Atomic Systems

The Polaris sets will be manufactured by CSR Ziyang Locomotive Co. (power cars) and they will sub-contract the trailer car build to CSR Puzhen Carriage Works, in Nanjing. CSRE Limited will be the main contractor and will engage UK consultants and NOBO to support engineering and acceptance activities...

My main concern about TMS isn't really a "ground level" issue so much as a network issue. We have a situation in this country where Virgin who have realised the limitations of their Voyager fleet can't augment this fleet with a number of Meridian's that Midland Mainline trains suddenly found they h...

Wow, I'm overwhelmed with the intelligence and foresight that exists in this place! I find it bizarre that a forum which majors on train simulation has such a wealth of real railway knowledge buried so deep down within it. Many thanks for your responses. I am particularly interested in the vertical ...

I'd like to use this forum to bounce an idea around. Currently, the engineering interface between the infrastructure provider (Network Rail) and the train operator is at two particularly tricky places, the wheel / rail and the platform / train. What if this interface were to be migrated upwards, so ...

Grand Central are having some HST's and have not mentioned MTUing them. as i got told with the DRS 37 modification's its either you accept and keep them on the mainline for another 15 - 20 year's or loose them for good. Valenta fans will be pleased to learn that Grand Central is indeed retaining th...

Two observations.... 1/ What about all the diesel powered energy that will be wasted, hauling those heavy batteries around at speeds above 19 mph? 2/ Wouldn't if be better to introduce a small (say 500 kVA) continuously running auxiliary diesel engine, to drive all the auxiliaries? That way, you cou...

Food for thought.... if the 442s did come off lease, does anybody think that conversion to a DEMU might make any sense? By replacing some of the electrical gear with underfloor engine/s and removing the shoegear, maybe you would end up with a half-decent outer suburban "go (almost) anywhere" DEMU at...

Looking at the mock up (& I understand its only a mock up) my first concerns would be. :What I presume is the train managment system screens directly infront of the driver. I also presume these are auto dimming until a fault or system activation occurs.But in my opnion these should not be mounted d...

I have to say, the first thing that jumped out of that image is the power controller being pretty much behind the driver's shoulder. That is a recipe for discomfort! It'll be the top bit of the window which moves - backwards possibly? Sorry that it's taken me a while to get back to you on the side ...

I would have thought that when Pacers eventually do get replaced, they would make ideal Sandite units.... opinions please?

Modern trains seem to be heading towards the single handle controller. I can't see any reason why you'd want to have power and brakes applied (apart from anti-slip protection, which was on the power handle as far back as the class 45 in 1961), and surely with all the millions of warning systems req...

WOW, now thats a monster... Here's the loco that the engine is installed in. [album 168457 DSCF4835.JPG] And here's a couple being delivered, overland. Because of the difference in gauge, the locos travel as far as the Chinese border on transit bogies, hauling wagons with the Soviet gauge bogies be...

Went to the Southampton boat show today, and saw the MTU engine stand. They list many different types but the engine below is a V12 twin turbo that produces 2700 hp (possibly very similar to that being fitted to the HST's now.) Just to amuse also the boat in the background here was up for a bargain...

Heres a kind of list of things the new units probably wont have but is actually important for the people who drive them,not the ones who just admire them from the outside. 1: Proper two lever driving controls (I have two hands for this purpose,single power/brake controllers are awkward to control s...

Off topic for a second, RE: Diesels cleaner than Electric... Once again the power of negative thinking clearly struck the ORR, if, say electricity was produced by magic, say wind, sun or tidal power to name a few, it would be cleaner than diesel. I'm not saying electric trains are the answer to the...