Originally posted by wrwatkins [. All of the new operators have upgraded/modernized their train sets, or are in the process of doing it. The British passenger scene is something to be proud of. Freight is a different story. Thanks to the link and pin type of couplers the train length is much shorter than US standards. Most of the cars are two axel and of limited capacity, however, larger cars are making their appearance. Due to the smaller train length you will not see any MU train sets. Not strictly true - it's rather like the Curate's egg, good in parts! There are a few excellent operators who deserve all the accolades going their way, and there's the "Brand X" operators, who are nowhere near the benchmark set by the best. That said, quality unfortunately takes second place to cost when franchise bids are being considered, so good service now is no guarantee that that will be the case in the future. Yes, out freight trains are rather shorter and lighter than years, but also far more nimble! Perhaps congestion around Chicago, say, might be relieved by running shorter inter-yard transfers more often so you minimise the chance they get in each other's way? Reply jchnhtfd Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 1,537 posts Posted by jchnhtfd on Thursday, January 20, 2005 1:48 PM May I just note that moving freight by rail anywhere in the EU, not just in the UK, operates under quite a different philosophy from North America. The shorter, lighter trains seem to work well for what is trying to be achieved. There was a good article recently on this in Trains, I think. I have a memory like a seive. In North America, though, the principle markets are much farther apart, and running bigger trains just makes sense. Both systems work, and work well, for the markets in which they operate. Jamie Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 20, 2005 2:59 PM I wish I lived in England, your trains have so much class, at least in my eyes.... Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 20, 2005 3:01 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd The shorter, lighter trains seem to work well for what is trying to be achieved. There was a good article recently on this in Trains, I think. Can anyone summerize how cargo and customers differ between European goods trains and North American freight trains? My impression is Europeans haul shipments that American railroads can't make money on. Reply Edit adrianspeeder Member sinceMarch 2002 From: Harrisburg PA / Dover AFB DE 1,482 posts Posted by adrianspeeder on Thursday, January 20, 2005 3:03 PM England seems cool, but your plugs are funny... Adrianspeeder USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 20, 2005 3:10 PM adrian speeder I know what you mean! If your thinking of visiting right now bring your rain coat and prepare for a ruff landing.Strong winds and rain! A driver mate of mine had his pantograph on his 390 pendolino train snag on the overhead wires the other day due to strong winds blowing the wires of it , which then brought the wires down! Could of been worse, might of been me! Reply Edit jchnhtfd Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 1,537 posts Posted by jchnhtfd on Friday, January 21, 2005 10:39 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by garyaiki QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd The shorter, lighter trains seem to work well for what is trying to be achieved. There was a good article recently on this in Trains, I think. Can anyone summerize how cargo and customers differ between European goods trains and North American freight trains? My impression is Europeans haul shipments that American railroads can't make money on. I'm sure that someone can do this better than I but there are several major differences which stand out. In no particular order: running a truck is a lot more expensive in the EU; roads are a lot more congested in the EU; a lot of the rail infrastructure is subsidised or at least not taxed, and thus a lot of sidings/branch lines etc. are still in place in the EU; government policy (particularly in Switzerland) is to promote rail freight and restrict, sometimes severely, trucks... The overall effect is that the economic balance is quite different between trucks and rail, and that makes it possible for a railroad to make money on types of freight in the EU which just aren't economical in North America. Jamie Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 24, 2005 10:18 AM Right on Mark. The EU is a very socialistic society and as such they subsidize their rail system heavily (Amtrak would love this). About the only thing that is common between the European and US systems is that they are 4' 8 1/2" between the rails (except for the narrow gauge in some areas). Rules and laws are extremely different so it is almost impossible to export or import "solutions" to the other side of the pond. Reference to the funny electrical plugs in England: Yes they are different, but be glad. If you would plug in your computer to the European power it would fry (unless it had a voltage sensor and adjusted accordingly) as they are 240 volts 50 hertz. An isocrocinous (sp?) motor driven appliance, such as a clock , tape drive, record player, etc, will work, but only run 5/6 as fast as the speed is controlled by the frequency of the power. This would make records sound a little draggy, but lengthen the day. Almost every country in the EU uses 240 volts 50 cycles, however they cannot agree on plug shape. Talk about a mess! Cheers, *** Watkins Reply Edit Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » Search the Community Newsletter Sign-Up By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd The shorter, lighter trains seem to work well for what is trying to be achieved. There was a good article recently on this in Trains, I think.
USAF TSgt C-17 Aircraft Maintenance Flying Crew Chief & Flightline Avionics Craftsman
QUOTE: Originally posted by garyaiki QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd The shorter, lighter trains seem to work well for what is trying to be achieved. There was a good article recently on this in Trains, I think. Can anyone summerize how cargo and customers differ between European goods trains and North American freight trains? My impression is Europeans haul shipments that American railroads can't make money on.
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