• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Dream Train

Status
Not open for further replies.

TrainBoy98

Member
Joined
19 Mar 2012
Messages
427
Location
Worthing
This thread is for everyone to post their ideas of their dream trains would contain/what features it would have. On 1st May I will start to design a train with as many as possible of these features.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

dosxuk

Established Member
Joined
2 Jan 2011
Messages
1,742
- Lots of doors to reduce boarding times
- Doors at the end of the carriage to reduce external noise
 

Yew

Established Member
Joined
12 Mar 2011
Messages
6,538
Location
UK
Is there any particualar area you are looking at? Inter city? regional DMU? Suburban commuter train?
 

Cherry_Picker

Established Member
Joined
18 Apr 2011
Messages
2,796
Location
Birmingham
Most of the stuff people want is creeping in. Free WiFi and power outlets are the latest thing. Add in decent air conditioning, seats which line up with windows, plenty of tables and working toilets.
It is a compromise between what is good for operational needs and what is the personal preference of passengers though. Doors at 1/3 and 2/3 of the coach is a great example. If they are there rather than at the end of a coach then not only is the coach safer because it is more rigid, the time for people to get on and off is reduced as there is less of a bottleneck because people can approach the door from both sides rather than just one. 2+2 or 2+3 seating is another, 2+2 is more appealing, but you have a much better chance of getting a seat on busy routes if it is 2+3
 

starrymarkb

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2009
Messages
5,985
Location
Exeter
Plus different trains have different needs. An intercity train has different needs to a regional or S-Bahn train..
 

Yew

Established Member
Joined
12 Mar 2011
Messages
6,538
Location
UK
Im going to spec an Intercity train

Format : A'la HST, with two power cars (available in electric or diesel) with a trake of coaching stock in between

Power cars
  • - Co-Co bogie layout, powered by a single Turbo compounding Gas turbine generating power for three phase traction motors.
  • - 15m in length, with a corridor connection on the rear
  • - In order to reduce wasted space, the nose of the train would be 45 degree angled.

Coaching Stock


  • General information
  • - 23m length to fit within the Mk3 envelope, profiled similar to a 158 to allow greater rigidity on the sidewalls (sometimes on a HST you can see the wall move as another train passes)
  • - Two toilets at one end of the train, with the corridor between them (a bit like the sleeper)
  • - Doors on one end of the carriage. into a vestibule containing the toilets Internal doors between the saloon and the toilets, and on the corridor connection at the other side.
  • - 0.7m high windows, Constructed of smart glass reinforced plastic that changes its clarity dependent on light conditions (can be controlled by the guard with the air conditioning pannel)
  • - 30 cm pillars between windows, ideally lining up with the seats, so everyone has at least some view

  • Suspension
  • -Standard bogies with Air suspension that takes a telemetry from the lead bogie and adjusts the characteristics of the secondary airbags/damper to ensure a smooth but never hard ride
  • -Lateral dampers to reduce sideways movement.
  • - All axles disk braked, with ABS unless on notch 3/4

Interior
  • - Seating in first class with armchair like seats (think first class ic70) Second class with something more like a chapman, obviously slightly improved for intercity use (bigger seat back tables and stuff. Enough to give privacy but not to feel claustrophobic
  • - 12 tables per carriage, with wood veiner and a sturdy plastic coating
  • Metal panneled interior, powdercoated white. to give a higher quality feel than modern plastic.
  • - Power sockets throughout, as with wifi.

Buffet
  • Full size kitchen buffet with first class seating, allowing it to operate as a small restaraunt or as extra seating, would be declassified in off peak services to those eating anything purchased from the buffet, however acting as extra seating on the peak, with first class receiving an at seat service, with any extra covers being allocated to standard class.
  • - Trolley stored under the counter (acting as shelving) for if a trolley service wants to run.

Thats all I can think of for now, i might edit if something comes to me
 

D841 Roebuck

Established Member
Joined
16 Mar 2012
Messages
1,891
Location
Rochdale
OK, I'll go along with an HST style top & tail train.

