Titan

57 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

A 58 couldn’t do 100mph.  
 

I feel that an opportunity was lost on this test to study survivability in the coaches using crash test dummies.  I see no evidence that the test was ‘rigged’ in any way to get a desired result.

The opportunity was taken, maybe not with crash test dummies but the whole train was wired up accelerometers and other instrumentation for research. Another reason why it was not rigged because it would therefore invalidate those results too.

30 minutes ago, 30801 said:

They had some vehicles from one of the specials at Beaulieu once.

The little blue one (Marabuta?) from Brazil was such a neat design.

 

I remember watching that show, it was not scrapheap, but a sort of copy cat.  I was routing for the 8 wheeler, it was based on two Range Rovers. Two V8's and two transmissions! The front engine driving the first and third axle, the rear one driving the second and fourth. IIRC it came second overall at the end of the series. I have a feeling the little blue one won, mostly because it was more agile.

It was converted in the Engineering Development Unit at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. That would have been late 1990/early 1991 as I was doing my training there at the time, and even did a little work on it although my memory is somewhat hazy.

1 hour ago, Mike Buckner said:

Formula Teams are used to rebuilding their kit after a couple of hours running

Think that only applies to the racing cars.  Pretty sure they will not be happy rebuilding their workshop equipment every couple of hours. Unless I am mistaken and there is a need for a large alternator on an electric car.

On 15/02/2023 at 08:29, Hroth said:

 

Energised DCC track would give a little tingle and keep Pandora off them.  Unless she likes it....

 

I am old school, Relco's are even more effective!

Do they sell oranges and lemons?

19 hours ago, CameronL said:

They run on propane, which is much more environmentally friendly than petrol. Never thought I'd see a comparison between a Volvo and a Zamboni.

Yep, same as forklifts in warehouses. More H2O and less CO2 in the exhaust so not so dangerous in enclosed spaces. Next best thing to batteries. LPG powered road vehicles use it too, hence the low fuel duty because of it's low emissions.

14 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

The point is that a jury will not convict if it considers that the sentence is disproportionate to the crime. So the fault lies with the public at large, of whom juries are representative.

I have been on a jury, and one of the jurors suggested that we should not find them guilty on all counts as that would be too harsh, and that we should only find guilty on one or two charges.  He was quickly informed it was down to the judge to decide the severity of sentence not us, but it shows that it could happen.

It'll end up a sticky situation either way!

On 21/01/2023 at 11:57, Artless Bodger said:

Isn't there something about speed of a single power car being limited due to brake force, higher speed is possible if a coach is attached to increase the brake force? Applies to light engines as well I think I've seen commented.

Yes and no,  one of the ways that HST's managed to stop from 125mph in the same distance that a conventional train stopped from 100mph is that the brake pipe was vented at both ends leading to a much faster brake application. You cover a lot of ground at 125mph so a faster acting brake can make a significant difference. If there is no power car on the back then it is effectively the same as a loco hauled train as far as the time it takes for the brakes to fully apply, so it would have to be speed restricted - probably to 110mph, although with an NSE coach attached it would be restricted to 100mph at best anyway.

1 hour ago, Welchester said:

 

Do they expect a tip?

They will have to be very circumspect.

7 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Well, you wouldn't want a live horse in your burger, surely?

Well it might give it some kick...

42 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

It would look like a bug-eyed monster coming at you through the Chunnel.

Bit like a frog?

Well, as part of my training I got to work at Strawberry Hill when the Networkers were being commissioned. Now we had a test path between the service trains on the Shepperton Branch.  There was also a couple of withdrawn DEMU power cars coupled back to back in the yard in working order, and even better the batteries were not flat and they had fuel...

So we found a Driver and claimed that they needed a test run, contacted the signaller to say we had a test train ready, and half the technical team went on board for a joyride in a 1000hp 2 car DEMU to Shepperton and back!

Most trailers have pretty ineffective suspension - most of the bump absorption will be done by the tyres, so it is important to adjust the tyre pressures according to load.  As the difference in unladen v laden weight of trailers is massive, if you run at the recommended laden tyre pressures the trailer will bounce at anything other than fully loaded. Empty it will bounce like a ping pong ball. 

As an extreme example I once had a small 3' by 4' trailer.  When empty or lightly loaded the sidewalls of the tyres were stiff enough to take the weight alone without air pressure.  However I did put a minimum of 10 psi in just to make sure the tyres stayed on the rims.

27 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Here's a Welsh two-faced engine that has only ever run chimney first.

I don't think the Festiniog Railway could afford turntables.

 

And presumably not a problem with a vertical boiler loco.

With the firebox being in the middle gradient would only have a slight effect on the level above the crown sheet if even noticeable.

Come to think of it any passenger train braking hard will have the water slosh to the front of the boiler with the same effect as going down a 1:20  or so gradient, until the brakes are released or it stops.

16 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Then it might be time to purchase an up to date copy........

I have an up to date copy as stated in my post you quoted, now highlighted for those who find comprehension hard.

Looks like the result of a flywheel explosion.  At high rpm they contain a lot of energy, and if they let go they will slice through the bell housing and anything else that gets in the way no problem at all.  That is where the clutch plate ended up after everything surrounding it disappeared.

17 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

 

Can you please point to the relevant section of the Highway code that says that?

Apologies for it not being a joke (although I think the above quote may be)

 

I am pretty sure it used to be, albeit I remember it as 30mph, hence why mopeds were not permitted.  However I also noted some time ago that it was no longer mentioned in the Highway code, and my current copy of the Highway code is well too young to have it in.  So it must have been sometime around the late 80's early 90's that it was no longer in the Highway code, although that does not necessarily mean the restriction no longer exists.

I would say unlikely to have gone through York station as it has a low footbridge even without OLE.  OLE might not necessarily be a problem, as it only has low clearances near bridges, standard height is quite a bit higher, so if there are no bridges to go under it might be possible for it to fit under the wires.

Normally I would say that it is a bit of doom mongering - the heritage sector has always survived. However the Traction engine/steam rally events seem to have been hit particularly hard by events such as covid. There are several events that I enjoyed going to on an annual basis that have not reappeared now covid is over. Even the Great Dorset Steam Fair has been cancelled after last years losses, and although the website says it will be back next year, if you talk to some people involved they are not so sure...

I bay leaf you might be right.

20 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

May I rather gingerly suggest that we've gone full circle here? 

Well it would not be the same if we did not have the same joke Thyme and Thyme again...

For environmental and cost reasons there has been experimentation on alternative biofuels.  They are now trying to run trains on Parsley, having failed to get them to run on Thyme.