Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

French red faces over trains that are 'too wide'

3691 views
13 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Staten Island NY
  • 1,734 posts
French red faces over trains that are 'too wide'
Posted by joe323 on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 3:48 PM

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27497727

Next time use NMRA Gauge maybe? :)

 

Joe Staten Island West 

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 5:25 PM

Shades of the Illinois Terminal which was unable to run its streamlined interurban into Peoria due to clearance problems so it had to terminate at East Peoria (the other side of the river).   Evidently they never bothered to measure key clearances before ordering the train and the initial run must have been exciting to see.  And hear.

I am also somehow reminded of the Stonehenge scene in "This is Spinal Tap."

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 7:13 PM

Dave,

Similar, but this is way bigger in terms of the problem and what it'll cost to correct. I think this sums it up pretty neatly...

Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier blamed an "absurd rail system" for the problems.

"When you separate the rail operator from the train company," he said, "this is what happens."

 

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 10:41 PM

Second Mike's motion.

Some latter-day (from a 1964 perspective) JNR passenger stock was built with bulging sides, about 200mm wider at seat cushion level than at platform level.  Of course, the contemporary JNR was a single entity.

In most of the US, where rail-height platforms are standard, this would be a non-issue.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with high platforms)

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 11:01 PM

In a craze to pseudo-privatize the former single-entity, state-owned railways in Europe, most of them were split up into different entities, One for passenger long distance services, various regional entities for commuter services, for freight services, for right of way and so on. The only effect this has shown is an inflation of the administration, combined with a lack of communication between the different entities. There is a certain rivalry between the entities - in terms of "profitability". This has led to neglect, cut backs on maintenance and postponed modernization investments.

When the dear new trains are a little to wide - that´s a rather harmless and only costly issue. The less harmless effects we have seen in Great Britain and Germany in past years - from a total regional breakdown of the rail network to spectacular accidents, killing hundreds of people.

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Kansas City Area
  • 1,161 posts
Posted by gmcrail on Thursday, May 22, 2014 12:30 AM

joe323

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27497727

Next time use NMRA Gauge maybe? :)

LaughLaughLaugh

Leave it to the French!

LaughLaughLaugh

---

Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com

===================================

"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins

===================================

http://fhn.site90.net

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Westchester NY
  • 1,747 posts
Posted by retsignalmtr on Thursday, May 22, 2014 5:24 AM

Something stinks there and it ain't the Cheese.

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 1,207 posts
Posted by stebbycentral on Thursday, May 22, 2014 6:39 AM

I would laugh, but I have no right to criticize.  I have a 4-8-4 that I cannot run on my current layout because it fouls on a retaining wall on one corner of the layout.  It would be too much trouble to tear apart the area and realign the track.

So as they say: "There's a prototype for everything!" 

I have figured out what is wrong with my brain!  On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:03 AM

It is not a big deal for the French to move the tracks out about six inches. That is a weekend job with modern track equipment. Changing the platforms would take many months with disruptions all over the place.

LIRR did this to move the tracks closer to the platforms to eliminate some of the platform gaps at the expense of slowing some reight trains down a bit through the stations. But the NY&A knows the deal, and must yeild to commuter needs, after all, it *is* the LIRR.

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:24 AM

Guess what happened to me today?

I assembled the railing for my dock and installed it, using super glue! Than I took a car and ran it past the railing, only to find out that the car is to wide (or the railing too close to the track)! Fortunately, the glue hadn´t set yet, so I could disassemble it, shorten the railing by 0.30" and re-install - big Sigh of relief!

I should have known - after reading this thread Bang Head

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,482 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, May 22, 2014 10:18 AM

Gigi the GG-1 hits a bridge support on my layout.  But, I can fix that easily enough.

BroadwayLion roared:

It is not a big deal for the French to move the tracks out about six inches.

The trouble is, the platforms are generally on the outside of the tracks.  So, moving the tracks away from the platforms would reduce the distance between them, and likely cause clearance problems there.

And, they're talking about a thousand platforms.  Even if you could reconfigure the rails at some of them, that's still a lot of work.

 

I still remember the truck accident that happened on Massachusetts Route 128, the "Technology Highway" as it was known.  A truck hit the underside of a bridge, which is a fairly common occurance.  Of course, the state immediately started accusing the driver of having an oversized vehicle and not being aware of the posted clearance.  It turned out, though, that his truck was not oversized at all.  The highway department had followed its standard practice of repaving a road by just pouring on more asphalt and rolling it flat.  Over the years, the surface of the road had become about 6 inches higher, and it was the bridge clearance that did not conform to standards.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Thursday, May 22, 2014 11:55 AM

MisterBeasley
Over the years, the surface of the road had become about 6 inches higher, and it was the bridge clearance that did not conform to standards.

 

Yup. New signs cost way too much.

 

My favorite site: http://11foot8.com/

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
  • 1,503 posts
Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Thursday, May 22, 2014 10:16 PM

BroadwayLion

 

 
MisterBeasley
Over the years, the surface of the road had become about 6 inches higher, and it was the bridge clearance that did not conform to standards.

 

 

Yup. New signs cost way too much.

 

My favorite site: http://11foot8.com/

 

Lion & MisterBeasley, your comments reminded me of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35C2-8GrdDA. Lion, as a fellow New York native, you'll especially appreciate this one.

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.

www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com 

  • Member since
    July 2002
  • From: Jersey City
  • 1,925 posts
Posted by steemtrayn on Thursday, May 22, 2014 10:33 PM

THAT'S coming out of his paycheck!

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!