The train formation will be as follows:
37175, retrofitted with 1985-style fire-belching exhaust
Ex 4-VEG trailer car, with plenty of opning droplights for sticking ones head out.
BR Tavern car, with compulsory real ale.
"Star of Bengal" kitchen car.
Restaurant Car, with booths (seating, not Rotherham) and flock wallpaper.
4472, to supply hot water for drinks/baths only NOT traction.
Wet car, with spa baths (clothing optional) .
Sleeping car, with fur rugs and mirrord ceiling.
Breakfast car, serving full english.
That thing with the veranda from the Tanfield Rly.
D7076 in full bore cloud seeding clag mode.

The whole lot surrounded by a Faraday shield, to stop mobile devices.
 

Rugd1022

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2010
Messages
565
Location
Rugby
Oh this is dead easy....

Up front : a shiny blue Western recently outshopped from the mighty Swindon Works, with a willing driver in the chair,

In the middle : about fourteen fully laiden, vacuum braked, six-wheeled milk tanks,

At the back : a BR Mk1 or an old Hawksworth Gangwayed Brake for the guard to sprawl out in.

Next question! :lol:
 

VTPreston_Tez

Member
Joined
26 Jan 2012
Messages
1,159
Location
Preston
Front like an ICE, with insane acceleration and two toilets at either end of the train positioned like airline ones, along with disabled ones with waiting seats outside these ones. Comfy seats of course and massage chairs and a demand free food button in first class. One
 

LE Greys

Established Member
Joined
6 Mar 2010
Messages
5,389
Location
Hitchin
Depends on what you want it for.

Let's start with Inter-City 325
It's essentially the best features of a Eurostar, an ICE-1 and an HST. Two power cars and individual coaches rather than articulation. Top speed of 200 mph (325 km/h) but designed to operate on the current network at up to 155, normally 125. The coaches would be compatible with most current British stock, especially MkIVs, so that they could work with Class 91s if need be. Acceleration would have to be high enough to keep up with a Pendy. It would also look exactly like this!
Imagine them lined up at King's Cross ready to make a run to Edinburgh in 2hrs 30, or Leeds in 1 hr 30, on HS3.

For suburban services, how about the Class 367?
This would be a 4-car unit with the same size, weight and (almost) passenger capacity as a 365, but the seats and internal fittings of a 309 (slightly modified for modern regulations). I think that about sums it up! All would be named after Cambridge colleges, in strict date order with no breaks in the theme. If there are not enough names, then other educational establishments would have to be found.

For the newly-reopened Varsity Line among others, the Super-duper Sprinter (for want of a better name)
Take the basic bodyshell of the MkV coach, lighten it somewhat (it only has to do 75 instead of 200) mount an MTU 6H1800R83 underneath, with the usual mechanical transmission. Doors at the vestibules and gangway connections would be needed. No need for air-con, just fit hopper ventillators. Make sure the ride is fairly comfortable. Hey presto! The 156 is updated for the 21st Century!

A common feature is to try to outdo the MkI for passenger comfort. That's not easy, sprung seats and metal trim are good features. No expense would be spared though, initial purchase cost would probably be overridden by increased passenger numbers because of the comfortable, clean environment.

Not forgetting freight, how about restarting production in Loughborough for the Class 61.
This 4,000 bhp diesel electric would be a natural update of the Class 60, with touches of Kestrel about it. The idea is something that can shift the heaviest trains in Britain at a reasonable speed, and of course be thoroughly British.

It's smaller cousin would be the Class 38
They finally built it! :shock: A lightweight (R/A 5) Co-Co intended to replace all the remaining small BR locomotives. It would be a go-anywhere-do-anything loco, just like the 37. It would be available with ETS as an option and higher speed (the 38/4) but normally a relatively low-speed, non-heat design. The idea is something that will save on fuel costs and track maintenance, yet still be able to do almost everything a 66 can.

