Re: English Railway Accident

["chris 'fufas' grace" <chris@transdata.co.nz>]

keith malcolm wrote:
> 
> David Bennetts <davibenn@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> gfzn6.565$o4.31213@ozemail.com.au">news:gfzn6.565$o4.31213@ozemail.com.au...
> > Whilst in agreement in principle with your comments on the relative safety
> > of push-pull trains, they are by no means uncommon in other parts of the
> > world.  At least in the case of the Intercity 225 trains, there is a
> driving
> > luggage van, so that passengers do not ride in the first carriage.  There
> > are other trains in Britain which have a loco pushing at the rear, and
> only
> > have a driving compartment in the leading carriage conveying passengers.
> > What about Japanese bullet trains which carry passengers in the first car?
> > All railcars, such as Endeavours and Xplorers, Sprinters, Prospectors etc
> > are in the same boat. Victoria is in the throes of replacing loco hauled
> > trains with faster railcars.
> >
> 
> My impression was that the comments were made purly in relation to propelled
> trains, (DVT, carriages, loco/power car) not push pull trains (loco,
> carriages, loco), in which case I agree a train like that is unstable, what
> happens if the front derails and the rear keeps applying power?
> 
> Dave Malcolm
> 

I think you have your definitions mixed up. The DVT/Coaches/Loco
combination is push-pull by definition. A train with power cars at
each end is a unit train in which some of the cars are being pushed
and some pulled at any give time whilst it is moving. Power
differences between the two power cars make sure of that.