Trams: Is There Much Tramway Interest On Here??
- Thread starter stevelewis
- Start date
I not putting the LGB models down I'm just looking for something with a bit more detail for myself, the LGB models have big hefty reliable motor blocks, I'm looking for something different to run off batteries. I want the 0.8mm handrails, I want the fall tray (not necessarily working), I want the little fiddly bits, it's not for everyone but that's what I hope to get out of moving up to this scale. Please don't take offence because none is intended.
Moving up to this scale I want to create models with more detail than I practically incorporate in 7mm scale, when I finally get round to some scratch building if one of my models hits the floor the first thing I'll do is cry at the thought of how many pieces their could be.
The Bachmann models are just to get me started and to have something to experiment with, I really don't have any preconceived ideas about where this venture is going to lead me but I do know I will need a tramway outside for which I have started collecting track.
I'm digressing again.
Off to go and prepare the ground for my new workshop.
David
This guy, Yannick Schaffner can be contacted through this website. He speaks English, and may be able to make you a Ringhoffer - although he is not cheap and it seems he has a waiting list. www.semmelbahn.de
I've been watching a pair of Liliput trams on fleabay that I quite fancied.
Price was reduced today so I paid a bit more interest, as the models are in Germany I thought I'd check what the uk government would won't from me if I purchased them.
I have tonight worked out I could fly to Germany and get a train to the seller's town cheaper than the amount of duty and vat the government would want if I received the models through the post. Stupid but true.
Politics aside (and I don't want to get in to the pros n cons brexit) this dam leaving Europe thing is adversely impacting our hobby ;-(
David
Price was reduced today so I paid a bit more interest, as the models are in Germany I thought I'd check what the uk government would won't from me if I purchased them.
I have tonight worked out I could fly to Germany and get a train to the seller's town cheaper than the amount of duty and vat the government would want if I received the models through the post. Stupid but true.
Politics aside (and I don't want to get in to the pros n cons brexit) this dam leaving Europe thing is adversely impacting our hobby ;-(
David
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so no quarantine required.
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I haven't seen anything like that before, not really for me but it would be interesting to see if anyone takes on a build.
David
Yes really weird, but I would have loved to live in that place and time to see them trundling overhead and take a ride behind them. Now that would have been a real experience.
Not double-decked but . . .
"The first cars on the NY Elevated RR had the floors between the trucks depressed to a few inches above the running rails to overcome passengers’ fear of the cars tipping over. They were known as “shad-belly” cars".
Cheers
David
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Some of you may know of Don’s Driver’s eye view videos already, but tonight has seen the premier of his latest which is the Metrolink East Didsbury to Rochdale line with yours truly at the helm...
It’s all for a good cause (clicking like will add to a donation to the Samaritans) and you may find it interesting
It’s all for a good cause (clicking like will add to a donation to the Samaritans) and you may find it interesting
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The platform heights surprised me - for a tramSome of you may know of Don’s Driver’s eye view videos already, but tonight has seen the premier of his latest which is the Metrolink East Didsbury to Rochdale line with yours truly at the helm...
It’s all for a good cause (clicking like will add to a donation to the Samaritans) and you may find it interesting
So, how does 'Line of Sight' work at night, please?Some of you may know of Don’s Driver’s eye view videos already, but tonight has seen the premier of his latest which is the Metrolink East Didsbury to Rochdale line with yours truly at the helm...
It’s all for a good cause (clicking like will add to a donation to the Samaritans) and you may find it interesting
Couldn't help asking because the Croydon Tram Accident Inquiry is currently in the news
The first two lines (Bury and Altrincham) were converted from BR lines. There wasn’t the money to rebuild all of the platforms, and low floor technology was very much in its infancy. It was felt that having high floors would actually make the service more accessible as low floor trams at the time often had stepped floors.The platform heights surprised me - for a tram
Well for starters the speed limits are all set so that you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear, and being predominantly urban in nature it never really gets that dark. As a result there are no night time restrictions, we can and do happily run at line speed.
The vehicles have pretty good headlights, with a high beam function (you can see me switch to high beam when I enter collyhurst tunnel just after Victoria).
In some ways driving in the dark is a bit easier as when it comes to following other vehicles you’re just looking for their tail lights/reflectors.
We also have a couple of variable speed boards, which look like motorway matrix boards and will slow you down if another tram is ahead (you can see one on this video approaching collyhurst tunnel). I’d like to see more of these fitted in future as they’re pretty useful, although I tend to hold back and wait for a normal line speed indication on the board.
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Love this channel. Enjoying this video right now. I'll be sure to click on the like. I can quite happily take in one of his very informative videos in their entirety on the odd (quite a few now I am retired) quiet day. When you see one of his heavy rail trips, crossing various lines along the way, you realise why it might be virtually impossible to do away with drivers and adopt automated operation. Seems as though the powers that be have dropped that requirement with regards to the future funding TfL. They were told it would cost £7 billion and not offer good value. And put a lot of decent hard working people out of work. MaxSome of you may know of Don’s Driver’s eye view videos already, but tonight has seen the premier of his latest which is the Metrolink East Didsbury to Rochdale line with yours truly at the helm...
It’s all for a good cause (clicking like will add to a donation to the Samaritans) and you may find it interesting
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There could be certain benefits in driverless - look at the DLR, and the Farringdon (Thameslink) tunnel, anything that helps achieve more dense track occupation will go some way to relieve overcrowding on the London commuter lines, and we have to remember that daily commuting now reaches out to places that are 90 minutes or more rail journey from the London termini. You couldn't get a seat at Guildford in the morning rush hour before the pandemic
(and the answer isn't simply more trains -track density is almost at saturation point).However, what mitigates against that is the complexity of the network, especially around London with, arguably, the South East quadrant being the worst. The sheer number of junctions, crossovers etc would make a conversion to driverless almost impossible, with the potential that on top of the £7b price tag, you would then possibly have the years of delay before it works, as it could so easily become something along the lines of Crossrail or Berlin's airport in IT terms.
The compromise will probably have to be a major re-signalling that will allow shorter signalling blocks, and closer running of trains, but only after they've addressed the station infrastructure issues to get passengers off the platforms and out of the turnstiles quicker
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I think that there are places for Driverless operation and it should be remembered that the DLR has a Train Captain that does not normally drive. However I have been in a good few DLR trips where the Captain has had to sit in and drive for sundry reasons. However most deep level London tubes ought to be feasible but at a cost. Here is the real rub, the cost is so great that you would likely take a couple of lifetimes to get any return.There could be certain benefits in driverless - look at the DLR, and the Farringdon (Thameslink) tunnel, anything that helps achieve more dense track occupation will go some way to relieve overcrowding on the London commuter lines, and we have to remember that daily commuting now reaches out to places that are 90 minutes or more rail journey from the London termini. You couldn't get a seat at Guildford in the morning rush hour before the pandemic
However, what mitigates against that is the complexity of the network, especially around London with, arguably, the South East quadrant being the worst. The sheer number of junctions, crossovers etc would make a conversion to driverless almost impossible, with the potential that on top of the £7b price tag, you would then possibly have the years of delay before it works, as it could so easily become something along the lines of Crossrail or Berlin's airport in IT terms.
The compromise will probably have to be a major re-signalling that will allow shorter signalling blocks, and closer running of trains, but only after they've addressed the station infrastructure issues to get passengers off the platforms and out of the turnstiles quicker
Just because the DLR train captain is sat in the chair doesn't mean he's driving - he can also operate the doors from that position.
I used to find it mildly disturbing, but eventually got used to it when the train captain got up and left his seat, heading for the door, just as we approached the buffers at Lewisham