Then there's the Class 88
Body of a 61, but electric, with the engine from a 38 crammed in as well. Britain's first a.c. electro-diesel, designed for coal and container traffic over electrified main lines. It can plod along at low speed with a heavy train on diesel power, but mostly sticks to the wires.

Last but not least, the Class 15
We haven't seen a new shunter class introduced for decades. It's about time that there was something newer and more efficient than the old 08s scurrying up and down our few remaining yards.
 

WCML

Member
Joined
25 Nov 2011
Messages
100
For the WCML:

Class 396:

The next iteration of the Pendolino. Larger, voyager style windows, with the first class seats but with the standard arm rests lined up to the windows. Modifications of the toilets with a frosted window and a solution to the smell issues. All seats would be in the Virgin blue style.
The PIS would be scrolling with the new automated audio system and when not showing destination information, the speed would show at all times.

For the North Wales route - Class 223:
Diesel/Electric Hybrid, 9 car edition of the 221. Toilets improved to remove smells, 3 coaches for first class, and the blue 350/1 seating in standard class. Improved suspension and associated works to eradicate the bumping/rattling. Modified PIS to the current Pendolino format but with scrolling text and the new automated announcements.

For the London Midland - Class 350/5 and 350/6:
Tilting, 6 car versions of the 350/1 capable of 125mph. 350/5 would be standard class only with the current 350/1 seating to be used on routes south of Northampton.
350/6 would be used on London to Birmingham and Crewe and BHM to Liverpool and beyond. They would have 1 coach of first class with the same seating as the 350/1s but with the voyager/pendolino style tables. 350/6s would have provision for a trolley

All units would have power points at each seat, WiFi and mobile signal enhancement.
 

Cherry_Picker

Established Member
Joined
18 Apr 2011
Messages
2,796
Location
Birmingham
For total blue sky thinking (pun intended) how about a DC third rail train with a glass roof? Would be lovely on London - Brighton runs in the summer.
 

jopsuk

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2008
Messages
12,771
So, start with the body profile of the Channel Tunnel Shuttle. Have a cut-down version for low use lines. Otherwise, full high floor super-wide double decker everywhere. Use the same profile/length for all stock- so the new clearence required can be exacting, everywhere. All OHL EMUs- wires everywhere, using lightweight/low visual impact solutions on low speed scenic branch lines.

For high user load metro lines (such as the re-bored specially London Underground), implement double decker platforms- doors on both levels. With near-gapless engineering and platform edge doors this should not be a problem. At peripheral quiet stations, use SDO to keep the upper deck locked.
 

RobShipway

Established Member
Joined
20 Sep 2009
Messages
3,337
For the WCML:

For the North Wales route - Class 223:
Diesel/Electric Hybrid, 9 car edition of the 221. Toilets improved to remove smells, 3 coaches for first class, and the blue 350/1 seating in standard class. Improved suspension and associated works to eradicate the bumping/rattling. Modified PIS to the current Pendolino format but with scrolling text and the new automated announcements.

I personally would add 3rd rail shoes to the Class 223 so that they could Travel from the South from places like Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Portsmouth to Holyhead by using the route from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia and then from there on to the West Coast Main line to then travel up to Holyhead, Manchester, Edingburgh, Glasgow.
 

LE Greys

Established Member
Joined
6 Mar 2010
Messages
5,389
Location
Hitchin
For total blue sky thinking (pun intended) how about a DC third rail train with a glass roof? Would be lovely on London - Brighton runs in the summer.

I like that! How about a hauled version for 'land cruise' trains around the Highlands in the summer?
 

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,538
Location
Redcar
Class 228 a 6-car DEMU with a TMS designed to accept up to 12-cars within one unit and running in multiple with three units minimum. Formation (all vehicles aprox 23m):

DPTFO-MRSB-MSO-MSO-MSO-DPTSO

Power would be underfloor diesels and pantographs for running off of OHLE (possibility of third rail shoes as well but that might be asking too much). Top speed on diesel 100mph top speed on OHLE at least 125mph, designed for 140mph and a would be nice top speed of 160mph (but if that's not possible it isn't a deal breaker). It is also intended that the diesel engines could be easily removed in the future to convert to a pure EMU.

