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 Trains / 29532
Subject: 
Re: The Future of Trains
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains
Date: 
Tue, 2 Oct 2007 20:49:06 GMT
Viewed: 
13531 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Bob Parker wrote:
   This reminds me - has anyone built a fully functioning overhead rail electric train layout where the power is provided by the overhead wires like this:



This would alleviate the need for powered rails and do away with the battery issue. True, it would only work for prototypical electrified trains like seen on the Northeast Corridor, but it would be neat to see if more people could adapt the newer trains to this configuration. Too bad no freight trains that I can think of use electric like this - it seems only passenger trains use overhead wires?

Two-pole contact is needed. But most of the electrified railways use only one overhead wire (like the ex-Soviet loco in the photo). The only examples of more-wire systems I know about, are deep in the history:

--Siemens’ experimental high-speed train, 1903 (3-wire, 3-phase AC)

--Tabor-Bechyne railway in southern Bohemia, 1903 (2-wire, DC, for safety reasons = lower voltage between wire and ground), 1930s rebuilt to single wire

--some mountain railways in the Alps (2-wire, 3-phase???)

The freight/passenger question: I don’t know much about U.S. trains, but in Europe there are electric locos that pull freight trains as well as passenger trains.


Subject: 
Re: The Future of Trains
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains
Date: 
Tue, 2 Oct 2007 21:24:02 GMT
Viewed: 
13660 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Martin Srb wrote:
   In lugnet.trains, Bob Parker wrote:

SNIP

   The freight/passenger question: I don’t know much about U.S. trains, but in Europe there are electric locos that pull freight trains as well as passenger trains.

In France nowadays (and most part of Europe), almost all freight engines are electric. (thank to a highly available hydroelectricity and nuclear electricity). It remains of course some diesel engines but they are replaced for electric ones as they are discontinued.

In fact, in Europe, we are in an opposite situation compared to north america. Europe has lot of passenger train and lack of freight train, europe use electricity mainly where US/Canada use oil. This situation seems to be the consequence of geographic facts (distance, population density) - In many ways , europe looks like US north east corridor.

To answer the initial question, I have never seen lego train powered by aerial wires, nor listen about such a project.

Didier


Subject: 
Re: The Future of Trains
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains
Date: 
Tue, 2 Oct 2007 22:43:58 GMT
Viewed: 
13349 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Martin Srb wrote: SNIP
  
--some mountain railways in the Alps (2-wire, 3-phase???)

The Gornergratbahn

Tim


Subject: 
Re: The Future of Trains
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains
Date: 
Tue, 2 Oct 2007 22:47:43 GMT
Viewed: 
13466 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Didier Enjary wrote: SNIP
   In France nowadays (and most part of Europe), almost all freight engines are electric. (thank to a highly available hydroelectricity and nuclear electricity). It remains of course some diesel engines but they are replaced for electric ones as they are discontinued.

Ironically, in the UK, when the (US) Winsconsin Central took over the main freight operator, EWS, they reduced the use of electric locos, presumably because they couldn’t get their heads round using electricity to haul trains! Luckily now that Railion (the freight arm of the German railways there might be a move the other way.

Tim


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