njee20

I see, so you were referring to a specific niche situation which suited your example? Of course a computer system can detect all of that. It's why the NMT exists. From what you're saying why don't we just shove a load of drivers in a flat wagon and drive around the network, they'll feel any defects? What if the defect is caused or somehow magnified by a portion of your train behind you, can you feel that? You have a very narrow field of vision and "feel" is very open to bias and perception, inherently. Computers are extremely good at detecting variation in a known set of circumstances. So if something in the environment changed (trespasser, rail defect, whatever) then yes, it would be able to sense it. Again, look at driverless cars, they've "taught" them to understand truly enormous numbers of stimuli and appraise whether they're a risk or not. Railways are easier. Third time now, I get it's an emotive subject, and people will throw around abstract straw man arguments that suit their argument, but they're no more valid however often you repeat them. The technology exists. It's not used on trains yet. But it could be. I don't think anyone who's a driver now needs to feel threatened though, personally.

We get it Royaloak, you're a train driver, so supporting driverless is like turkeys voting for Christmas. You've not come up with anything other than emotive falsehoods though, sorry. Step back a moment and think of a genuine reason why a train couldn't be driverless? What do you do so incredibly well as a driver that couldn't be done as well or better by a computer? By that I mean aside from the human interaction side. They have quicker reactions, they can communicate more effectively and quickly. They take the emotion out of decisions. They don't forget things or miss things. They can see more. I'd also be interested in the reports which hint at humans doing a better job. As a general rule safety reports aren't in the business of "hinting at things" - they make recommendations. If they thought there were fundamental issues with DLR trains they'd be resolved. That's 30 year old technology though, people need to get away from the idea of DLR being what driverless means. Obviously that wouldn't work on the mainline network, but that's not what's going to happen.

Who pays for the telephone operators, or the typing pool writers, or chimney sweeps or anyone who loses a job for any reason whatsoever? You get another one. That’s not a reason to keep people employed in jobs which cease to be required. Maybe one day we’ll have a universal wage and no one will have a job. I don’t want to be the one to say that unfortunately you (and not just you, anyone) are not indispensable.

Was being a telephone operator that bad? Surely replacing the executives at telecoms companies would be far better.

Look at what driverless cars are doing. It’s infinitely less complex on the railways. HV makes it easier to recognise people, not harder. How does a driver recognise a defect on a parallel track at 125mph? He doesn’t. Simple. No reason an autonomous train couldn’t. How do animals and fatalities get recognised? With the same radar systems that are scanning the track anyway, that’s the point. With the added advantage that as soon as one train detects animals/people/any obstruction lineside they can immediately alert all other trains to brake if necessary, rather than having to rely on some sort of communication via signalling centres and the signals, which delays things. Detection can be 360 degree, not just what is in front of the driver for the period in which he can see and the area he happens to be looking at. It’s always the same vastly flawed arguments. People are not perfect. The technology exists, it’s not in trains, it may never be, if the benefits aren’t deemed sufficient, but it could happen. The barrier will not be how much more awesome people are, that’s ludicrous.

Of course it would have to be clever. Again, not suggesting you chuck a robot in the cab of a 377 with a webcam and send it up the Brighton main line tomorrow. People don’t see very well around corners, so that argument is daft. A network of trains scanning everything around them (like driverless cars) can create an infinitely more detailed picture, and share it with every other vehicle, far better than one bloke sat in the cab. It isn’t going to happen tomorrow. It won’t happen in 10 years. But it’s naive to assume that it can’t happen.

Yes, ultimately, through use of radar/lidar. Which have the potential to be significantly more effective than a human. It's an emotive subject (as your post shows), but people make a lot more mistakes than computers. If done right then the railway capacity and safety would both increase. There will now ensue 50 "ahhh, but how would a computer deal with x scenario", which is a waste of breath. I'm not talking about putting C3PO in the cab of an Electrostar and having away, it's a long term thing, but naive to assume that a) it can't be done and b) it can't be done well.

I thought about the VTG leased blue JNA aggregate wagons afterward (and didn't know about the first ones you posted), but my point was that Darryl's original quote was "I was hoping for the JNA used by ARC / Hanosn and National Power as they could do them in three liveries for the 59", which I don't think applies to the JNA, rather the JHA. I'm not aware of ARC or Hanson having JNAs, in any guise.

Not AFAIK - there are junctions just south of Blackfriars, but nothing between StPancras and Blackfriars.

Not sure about matured, it's just different technology. You've not got the same interactions with the environment, and you can't respond as quickly to external stimuli. Railways are far closer to being a hermetically-sealed system, which is what you ideally want.

