(11/01/2013 18:20)jtd508110 Wrote: [ -> ]What about the doors? Arent Plug doors not allowed in single bore tunnels? I hope that if the doors need re-designing, they don't use sensitive edge doors, or doors like the s stock use...
Nothing will be re-designed or re-engineered. Merseytravel need cheap, tested and ready to go units that don't require too much work to the infrastructure.
It will be a basic, off the shelf Class 37x unit.
I suppose you could get 3-car Class 378. (they were originally supposed to be 3-car units), and then just specify 3+2 seating. The reason I don't think 378s will be used is the wide gangways. I believe Fire Regulations require carriages to be separate to prevent the spread of fire underground. That may be too big of a job to modify, so we're back to 377s or 379s.
Plug doors aren't banned, but nose end evacuation doors must be available, which the 377/378/379 fleet have.
Another thought that crossed by mind is Driver Only Operation. Class 378s were built with DOO primarily in mind, with the latest CCTV and safety systems. I wonder what Merseytravel/Merseyrail will make of that. After all, it comes down to saving money.
Plug doors if part of the specification would have to open fully in the single bore , one thing i have with plug doors is that the Merseytravel travelling public would have to get used to them , how many people have to tried to hold open a sliding door would find it harder to keep a plug door open .
I also wonder how long a plug door would take to close over a sliding door on a very time sensitive system like Merseyrail with stations only 2 to 3 minutes apart.
A thought dawned on me today, is it not feasible to use James Street Platform 2 in the busiest times on the network? I noticed that the yellow line has been repainted...
(13/01/2013 21:11)jtd508110 Wrote: [ -> ]A thought dawned on me today, is it not feasible to use James Street Platform 2 in the busiest times on the network? I noticed that the yellow line has been repainted...
Could be in readiness for the loop closure later this year, when all trains will turn back in platform 1 or 2
Person hit by a train near Birkdale. Thoughts to the traincrew and passengers involved. I was onboard in the one at Fisherman's Crossing a few years ago.
i feel sorry for the crew, passengers and families involved in these incidents, i myself have been in this situation 4 years and 3 months ago on 01/10/08 at seaforth & litherland involving 507001, it was such a frightening thing. God rest the soules involved in these things.
I do wonder what contingency measures are being put in place to ensure services will run or try to run to schedule on Friday.
The first will probably to bring the service down to half hourly and double up the units to provide six cars , this does bring its headaches but one big train is better than one small train failing in the sticks .
(16/01/2013 20:26)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]I do wonder what contingency measures are being put in place to ensure services will run or try to run to schedule on Friday.
The first will probably to bring the service down to half hourly and double up the units to provide six cars , this does bring its headaches but one big train is better than one small train failing in the sticks .
But if you end up running everything as a 6-car, you need another 6-car to rescue the failed units, and go forward as an out of service 12-car, which means you have 12-carriages worth of people stuck somewhere at a freezing cold station, until another, probably already full, 6-car turns up.
Going back 2 years or so, in the really harsh winter, we ended up with 15/18 carriage consists, (at that point they pretty much abandoned the rest of the evening). Units suffered fire damage from arcing, shoes got knocked off by the snow and became stranded, units became gapped owing to slow speeds across the longer neutral sections... etc.
Even once the snow has been and gone it isn't difficult to work out that melted snow=lots of water=flooding. If the snow is heavy, it's likely Hooton area will be problematic, especially towards Capenhurst. My prediction is 19th/20th January Hooton-Chester will be replaced by a bus.
But in severe snow and still we are not sure of the amount of snow we will recieve yet , a three car will struggle power wise with the units arcing , in areas of long open stretches around Formby and freshfield and also Capenhurst to Bache units wouldnt be able to get any speed up .
If memory served me right the night you was talking about , happened around kirkdale was caused by a problem with the MPV laying sandite which was burning shoes and causing severe arcing.