Re: Train Articles

[daproc@bigfoot.com]

In article <6l2gtu$ude$3@gruvel.une.edu.au>,
  dbromage@metz.une.edu.au (David Bromage) wrote:

> The diesel loco fleet can (in theory) operate at op to 130km/h. Sprinters
> could possibly work at 145km/h. The XPT is designed for a maximum
operational
> speed of 160km/h.
>
> 200km/h is about the maximum without building dedicated high speed lines,
> although in Britain it has been done at 225km/h.

Not quite true David - whilst the Class 91 locomotive, and the Mk4 coaches,
were designed to operate at 140mph (225km/h) the Health and Safety Executive
(Britains equivalent of WorkCover, but with a much greater remit, spreading
into general rail safety, etc) will not allow them to run at this speed until
further upgrading of safeworking systems, etc has occurred - it is not
economically viable for this to be done apparently.

There was a special working a few years back when one of these trains (with
reduced numbers of carriages, special track possession, etc) set a new UK
record for electric trains, so you were sort of right - it has been done on a
special working, but using this criteria, so is the Trains articles assertion
that there are 180km/h trains (but in NSW, not in Victoria - the XPT has done
193km/h).

On another (related) matter, you mentioned that above 200km/h, you need
specially built, high-speed lines - this was borne out in Germany this
morning, when the ICE train crashed into a bridge abutment, killing over 120
people - all high-speed lines I have seen have bridge abutments a good
distance from the track - since this was on one of the "classic" lines, the
abutment was fairly close to the train.

Hope this helps,

David "The Doctor" Proctor

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