A Peloton® franchise: "Don't give up now. Let's climb together..."I like the idea of a gym for first class passengers with the treadmill driving the wheels. They could charge extra for that!
A Peloton® franchise: "Don't give up now. Let's climb together..."I like the idea of a gym for first class passengers with the treadmill driving the wheels. They could charge extra for that!
Typically for this country when a new bridge was built not that long ago, it was built as road only - again. In most other European countries, the equivalent bridge would have been built as a double decker with the trains underneath the road.the problem is - the existing tunnel is 4 miles in length. To bore a new tunnel or build a dedicated bridge would have cost several billion in it's own right.
Typically for this country when a new bridge was built not that long ago, it was built as road only - again. In most other European countries, the equivalent bridge would have been built as a double decker with the trains underneath the road.
Severn Tunnel built in the 1800s , Channel Tunnel built with modern building materials and methods in the 1980s/1990sGood points here - indeed how does the channel tunnel run on 25kv & the severn tunnel struggles?
Good points here - indeed how does the channel tunnel run on 25kv & the severn tunnel struggles?
The gradient is 1/90 at the Welsh end and 1/100 at the Bristol end. It was designed this way so the gradient favoured heavy coal trains coming out of South Wales.Coasting not possible. It is two miles uphill at 1 in 70 each way from the midpoint.
They have just removed 150 years worth of soot from the roof of the tunnel before installing overhead contact bars to reduce acid attack. They should have left it as it would have neutralised salt attack!
Well that makes all the difference then.The gradient is 1/90 at the Welsh end and 1/100 at the Bristol end. It was designed this way so the gradient favoured heavy coal trains coming out of South Wales.
Since the rolling stock is diesel hybrid, wouldn't it make sense just to skip electrifying the tunnel or is 4-miles to long for that?
Talking of the 387’’s: surely 387’s or similar should be used as stopping services on the relief’s between Cardiff > Newport & Temple Meads with perhaps extensions to Bath & Swindon? This would enable the Cardiff > Portsmouth trains to be more like proper express services travelling longer distances. The way things are now, the reliefs are wired but nothing is going to use them.
I have often smelt fumes when going through the Severn Tunnel. The sooner all trains through this tunnel are electric, the better.
It is already installed in the tunnel and has been for ages.Since the rolling stock is diesel hybrid, wouldn't it make sense just to skip electrifying the tunnel or is 4-miles to long for that? Can battery powered trains travel 4 miles?
At a later stage then do as w1bbl3 said and upgrade the tunnel with a water proof membrane, etc.
Electrify from Swindon to Severn Tunnel Junction via Gloucester and they can go that way and keep out of the way of 125mph services. After all it is the only diversion route when Severn Tunnel is closed.They also had plans to use the London area 387s on an occasional basis if a lot of people needed to be moved to or from Cardiff.
Regarding 387s these events are mainly at weekends so would there not be any 800s spare.Also arent Cardiffs going to 3 per hour.So there will be extra capacity to Cardiff without using 387s.
Electrification in the Bristol area will happen - it has just been postponed.They might be able to roll down Filton Bank to Temple Meads, but how would they get back up, or get to Bath and Chippenham? Aren't the Reliefs still just 40mph or so?
[/QUOTE]Typically for this country when a new bridge was built not that long ago, it was built as road only - again. In most other European countries, the equivalent bridge would have been built as a double decker with the trains underneath the road.
Salt-water and 25kv are not likely to mix well … how does the channel tunnel do it
Electrification in the Bristol area will happen - it has just been postponed.
Goodness knows why the speed limit on the relief lines is so slow. They cross the same land as the fasts.
Wimp! You should have gone through it in steam days!Talking of the 387’’s: surely 387’s or similar should be used as stopping services on the relief’s between Cardiff > Newport & Temple Meads with perhaps extensions to Bath & Swindon? This would enable the Cardiff > Portsmouth trains to be more like proper express services travelling longer distances. The way things are now, the reliefs are wired but nothing is going to use them.
I have often smelt fumes when going through the Severn Tunnel. The sooner all trains through this tunnel are electric, the better.
Sorry if I offended you, I just thought you would like to know the gradients and the story behind it all.Well that makes all the difference then.
Where the Reliefs pass over the Mains at Bishton I doubt their alignment is good enough. There may be similar issues elsewhere.Goodness knows why the speed limit on the relief lines is so slow. They cross the same land as the fasts.
Where the Reliefs pass over the Mains at Bishton I doubt their alignment is good enough. There may be similar issues elsewhere.
Also track needs relatively less maintenance at low speed and it may be easier to keep the track on the slows maintained by optimising cant for the speeds of freight trains. In the past, and perhaps still, there were probably so many freights that a passenger train would just get stuck behind one anyway.
I think there was a Swansea-Bath stopper planned using EMUs.But thats not going to happen anytime soon.Talking of the 387’’s: surely 387’s or similar should be used as stopping services on the relief’s between Cardiff > Newport & Temple Meads with perhaps extensions to Bath & Swindon? This would enable the Cardiff > Portsmouth trains to be more like proper express services travelling longer distances. The way things are now, the reliefs are wired but nothing is going to use them.
I have often smelt fumes when going through the Severn Tunnel. The sooner all trains through this tunnel are electric, the better.
There always has been and still is a lot more freight on the South Wales Main Line than east of Reading, as well as far fewer passenger services. So up to now there hasn't really been a need for passenger trains to use the Reliefs except during planned or unplanned closures of the Mains.I see that people are trying to get new stations at *Magor, Llanwern & Cardiff East Parkway (St. Mellons area I presume).
That being so, with all these stops, then surely the steady speed of a freight would have limited impact on a stopping passenger train on the relief’s? I also note that freights are on the ‘slow’ lines between Reading & London & yet stoppers can still be accommodated. That is the sort of thing that I contend should be on the South Wales line between Cardiff, STJ & on to Bristol TM via the new 4 track section entering the city from the north. Huge housing growth is taking place in this area with people commuting both east & westward. *http://magorstation.co.uk
I remember going through behind steam in the first carriage looking out of the door droplight and hearing the con rod splashing in water as I assume we hit the midpoint with water being thrown over the carriage as if we were taking water from a trough.Wimp! You should have gone through it in steam days!
I remember sitting in the front seats of dmus going through it in about 1958 or 1959. You could only see the light at the end of the tunnel when about 100 yards away through a yellow curtain of smoke. You made sure that all the windows in the carriage were closed before entering. Essentially the drivers were blind through the whole length but there were white lights at track level marking the change in gradient at mid-point.
A whiff of diesel? Enjoy it while you can!
You didn't. I should have known the gradients off by heart as I have been through enough times in the last 70 years. My great grandfather worked on the tunnel when it was being built. He was a coalminer before that.Sorry if I offended you, I just thought you would like to know the gradients and the story behind it all.