The Rail Enthusiast thread

[Paulus]

A couple more to guess:
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One is a battle of Britain/West country class.
The other is the Sarah Siddons, probably at Acton Works.

 

[classic33]

A couple more to guess:
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34105 "Swanage"

 

[BrumJim]

34105 "Swanage"

Nearly, but not quite.

 

[classic33]

Nearly, but not quite.

Merchant Navy Class:
35005, "Canadian Pacific"

 

[DCBassman]

These are my favourite trains:

District Line R stock

District Line CO/CP stock.

London Tilbury & Southend Railway (now C2C) Class 302 EMUs, formerly AM2. The branch on the left took me home to Ockendon.

 

[User16390]

It looks like hydrogen powered trains will supersede diesels on train lines without electrification. I look forward to their arrival, from what it says in the article, cleaner albeit more expensive, I assume costs will come down as more are made.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/scien...0/are-hydrogen-trains-the-future-of-uk-travel

 

[classic33]

It looks like hydrogen powered trains will supersede diesels on train lines without electrification. I look forward to their arrival, from what it says in the article, cleaner albeit more expensive, I assume costs will come down as more are made.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/scien...0/are-hydrogen-trains-the-future-of-uk-travel

ATN/Northern they'll never run.

Looks like some of the new rolling stock for Northern.

 

[Colin_P]

The other day I was waiting on the platform at a station on the Great Western main for one of the nice new electric trains when out of the blue a 37 came trundling along. All on it's own not pulling anything, an amazing thing to see and a nice surprise. Sadly I didn't have time to take a photo or video.

Looking here (25/10/18)
http://www.class37.co.uk/2018/1810work.aspx

It was either 37099 or 37254

Does anyone know anymore about their workings so I can have the camera ready next time!

 

[Andy in Germany]

It looks like hydrogen powered trains will supersede diesels on train lines without electrification. I look forward to their arrival, from what it says in the article, cleaner albeit more expensive, I assume costs will come down as more are made.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/scien...0/are-hydrogen-trains-the-future-of-uk-travel

I'm not so sure, with a 600 mile range, and very specialised fuelling facilities.

In a German context they would probably work because we have a lot of very small railway companies with short lines or tiny networks so the train can refuel en route, but in the UK the movements of trains tend to be more complex, and with the extra difficulties of making, storing and transporting hydrogen I'm not sure how well it would work. We have a few hydrogen buses in Stuttgart but they don't seem to be expanding the idea and the buses are always near to their fuelling stations.

Given the complexities of Hydrogen and the infrastructure needed for what essentially is a complex battery, I can't help thinking that ultimately rechargeable batteries will end up being more popular, because they can be charged at relatively simple points wherever there's an industrial power connection. We had battery powered railcars in Germany back in the 1960's and they worked very well.

What concerns me more is that this could end up being an excuse for politicians to delay or cancel electrification, because "In a few years we can use Hydrogen so it isn't needed."

 

[User16390]

I'm not so sure, with a 600 mile range, and very specialised fuelling facilities.

In a German context they would probably work because we have a lot of very small railway companies with short lines or tiny networks so the train can refuel en route, but in the UK the movements of trains tend to be more complex, and with the extra difficulties of making, storing and transporting hydrogen I'm not sure how well it would work. We have a few hydrogen buses in Stuttgart but they don't seem to be expanding the idea and the buses are always near to their fuelling stations.

Given the complexities of Hydrogen and the infrastructure needed for what essentially is a complex battery, I can't help thinking that ultimately rechargeable batteries will end up being more popular, because they can be charged at relatively simple points wherever there's an industrial power connection. We had battery powered railcars in Germany back in the 1960's and they worked very well.

What concerns me more is that this could end up being an excuse for politicians to delay or cancel electrification, because "In a few years we can use Hydrogen so it isn't needed."

It will be a shame if it isn't viable due to lack of political will or simply because of the cost of creating the infrastructure to make it work. It sounds great, with just water as the only emission.

I would love to see the whole rail network electrified, but I cannot see it happening in the near future, when/if we Brexit I doubt very much that the government will have money for such things.

I hope I am proven wrong.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Things like this make me miss the UK...

 

[sheddy]

That reminded me of the Redd Pepper anecdotes.
When he worked as a tube driver, he would turn off the carriage lights to announce 'this is your driver speaking.......or is it ?'

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N5l0sgPP5k

 

[User16390]

I decided to visit Stourbridge Town the other day, This is the the train that I caught from Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town, it must be the smallest train I have been on in a long while and is only a five minute journey along a rather bumpy stretch of line.

 

[DCBassman]

Personally, I think 25kV electrification is the only way to go. Everything else is just sticking plasters. To do bits of GWR main line, for example, is idiocy.

 

[mcshroom]

For mainline yes. Some lines, like ours round the Cumbrian coast are likely to need self powered vehicles for a long while yet though.

We struggle just stopping certain sections falling into the sea