Insane, I love it - RhB planning to attempt the record for the longest passenger train in the world....

[Glorious NSE]

https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/rhb-rekord?utm_campaign=so-auto&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_page

[Satan's Goldfish]

If I'm translating that right in my head; 100 coaches for a 1.9km train running on the twisty Albula stretch between Preda and Bergun?

[PaulRhB]

The practice this week certainly got the forums confused 🤣

[icn]

16 hours ago, Satan's Goldfish said:

If I'm translating that right in my head; 100 coaches for a 1.9km train running on the twisty Albula stretch between Preda and Bergun?

Yes - although I believe it's really 25 4-carriage capricorn units (comes out to the same thing).

[Satan's Goldfish]

1 hour ago, icn said:

Yes - although I believe it's really 25 4-carriage capricorn units (comes out to the same thing).

I assumed that would probably be their way of doing it. Get quiet interesting doing it with loose stock and locos/allegras!

[MrTea]

For anyone who’s interested in following this there’s a livestream available at Blick.tv:

https://www.blick.ch
 

Looks like the fun starts from 1.15pm UK time!

[Gordonwis]

www.blick.ch/schweiz/graubuenden/laengster-personenzug-der-welt-weltrekordversuch-der-rhaetischen-bahn-exklusiv-auf-blick-tv-id17989529.html

 

www.swiss-image.ch/gorhbevent

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Gordonwis

[Welly]

Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shVE-_KXYvg

 

That's the prototype for coupling all your locos and stock on the club roundy-roundy at the end of the annual exhibition!

[PrestburyJack]

BBC News - Switzerland sets record with world's longest passenger train
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63442530

[Glorious NSE]

Another viewpoint from above Bergun.

[Crocodile414]

The 100 coach train was also recreated on The Andeer Line at Pecorama on Saturday 

 

[roythebus1]

"due to short platforms, passengers at the next station in the last 96 coaches should move to the front 4 coaches".

[ess1uk]

that's crazy

 

[Michael Hodgson]

 

London Transport should try it.  "The train now standing at Holborn, Chancery Lane, St Paul's  and Bank stations ...."

 

It's an awful long walk if the driver has to go back to kick a sticking door in the last carriage.

Was is single manned? 

If we try it over here as an economy measure, ASLEF might have something to say about making 96% of the drivers redundant.

 

[PaulRhB]

12 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Was is single manned? 

6 drivers as the couplings aren’t electrically reliable over so many connections so they risked dragging brakes and you don’t want that on the Albula curves! So it was one train but electrically split six ways. They also borrowed a comms system from the Army to keep all six drivers in constant contact as the tunnels limited the RhB radios. 

[roythebus1]

I did wonder about the capability of the circuit breakers in the leading cab having sufficient rating to power up 50 sets of equipment! And the ability of the sub-stations to have enough amps to power 25 units in the same section all taking power at the same instant.

Edited November 5, 2022 by roythebus1

[Michael Hodgson]

11 hours ago, roythebus1 said:

I did wonder about the capability of the circuit breakers in the leading cab having sufficient rating to power up 50 sets of equipment! And the ability of the sub-stations to have enough amps to power 25 units in the same section all taking power at the same instant.

I wondered about that too.  I recall hearing a story about the opening of the Chunnel by the Queen to the effect that they had a technician on board whose sole job it was to keep resetting a circuit breaker all the way!

 

I would imagine the electrical engineers did their sums before the run; they might conceivably have travelled in the cab and/or told the driver to limit his acceleration?  No doubt the electrical controllers had some special instructions too,

 

The Pway probably had to look at various issues, even though the weight was obviously very well distributed.  Were greater stresses exerted on the rails because of the curvature?  Probably not bad as the traction power was also well distributed.  What about forces in the event of an emergency stop though?

 

 

[MikeB]

Some of the information put out by the RhB addresses the challenges.  The Capricorns were designed for up to 4 units (16 coaches) to operate in multiple, so the 25-unit train needed 7 drivers ((6 x 4) +1).  As mentioned above, an army telephone system was used to ensure communication between the drivers, but that doesn't take away the skill required for each to drive independently but in a coordinated way.  21 technicians also rode on the train in addition to the invited passengers. Because the route was downhill power consumption was less of an issue than  ensuring that excess  regenerated power was not transferred back to the overhead.  Some special software was needed as modern electronics don't like a train under power being pushed or pulled (if the one ahead or behind had more or less momentum because or gradient or curvature).

 

Apart from the positive publicity for all concerned, presumably the RhB, Stadler, ABB  and the other technical sponsors learnt through pushing the limits, much as motor companies do through motor sport.

 

More details at https://www.rhb.ch/de/news-events/offizieller-weltrekordversuch#info

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by MikeB

[MrTea]

Official highlights video from RhB:

https://youtu.be/yXnRhqtBGTQ

[roythebus1]

Excellent, well done RhB.

[DaveF]

 

SRF have a series called "Einstein".  The specific programme is "Eisenbahnweltmeister Schweiz"

 

The link below should go to the programme about the event, it also has a section on tracklaying in the Lötschberg Tunnel and a hydrogen powered train along with energy consumption by SBB.

 

https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/sendung/einstein?id=f005a0da-25ea-43a5-b3f8-4c5c23b190b3

 

The link works on my PC.  There is a short advert at the start.

 

David

Edited November 8, 2022 by DaveF