The MRSB would be configured for easy conversion to MRFB if more first class seating was desired, the MRSB would be a full kitchen/buffet as found on Mk3s and Mk4s. Two disabled toilets (one for first class one for standard located in the trailers) and then small toilets in all other carriages.

The carriage design would take the Mk4 as inspiration and as such the design would also be intended to tilt (up to 6 degrees) to take advantage of EPS speeds where available (but a non-tilt version would also be available with conversion between the two being a simple bogie swap and flicking a switch on the TMS). Seating would be aprox 26 first class and 288 standard class for a total seating capacity of 314 (a 5-car VT 221 has aprox 262 seats total). Seats would be tested by having the designers use them as office chairs for a week if they're acceptable for that then they will be acceptable for use on the train.

The intended target market for this would be as a Voyager replacement for XC and VT (hence tilt), a 180 and HST replacement on HT and GC and an alternative to IEP on the GWML and ECML (hence the ability to be increased in length to one appropriate for replacing HSTs) and possibly a 185/170/350 replacement for TPE (especially on the Manchester - Scotland corridor where the tilt capability should help improve journey times and increase track capacity). The design should be as go anywhere as possible, whilst axle loading will be high it is hoped that by using a 23m length it should be possible to be cleared fairly easily over large areas of the network.
 

LE Greys

Established Member
Joined
6 Mar 2010
Messages
5,389
Location
Hitchin
My dream heritage traction, the Super Deltic, as interpreted here by Owen Hodgson. Alternatively with steam, the Gresley A9, or possibly the P3. Neither design saw the light of day, but the A9 was the successor to the A4 with a higher boiler pressure, while the P3 was intended to haul 500-ton trains at streamliner speeds, meaning a 6 hr schedule for the Flying Scotsman.
 

Photohunter71

Member
Joined
17 Jan 2012
Messages
576
Location
In a flat beside Niddrie West junction
I'd go back to Diesel and Electric loco hauled stock,where we have comfy modern coaches,hauled by new classes of locomotives (think Traxx and Class 68 as well as a couple of others) Shorter journeys to be carried out by DMU/EMU's maybe keep the odd Pendolino or 2 but would definitely have the diesel and electric loco hauled stock again!
Freightwise,well new diesel and electrics for freight,(thinking Traxx freight,CNR Dalian diesels as they have in New Zealand, as well as Voith,Bombardier and Vossloh built locos but with UK designers and different engines--MTU,Caterpillar,Pielstick,Mirrlees,Ruston)
Variety is the spice of life and hobbies!
 

LE Greys

Established Member
Joined
6 Mar 2010
Messages
5,389
Location
Hitchin
Actually, would a twin-Valenta high-speed Co-Co be possible? HST as a locomotive.
 

sprinterguy

Established Member
Joined
4 Mar 2010
Messages
11,048
Location
Macclesfield
I've had a few flights of fancy regarding alternate DEMU arrangements for Crosscountry that would be pleasanter than Voyagers, although of course what I would really like to see on the Crosscountry network would essentially be a seven carriage push-pull diesel variant of the Austrian Railjet (Scaled down for the British loading gauge of course) using Bombardier TRAXX UK diesels and either the CAF mark 4s used in Ireland or the Siemens Viaggio Comfort stock actually used in the Railjet trains.

But anyway, back to DEMUs: How about if BR had seen fit to undertake a standardisation and modernisation of the Crosscountry network in the late eighties/early nineties, but not intended for 125mph top speeds? I would have liked to have seen a diesel version of the class 442 Wessex electrics produced (Class 244 perhaps), passed for 110mph operation and built in both five and seven carriage variants, the five carriage units obviously being intended to be used in multiple, and with a through corridor connection between them, too!

