The 10,000 Post Thread v2

[Frdm920 50]

5041

Nobody except Skimbo post below me

[Skimbo 304]

5042 YAY

Thank you!

5038

A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.

"In wiki we trust" Does not need to have multiple cariages, only be able to work in multitraction.

(Please note that the carriage is normally not attatched to it but it's sadly the only one of it's type that survived the rail modernisation of the 90's, on the day I took this pic they've simply needed more capacity than 5042.14 has)

ÖBB DMU 5042

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Skimbo  

[TheHaso2011 152]

5043

Cool!

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

5044

There are still diesel trains that run in the countryside of Japan. My wife's hometown has a sightseeing diesel train. Pretty much all the other trains here are electric. Sadly, I cannot tell you more than that.

[astronelson 339]

5045.

Most of the rail lines in Australia are serviced by diesel, as the majority of the rail lines are not electrified. Most of the rail journeys, however, are taken on electrified rail. The other ones are either long-distance passenger rail or goods/livestock transport.

[TheHaso2011 152]

5046

Most of the Ones In England Are Electric. Some Freight trains are Diesel though.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

5047

A quick trip through Wikipedia (where EVERYTHING is true) tells me that pretty much all of the USA's trains are diesel. I imagine that local trains (NYC subways and Chicago's El-trains) are electric, but interstate passenger trains and freight trains are diesel (although apparently there are still some steam engines in operation, too).

[The Avatar 1,089]

5048

Here in Phoenix, the closest thing we have to a Passenger train is the Valley Metro Light Rail - which is costing us more money than it's making, because no one uses it.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by MamaLuigi945  

[Skimbo 304]

5049

I've missed 5047, another ÖBB-DMU series LINK

@NMU Spidey: Oh, there are many diesel operated lines in Japan, as you said mostly small country lines. They usually use different series of KIHA DMUs (for some time now even KIHA hybrid MUs)

EDIT: @MamaLuigi945: It's normal that innercity mass transit costs more money than it makes. It's renevues for the city are indirect, for example less costs on road repair, higher attractivity of neighbourhoods around stations, less traffic jams, cleaner air.......

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Skimbo  

[Duke87 1,070]

(5050)

The subway in New York is all electric, 600 V third rail. The commuter rails are mixed... some portions are electrified (some by third rail, others by catenary) but many of the outer reaches of the lines are not.

Long distance trains are almost always diesel because the line isn't likely to be electrified when its primary purpose is freight. Big long freight trains can't run practically on third rail or catenary because they'd have to drain too much power from one spot. Besides, grade crossings are quite common on American railroads and while they do not make electrification impossible they do complicate it and it adds extra potential for nasty accidents to happen when it's done.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Duke87  

[Jamesrules90 133]

5051

Wow this is moving fast

In Newcastle we have the Tyne and Wear Metro which is based on the old train tracks although some of the parts of it are new track like the one up to the airport but its mostly based on the old ones used back when Newcastle was a major industial centre. It all runs on overhead cables but sometimes a lorry plows into them or somebody steals them. Also the majority of the mainline trains are electric although the odd one still runs on diesel like EWS coal trains.

[Skimbo 304]

Long distance trains are almost always diesel because the line isn't likely to be electrified when its primary purpose is freight. Big long freight trains can't run practically on third rail or catenary because they'd have to drain too much power from one spot. Besides, grade crossings are quite common on American railroads and while they do not make electrification impossible they do complicate it and it adds extra potential for nasty accidents to happen when it's done.

Long freight trains can run without a problem using electric whires all over europ, so why shouldn't it be possible in US? Levelcrossings with overhead electrified lines ain't a problem either, as soon as the lifelines are higher than the max. heigh of Lorrys. (And I guess thoose crossings are common everywhere)

5052

[TheHaso2011 152]

5053

Trains, Why not Planes???

[RipRap 4,400]

5054.

We like trains!

Sorry for the tower because we are still suffering from a flood and had to picture this from a safe distance from the river.

