Titan

Very true. High speeds and multiple Pantographs require a higher tension in the wire. This puts a higher loading on the structures, not just the anchor structures but also in particular those on curves where the increase on structure loading with the extra tension is also significant. Not only that, but the structures have to be more rigid generally. When the wind blows not only does the wire get moved, but the increased loading due to wind causes the structures to deflect slightly too. The less they deflect the better. This means they have to be much stronger than what has gone before.

Looks like a diesel runaway. Probably a truck or something behind the bus as I can't imagine a bus having an exhaust through the roof. Very unpleasant when an engine decides to commit suicide like that.

Unlikely, there is a lot more tolerance designed in than that - there is a number of pre-drilled holes, and you never design to use those at either the upper or lower limit. Accomodating an 80mm difference should be no issue at all.

A tank full of petrol can catch fire too...

What about the Deltics? Last repaint in to blue was about 1969, first application of Finsbury park Livery was 1979, so not only were all remaining members in the same livery at the same time, they were so for about ten years! Class 47 does not even come close! I suspect that there were many other classes that I am less familiar with that also were all in the same livery at the same time, most likely in the early to mid 70's. Class 50 must be another example.

The APT was in service in 1981, 7 years before the E450. The HST was done from scratch including prototype testing and in to service in less than that. Just how long is long enough?

Was it near a bridge? There were some erroneous assumptions made near bridges which would require structure repositioning to correct properly...

Talk about jumping to conclusions! In fact you seem to be jumping so high you must be in a low Earth orbit by now! 1, There is no evidence the lights facing the driver were flashing, yet you assume they were just so you can blame the driver. 2, The truck cab was past the first set of barriers even before they started to lower - indeed the whole truck had passed through before they lowered completely without them even touching it, so the driver would never have seen the first set of barriers come down at all. 3. The truck was approaching the crossing slowly, this is not commensurate with someone trying to beat the lights, who would normally put their foot down. Indeed it is a characteristic more associated with a cautious driver rather than a 'homicidally dangerous lorry driver' 4. When he was confronted with a lowered barrier he clearly cared not to smash through them but stopped, since drivers are not trained to ram through them. 5, He was now in an unfamiliar situation - I would be surprised if this had happened to him before - the MAIB has a good way of putting it - 'loss of situational awareness' i.e. did not realise WTF was happening, or about to happen. 6. He then had a very short time to figure it out - it is easy for us with our railway knowledge. It is also very poor Level Crossing design where all four barriers lower simultaneously - increases the risk of trapping vehicles as happened here. If the exit barriers had lowered just a few seconds after the the entry barriers the accident would very likely not have happened.

Well the whole thing was 225 tons over 14 axles, so depending on weight distribution probably better than several UK diesels, and with the added advantage of fully suspended traction motors.

Seems like a successful design, had a long life and the engines did not seem to give much trouble. Imagine if Gresley had ordered these instead of building A4s...

Me too, although that has nothing to do with Flying Scotsman!

Looks like it. Probably kept running to provide ETH.

That looks like Taplow looking eastwards. The 'serious ironmongery' is in fact anchor portals. If you compare them to the equivalent Mk1 A-frame anchor portals the new structures are significantly smaller and more compact than what has gone previously. The structure nearest the camera is a lightweight two track cantilever which is more typical of the structures used on open route. They would be used in pairs on a four track railway rather than a portal structure across all four tracks. Unfortunately they are not very strong, and in the overlap beyond the anchor structures portals have to be used as the lightweight cantilevers are not always strong enough to support the four equipments (two per track in an overlap).

Tightlock.

Mine are not hydraulic or pneumatic, but are still suitable for use on very tight curves.

I got one of these for Christmas, but in a different livery. Can come in or out of the box.

God almighty. Just imagine what a 'found poem' would be like comprised only of RMweb comments!!

Just thought I would check, and what do you know, voltage at my home is currently (no pun intended) 232V

Wow. I knew there was a lot more tolerance on Voltage compared to frequency, but did not think it was that much. I still think there would be questions and complaints before it got anywhere near those limits mind, especially as 207 is quite a long way from the 240V it is supposed to be and could lead to synchronous motors burning out.

The power supply companies will have some seriously big questions to answer if they let the voltage drop as low as 220V in the UK...

It is still steel though if you read the article - specifically COR-TEN steel. The way you have worded your response tends to imply otherwise for some reason.

Just a couple of points: 1. Deltics are made from steel. 2. Wooden bodied vehicles get brake dust on them, which is iron, and can make rust stains on wood. However that still does not excuse some of the efforts...

Try telling that to someone who has had their number plate cloned. At the very best that is still a lot of extra hassle to worry about.

Well they get me twitching..

I am quite sure it would be possible to add a GPS receiver that could transmit position and speed in real time, even to a 1934 Austin 7.