Oakydoke

Virtually everything changed when the station was rebuilt from the previous collection of adjoining stations.

The Swiss SBB OHLE installation in that photo is completely different from the OHLE being installed on the GWML. Similarities in the gantry cross members are irrelevant.

I'm not sure if it's connected to this thread, but on Wednesday last week (26/07/17), I passed a convoy of around 5 or 6 bogie tanks, minus bogies at one end, heading north on a fleet of low-loaders. Although it's just less than a week ago, I can't remember it was on the A34 South of Oxford, or on the M40 north of Oxford.

Why, will it burst into flames when least expected?

Reports elsewhere that Class 387 testing between Maidenhead and Southall and Hayes & Harlington took place last night. On all 4 lines.

The manual on the Gaugemaster website is for the discontinued Prodigy Express, which was replaced by the Prodigy Express Squared at least two or three years ago.Gaugemaster mysteriously kept the same model number DCC01 for the uprated version. The current model Express has F0-28, although access to the higher number functions is cumbersome. The manual for the Squared is available on the MRC website.

It depends what you mean by associated costs? iPad or Android tablet controller options are aimed at people who already own such a device, as many millions of people do. The tablet is a no cost element. The associated costs are the cost of an app (if it isn't free as some are) and the cost of associated DCC hardware, which may already be owned, possibly just requiring an interface. The Ace appears to be a very affordable option though and IMHO well worthy of consideration. If an app can be produced, to enable the direct use of smartphones or tablets as handheld throttles, without resorting to the use of a 3rd party computer software package in between, Sig-naTrak will be on to a winner.

That is more likely to be the CGI use for the press release, which shows what look like 395 type "cheeks". However, the nose shape, coupler doors, windscreen shape and lights of the 800 series are quite different to that of the 395 Javelin. The Hull Trains 802's are said to be identical to the 800's, but there's no mention if the power rating of the engines and fuel capacity will also match the 800, rather than match the GWR 802's.

88001 returned to Spain several months back.It was last seen in the factory yard, just a couple of weeks ago. It's not unusual for the first example to delivered later than later builds, after undergoing testing. Any modifications or tweaking required after testing would probably have already been carried out, or started, on the locos on the production line, before the test loco returned to the factory. It's been reported that most of the 88's in the factory yard, have had their bogies removed for several weeks, which suggests some modification work has been taking place. There might also be a need to remove test equipment, before the test loco (88001) can be prepared for delivery.

Thanks Tom. I wonder if the cab side windows on these promo examples are transfers too?

A very good point, considering that the 5 car trains will be mostly seen running in pairs.

Nobody likes to read or hear criticism of new models and so far nothing here. This model looks great, but I hate to be the first to suggest that there appears to be an error with look of the front end. It's difficult with the angle of the photos and that the views are almost all looking down from above. I hope I'm wrong and it's just the viewing angle, but the headlights certainly look too small and mis-shaped. Are these just just handmade prototypes?

Video from the night of the 20th into the 21st has been posted on YouTube. It's dark and there's rain and spray on the camera lense, so the video isn't terribly clear.

There have been rail tracks in the tunnels since earlier this year, although not all the way through. A photo of a class 66 in the tunnels has been linked to, somewhere in this thread.

Indeed they are. However the trains themselves are still owned by Eurostar and not by their major shareholder, as they were previously.You could say 55% of each train is effectively owned by SNCF, but that's not the same thing, technically or legally.

They are no longer owned by SNCF. Ownership of all the Class 373's, except the 3 three capitals sets transferred to and formerly used on SNCF's French domestic services, was transferred to the newly reformed Eurostar International in 2010.

I stand to be corrected, but I've read that there are only 5 full sets that are equipped to run on the French domestic 1,500V DC network. If that's the case, then as I understand it, these will be the only ones that have been able to run on classic lines, off the LGV network, to the Alps and south of France.

Not only feasible, but already available on a mainstream tablet/smartphone based DCC system. See the Roco/Fleischmann Z21 & it's baby brother, the z21.

http://www.photos-ferroviaires.fr/galleries/en_ballade/culoz_25082015/eurostar_3225_1_culoz_25082015.jpg https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8q6eyn7QdCLXyMLU6JslebzYf3-0SSRNtlCBu0rS1buTO3phH http://www.cheminots.net/forum/uploads/monthly_2015_11/56484e3c199be_DIVERSSEPTEMBRE2015025.JPG.bce88ba2bcf6970f8ba7eb787718162f.JPG https://farm1.staticflickr.com/469/18424028284_da9709ccf8_c.jpg http://i.skyrock.net/2581/5442581/pics/3270018876_1_24_MJs6QEQQ.jpg http://trierer-bahnbilder.de/assets/images/db_images/db_IMGP73431.jpg http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/16/95/09/09/img_1614.jpg http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/16/95/09/09/img_1612.jpg

The 3x Three Capitals sets that were used on domestic services by SNCF, were not part of the Eurostar fleet, except at the very beginning. These were kept as part of the SNCF domestic fleet and unlike the other SNCF owned Three Capitals sets (which were operated by the old Eurostar company) not later transferred to the new Eurostar company in 2010. These 3 domestic train sets were retired in 2014 and were scrapped in France. There are photos on the internet that show them in derelict condition in the scrap line, awaiting their ultimate fate.

Actually Robert, there were three survivors at the end, when services ceased. All three, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and Swift, were taken to Lee-on-the-Solent. Fatadder mentions seeing three at the museum, in post no.12 above. That would have been in the early days, as Swift was broken up about 4 years after the SRN4's arrived at Lee.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/the-130-year-old-severn-tunnel-to-close-for-six-weeks-for-essential-railway-upgrade

As far as I can remember, skipping stations, particularly in the off-peak, has been mentioned in Crossrail's suggested service pattern going back a number of years. If I recall correctly, Taplow, Burnham and Iver only get half the number of trains per hour in the off-peak (2 instead of 4tph); there are the peak only West Drayton terminators and Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton Mainline have always been only 4tph, although the skipping pattern there has only come to light more recently. There has even been a suggestion that the semi-fast, limited stop GWR residual service changes its stopping pattern between peak and off-peak.

Each train has the official capacity of 1500 passengers, with less than a third being seated!!!! Small comfort that there's 454 seats per train, which must be more than typical current arrangements?

Don't forget it works in the opposite direction too. Communication between the handset and base station is two-way, with the base station sending its own messages to the handset all the time.