[Jamesrules90 133]

5055

Planes are good but most planes you see are just generic boeings and Airbuses never anything exciting.

British rail is so bad, it changes companys every 2 or 3 years, I miss GNER and it is so crowded and always late.

[Skimbo 304]

@Jamesrules:

New companies getting the same contract every few years.... But the symbol for railstations (old BR logo) stays the same....

Isn't that the reason for the nick of the old BR logo? Arrows of Indesicion?

5056

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Skimbo  

[RipRap 4,400]

5057

LOL Arrows of indecision...

[Jamesrules90 133]

5058

England hasn't had the best of times with trains recently.

[Skimbo 304]

5057

LOL Arrows of indecision...

5059

Never heared that Nick before?!

[Duke87 1,070]

(5060)

Long freight trains can run without a problem using electric whires all over europ, so why shouldn't it be possible in US?

Wait, really?

I have never heard of an electric freight train. It simply isn't done in North America. Then again, there are two considerations here:

1) basically any freight run of significant length at some point is going to use unelectrified track.

2) there is no consistent standard for electrification. Metro-North's M7 cars run on the 750 V DC third rail used on the Hudson and Harlem lines and Long Island Railroad, but cannot run on the New Haven line because they can't run on the 12,500 V 60 Hz AC catenaries that most of that line uses. The M2, M6, and M8 cars used on the New Haven line are designed to be able to run on both systems. This is in turn different from the 11,000 V 25 Hz AC catenaries NJ Transit uses, and the 25,000 V 60 Hz catenaries used by Amtrak north of New Haven. Designing engines to run on all these different systems as would be necessary for freight simply isn't practical.

Levelcrossings with overhead electrified lines ain't a problem either, as soon as the lifelines are higher than the max. heigh of Lorrys. (And I guess thoose crossings are common everywhere)

That is, until something drives by exceeding the normal maximum height, such as a dump truck with the back up. Overhead signs on highways get mauled all the time this way. Overhead wires at railroad crossings are vulnerable to the same fate, and the results of that happening would be far more disastrous.

This of course assumes catenary. Many lines use a third rail - for that you need to put gaps at crossings which the trains have to be designed to be able to coast across. Which is technically more complicated but adds less risk.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Duke87  

[TheHaso2011 152]

5060

Talking About trains. Next Monday = 6 Hour train journey to Scotland all because my sister was afraid a plane would crash...(too much Air Crash Investigation for ya)

[Jamesrules90 133]

5062,

6 hours to Edinburgh what train you on, its 2 hours Newcastle to London. If you get the one that only makes a few stops at places like Newcastle it will halve the time. On a related note Aircrash Investigation makes me want to fly more.

I live right next to an industrial estate (which produces nestle sweets and medicine) and also next to a level crossing with electric rails and everything is fine, the HGVs just avoid it. Mind you some of the ones that come out of there are just vans WITH BIOHAZARD SIGNS ON THE BACK!!!! We get a bigger problem with idiots who steal the wire.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Jamesrules90  

[RipRap 4,400]

5063

However, third rail is dangerous too, especially for some people who walk or play on the rails.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by 111222333444  

[The Avatar 1,089]

5064

Walk, play, or do this...

[Skimbo 304]

(5060)

Long freight trains can run without a problem using electric whires all over europ, so why shouldn't it be possible in US?

Wait, really?

I have never heard of an electric freight train. It simply isn't done in North America. Then again, there are two considerations here:

1) basically any freight run of significant length at some point is going to use unelectrified track.

That's a typical north american problem: Only a very small part of the network is electrified. As long as there is not enough customers along the few electrified lines there will not be any electric freight traffic.

