per the Anglo proverb... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Networker Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 What's the French for 'slow news day'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Besides I don't think SNCF have ever boasted about how efficient they are (which again does seem something of a English obsession). Personally I don't heed SNCF press releases, but in the past have been unable to avoid the comments of those on this side of Le Manche who compare our railways in a negative light against those operations in mainland Europe. Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 What's the French for 'slow news day'? Aout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
69843 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 What's the French for 'slow news day'? lente jour de nouvelles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Networker £50 million to shave 10mm off platforms to accomodate them, according to my sources. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 And that's not including the power supply upgrade requirements and signal immunisation..................... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 The same happened about a 20 years ago when there were many platforms on the ECML altered for Eurostar sets to work on the European services that never materialised other than a HST to Waterloo that was only ever full when Scotland played France! and Mersey Travel acquired Busses that were too wide for the Mersey Tunnel Toll Booths! M Saunders The Midland Metro's new trams required all the platforms altered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Didn't the GWR buy a diesel that ultimately proved too wide for the WCML.............................. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted May 21, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 21, 2014 A gauging package has been used by Network Rail (& predecessor) in the UK for many years to prevent such problems. Can't believe SNCF don't have it. Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 David Haydock* is going to have a field day with this!!! Cheers, John E. *Editor of "Todays Railways Europe" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted May 22, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22, 2014 Was it Gresley or Bulleid who found that the clearance restriction on one of their routes was a disused milk-loading platform? and had it knocked down? A friend who was in on an international aircraft design/production said that when they brought them together, fuselage sections made in France and those made in Germany were not the same diameter where they were supposed to mate up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted May 22, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22, 2014 When Fords were making the Mk. III Cortina at Dagenham there was a shortage of windscreens so as the car was also made in Germany they had some windscreens brought over from Germany. When they came to fit them the screens fell through the aperture into the interior. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted May 22, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22, 2014 There's a simple solution, have them made to an imperial equivalent, how else could I ru n US O scale (1:48) on my british O gauge layout (1:43). However the UP 4-8-4 was remarkaby efficient at shaving small bits of Plaster of Paris of the platform edges on Long Preston. And didn't the Great Western loco that got to Huddersfield via Penistone in the 50's do some instant gauging mods to the station platform at Penistone. Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 And didn't the Great Western loco that got to Huddersfield via Penistone in the 50's do some instant gauging mods to the station platform at Penistone. Jamie The GWR and Western Region had a wider loading gauge inherited from Gooch's broad gauge. It continued to restrict many WR locomotives and carriages from wandering off their own 'system' for years afterwards. During the 1948 locomotive exchange trails I think there was but one mainline route on the E.Region that could accommodate a 'King'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nightstar.train Posted May 22, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22, 2014 I believe there was also this problem filming Harry Potter as they were taking a GWR loco over the West Highland line. Bumped cylinders on a few platform edges. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted May 22, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 22, 2014 A gauging package has been used by Network Rail (& predecessor) in the UK for many years to prevent such problems. Can't believe SNCF don't have it. Dava Gauging can be a very complex issue and the key to getting it right seems to be to know about and understand the bits of the railway which are out of gauge however in order to do that you first need to know which gauge that bit of the railway is supposed to have - and that means having comprehensive & complete records. BR was fairly good at that but an awful lot of stuff was dispersed, and eventually lost, following privatisation hence errors have occurred and errors were far from unknown in BR days as various posts in this thread indicate. Th eonly way to get it right is make sure you start with the right gauge and them check measure here there and everywhere - that takes time and costs money. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold westerhamstation Posted May 22, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 22, 2014 Why didn't they use a pencil taped to a coach like the rest of us Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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