TrainBoy98
Member
Hi, just read about moving platforms in a magazine (not sure which one!) and wondered whether anyone knew anything about it? Also, what are peoples thoughts on it?
however, you wouldn't be able to use slıp coaches wıth MUs
There is a video of it here.
It is hugely impractical of course. The first late train and the entire system falls to pieces.
And can you imagine the HSE comments might make about corridor connections with the slip coach ?Maybe we could come up with a new idea for slip coaches? Say you're going London-Leeds calling at Peterborough, Newark, Doncaster, Wakefield and Leeds. You build powered slip coaches capable of coupling and uncoupling at speed. You attach a slip coach to the end of the train in London and have slips waiting at the calling points. People alighting at Peterborough move to sit in the slip coach just before Peterborough. Approaching Peterborough, the coach is slipped, as per a traditional slip coach.
First of all, how on earth is a tram supposed to match the speed of a bloody high speed train!
Agreed. I get the concept-it's basically like how people transfer from the Central line to a long distance line like the Metropolitan or Piccadilly. I don't see any advantage that this idea will provide. The National Rail system would have to be integrated with the Tube (or other metro systems) and the schedules would have to be coordinated. All this will do is cause confusion and waste pounds.
Why not just add the capability for improved acceleration to the whole train? That would allow it to make the stop in the same time as it would take for it to drop the slip coach and lose time running slow enough for the pickup coach to catch up.Maybe we could come up with a new idea for slip coaches? Say you're going London-Leeds calling at Peterborough, Newark, Doncaster, Wakefield and Leeds. You build powered slip coaches capable of coupling and uncoupling at speed. You attach a slip coach to the end of the train in London and have slips waiting at the calling points. People alighting at Peterborough move to sit in the slip coach just before Peterborough. Approaching Peterborough, the coach is slipped, as per a traditional slip coach. There is a duplicate slip coach in Peterborough with excellent acceleration and when the on train slip is in the platform, the slip from Peterborough is despatched to catch up with the train and then automatically couples when it catches up. The process is repeated. Therefore, the main train is effectively non-stop London-Leeds but people can alight/ board.
however, you wouldn't be able to use slıp coaches wıth MUs
If it were to be done, a purpose-designed datalink system would be used between the train portions so there would be a very accurate idea of where both units were at any one time. The route's traffic control system (lineside signals being a thing of the past) would be set up to treat the starting and continuing portions as being one train until they successfully couple. As I said above, any technology needed for the on-board parts could start as an evolution of the tried and true Locotrol technology that is currently used all over the world.I'd be a little nervous about a unit running through lots of signals with permissive working at 100mph + with no idea about where the unit in front was or what speed it was going, unless it was an adaptive moving block system.
MUs could have an advantage. Slip a 1 - 3 car MU with a driver. Probably safer than a slip coach? No pilot engine needed.
Could continue journey as a stopper, or on a branch line.
A possibility? Express train (MU's) off station A at 10.00.
Main train slips a MU at a suitable point 1 - 10 miles before station A.
It arrives at A around 10.05. (This unit could run the next service 20 minutes later as below)
A MU (with passengers) leaves station A at 09.55, gets up to speed and is joined by the main train around 10.05. This would involve some clever speed control technology, otherwise it could be a bit hairy! :roll:
Slip coaches? People have enough trouble understanding which unit to sit in when the conductor announces a hundred times on a journey about a split, let alone trying to find the right coach on a train that breaks apart a dozen times on a journey.