Well the venn diagram of commercial flights, and commercial flights where autopilot is used are just two concentric circles, so I'd say it's everyone who's ever been on a flight! I still think railways are a far more obvious target for automation than cars, infinitely fewer variables to try and account for. Seems a good step.

Fair enough, there's often a rake of them with a DB 59 at Purley, in daylight! Only ever seen the DB or Bardon 59s on them though. So was thinking you'd get those and the Yeoman ones. Not much use for ARC, Hanson or National Power locos. The latter is a curious one - I remember Lima offering one in the mid 90s, and there was really nothing for them to haul then. At least you've got a vague chance with HHAs now!

You've got a lot of extra complexity with the handrails around the walkway on one end. Given what good value the HIAs are it's perhaps a bit of added complexity coupled with a 're-baselining' of prices given we're a few years on from the HIA's announcement. The more I think about it the more I think the Powell Duffryn version would actually have made more sense - ARC, revised ARC, Hanson, National Power. With the Yeoman ones you're limited to two variants of Yeoman livery and haulage by fewer variant of 59.

JHA, you mean? JNAs are the Network Rail 'Falcon' box wagons and I don't think were used as a TOPS code on anything ARC/Hanson have used, particularly the latter, I think they only have JHAs? They were Powell-Duffryn built, with LTF25 bogies, as opposed to the O&K ones Dapol are doing. As you say, JMAs are basically HHAs with LTF bogies. Interestingly there's a NP HJA (which I think is just a recoded JHA) in the cripple siding at Crawley New Yard at the moment. Very faded and scratched, but unmistakably NP livery.

Did you send dispatch confirmation emails or anything? Not that it really matters, but I'll put the wife under house arrest if I know it's/they're coming. Seems a bit cruel otherwise.

Posted on the N Gauge Forum here. Mmm, I must admit I signed up and thought that, but presumably if you placed a pre-order within the membership period they'd honour it. That would be incredibly poor PR not to. It would effectively monetise their delays.

Gutted they’re not doing these in N. Although always preferred the ARC/Hanson variant.

Wouldn't it make your life easier to just invite the N gauge backers to the "OO gauge" party? They've already put their money down after all. They're supporters of you just as the OO gauge backers are. Exciting times regardless, looking forward to watching it develop.

What about toy trains? Sure many people are using credit to fund purchases!

Yes, the idea that paying it off worsens your credit rating is daft. Various things worsen your credit rating: - missed payments - lots of applications - high cost short term credit applications ('payday loans') - exceeding credit limits If you have a good credit rating then paying your balance will likely not improve it, rather it'll keep it constant. If you have a very bad credit rating then it could be improved by making on time repayments. Any bank which seeks to penalise customers with a good credit rating is pretty daft. I'm not aware of anyone who prices in that way.

Not in the slightest. Unless you want to borrow at some point in the future. Most people want to borrow something, some time. Whether for a house, or a car, or a holiday. There are things you can do to make yourself more attractive to lenders. It's not compulsory. It's not rocket surgery. Just a thought.

There are other sources of credit, it's not as black and white as "you've not had a credit card, we're not giving you a mortgage", obviously that would be stupid, and how would people ever get their first credit card if you needed proof of credit to get credit? Mobile phone contracts, utility contracts, current accounts, they all count. Credit cards are simply a way of bolstering your credit score which are available to many. I'd recommend people sign up for a free credit check website like Clearscore. Whilst the actual number isn't overly important (or transparent), any changes that happen can be interesting, and it'll give you an idea of where you sit on the credit spectrum. It can also show some information on external factors that are impacting your score - lots of address moves, not being on the electoral roll, using your full credit limit regularly, they're all negative factors. People do assume "I never borrow a penny, therefore my credit score is brilliant", that just isn't necessarily the case.

He thanked me for my post too, so he knows you’re out there

A number are being shortened by having the middle 20% removed and redesignsted at HRAs for aggregates use. They’ve also got ex-National Power JMAs (very similar to HHAs with LTF bogies) recoded as HKAs and again used for aggregate traffic. They’ve inherited HOAs, TEAs, FIAs, FKAs, MOAs, MBAs, MEAs, just about everything! Most haven’t been repainted. They don’t really sub-divide by sector like BR did. They’ve got some brand new box wagons too, forget the designation, MWAs maybe? There was a thread on here a while back with some good close up photos.

Not sure you can really take offence at that post - that is a rubbish way to charge interest, so it may be relevant to you that others don’t work that way as it would save you money should you not repay in full for whatever reason.