The five carriage units would be formed: DMF - TBGRS - MS(Disabled toilet) - MS - DMS
And the seven carriage units would be formed: DMF - TBGRF - MS(Disabled toilet) - MS - MS - TS(Disabled toilet) - DMS

Of course, the brake and restaurant vehicle would be formed the opposite way round in 7 carriage sets compared to 5 carriage sets, so that on the 5 carriage sets the passenger saloon end would be at the standard class end of the train, and on the 7 carriage sets it would be at the first class end, adjacent to the DMF.

Based on the original seating capacities for the 442s, the five carriage sets would have 40 first class seats and 240 standard class seats, and the seven carriage sets would have 64 first class seats and 354 standard class seats.

Of course, at the end of the eighties/start of the nineties NSE were looking at producing a long distance variant of the Networker for both electric and diesel variants that mock ups show would have looked similar to the 442s, with a cab end corridor: My diesel 442 idea would therefore be suitable for the Waterloo - Salisbury - Exeter route (Which would allow for ten carriage formations), and the Marylebone to Birmingham Chiltern line, which had longer distance Networkers ordered for it by BR right before privatisation kicked in.

Even more fancifully, what about a DEMU utilising the mark 2 carriage design? If it were to be comparable in length to a five carriage 221, that would be four intermediate carriages with basically a motorised DBSO at each end, so would be formed as:
DMBFO - RFM - MS - MS - MS - DMBSO

That would give a total of 49 first class seats, and somewhere in the region of 212 to 224 standard class seats. No better in terms of seating capacity than a 221 mind, but you would have a heck of a lot more tables, perfect seat to window alignment, a proper buffet and loads of luggage capacity!

I've also had ideas for a DEMU platform that would have both a long distance Regional and an Intercity variant: The Regional version would essentially be a typical six carriage DMU in the 100-125mph bracket, with a raked back front end: Basically a 180. I've also considered an articulated arrangement, that would involve the train being essentially split into two 3-carriage half sets formed back to back, with four 2-axle bogies per half set. Four 750hp engines in a six carriage formation, located under coaches 1, 3, 4 and 6, would each power four axles, meaning that all axles in the train would be powered whilst you would still have two quieter carriages without diesel engines rattling away beneath the floor. Plus, each of the engines would be located in the carriages suspended on three axles (The driving cars and inner end cars for each half-set), so higher axle weights related to articulation would be less of an issue.

The Intercity variant would be similar in arrangement to the Met-Camm Blue Pullman trains of the sixties: A power car at either end of the train, and a small passenger saloon at the inner end of the power car. I would go into further detail about this design, but I rapidly realised, to my great regret, that no TOC in their right mind would order this over the regional unit: Even with some limited form of distributed power arrangement allowing for all four axles of the power car (I wouldn't be considering articulation under heavy power cars) to be powered along with the leading pair under the first intermediate carriages, like a Eurostar, you still end up with less powered axles than the regional version. And if you want to avoid deafening the passengers in the power car passenger saloon, you probably won't have any more power than the regional unit: I envisaged either a pair of 750hp power units in each power car, or one whopping big unit in the 1500 - 1800hp range, as is more traditional. And all that while lugging around an additional two carriages in the formation. Yet the increase in seating capacity would also be negligible, as the two leading vehicles are power cars, rather than entirely seated vehicles!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I like that! How about a hauled version for 'land cruise' trains around the Highlands in the summer?
It certainly works well for the Swiss:
http://www.hellotravel.com/sites/default/files/swiss-glacier-express.jpg

Although that's not glass all the way over the top of the roof of course. It's kind of useful to have some sort of superstructure up there just in case it ever does this: http://genevalunch.com/files/2010/07/glacier_express_crash_fiesch_switzerland.jpg
 

TrainBoy98

Member
Joined
19 Mar 2012
Messages
427
Location
Worthing
Thanks Guys! I will start to make some designs out of your ideas. Once completed I will post pictures and people can suggest improvements and such.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top