2) there is no consistent standard for electrification. Metro-North's M7 cars run on the 750 V DC third rail used on the Hudson and Harlem lines and Long Island Railroad, but cannot run on the New Haven line because they can't run on the 12,500 V 60 Hz AC catenaries that most of that line uses. The M2, M6, and M8 cars used on the New Haven line are designed to be able to run on both systems. This is in turn different from the 11,000 V 25 Hz AC catenaries NJ Transit uses, and the 25,000 V 60 Hz catenaries used by Amtrak north of New Haven. Designing engines to run on all these different systems as would be necessary for freight simply isn't practical.

I just answer with a number combination: ES 64 U4/F4

Okay, this might be too short. ES stands for the Euro Sprinter loco family by Siemens.

ES64U4/F4 can be delivered working in all 4 european elec. systems:

15 kV, 16,7 Hz AC

25 kV/50 Hz AC

3 kV DC

1,5 kV DC > Only rareley used that's why most of the machines are ordered for 3 systems "only" One of the few examples of use of this system is Dublin's DART

Pic of ES64U4 (ÖBB) LINK Sorry, found no freight train pic of this one

Pic of ES54F4 (MRCEcargo) LINK

Pic of ES64U2 (DB, 2 system) LINK

Another good example are TRAXX loco family by Bombardier, 3 system locomotives capable for

15 kV, 16,7 Hz AC

25 kV/50 Hz AC

3 kV DC

Examples:

Pic of DB185 class:LINK

Pic of RTB185 class:LINK

Levelcrossings with overhead electrified lines ain't a problem either, as soon as the lifelines are higher than the max. heigh of Lorrys. (And I guess thoose crossings are common everywhere)

That is, until something drives by exceeding the normal maximum height, such as a dump truck with the back up. Overhead signs on highways get mauled all the time this way. Overhead wires at railroad crossings are vulnerable to the same fate, and the results of that happening would be far more disastrous.

This of course assumes catenary. Many lines use a third rail - for that you need to put gaps at crossings which the trains have to be designed to be able to coast across. Which is technically more complicated but adds less risk.

The problem of 3rd rail and every other form of ground life lines: They are very dangerous, people and animals who cross the line might get hit by the high voltage electricity, Ground lifelines tend to stop working when they're snowed. So north american states and thoose which have part on the Rockys won't use them. Trains fitted with equitment to bridge such a gap ain't a problem. Such trains are all over the world's subways and UK....

And about too high vehicles: In my counry there are only a few cases a year.

EDIT:5065

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Skimbo  

[The Avatar 1,089]

Wow! You really like trains, don't you. I used to love trains when I was little. I would worship Thomas the Tank Engine.

5066

[Larks2242 251]

5067.

Pics are huge

[Jamesrules90 133]

5068

I like trains

[Duke87 1,070]

(5069)

The problem of 3rd rail and every other form of ground life lines: They are very dangerous, people and animals who cross the line might get hit by the high voltage electricity, Ground lifelines tend to stop working when they're snowed.

Yes, but it's not like catenaries never fail. This past winter we had a section of catenary on the New Haven Line collapse due to being iced over. Just a couple weeks ago we had a section of catenary snap as a train passed under it due to the extreme heat (it got over 100 degrees that day). And strong rainstorms have also been known to interfere with proper function of the wires by blowing branches onto them, etc.

I dunno, maybe some of this is just poor maintenance.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Duke87  

[Skimbo 304]

(5069)

The problem of 3rd rail and every other form of ground life lines: They are very dangerous, people and animals who cross the line might get hit by the high voltage electricity, Ground lifelines tend to stop working when they're snowed.

Yes, but it's not like catenaries never fail. This past winter we had a section of catenary on the New Haven Line collapse due to being iced over. Just a couple weeks ago we had a section of catenary snap as a train passed under it due to the extreme heat (it got over 100 degrees that day). And strong rainstorms have also been known to interfere with proper function of the wires by blowing branches onto them, etc.

I dunno, maybe some of this is just poor maintenance.

5070

Elec. whires do not tend this much to power offs than 3rd rail does, here you need cold wet air and a huge loss of temperature overnight combined with very poor traffic(no enough to keep it ice-free) while 3rd rail just needs to be snowed.