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Is it important to be able to see through the windows?

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radamfi

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Do you think it is important to be able to see through the windows? Nearly all National Rail trains in service in Britain have double glazing, meaning that they don't steam up in cold or rainy weather. The only exception AFAIK are Pacers. Some trams don't have double glazing, such as the Greater Manchester T68s which steam up.

By contrast, most buses in the UK are single glazed, meaning that the windows steam up. Coaches have been double glazed since at least the 80s, though.
 
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NY Yankee

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It is. Even if you're not a train enthusiast, seeing out of windows is essential. It lets you know how far the train has traveled and how long will it take to get to your stop. Not being able to see out of windows is creepy.
 

cainebj

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It is quite nice to be able to see out of the windows, especially on my local line so you can see where you are. The train journey also provides some very nice scenery, which is definitely nicer to look at than the drab, scruffy, ageing train interior.
Usually however, its not always easy to see out of the windows, I get Northern Rail 153's or 156's, always very dirty windows and can be hard to see through on a dull day. Announcements on board the train should really help you to know where you are, but the speaker system quite frequently fails to work, or is so quiet or distorted that you cannot clearly hear what is being said, that iss when the "on board attendant" (as they prefer to be known here now) announces which station is next. After waiting for card machines to take payment from passengers at unstaffed stations (quite a few unstaffed stations along the line), they often just go straight to the door controls.
 

Deerfold

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I always find it more pleasant when I can see out of the windows.

It would also have prented me daftly catching a bus in the wrong direction quite so far when I was much younger. I got on halfway between Halifax and Bradford, having had a lift to a sports venue and ran to join the queue to get on and flashed my bus pass. The widows were filthy and the first thing I say through them were the (distorted) bright red lights of the National Museum of Film and Television which rang alarm bells. At least I got the train back (12 mins) instead of the 45 mins back on the bus.

When visitng new areas one of the big benefits of public transport is the ability to enjoy the scenery - unpleasantly ruined when companies use contravision adverts or don't bother cleaning them.
 

Mojo

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I have to admit, I always wondered why buses steam up when it's raining and trains never do. I didn't really link it between single glazing and double glazing as I don't remember what happens on Pacers.
 

Temple Meads

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I have to admit, I always wondered why buses steam up when it's raining and trains never do. I didn't really link it between single glazing and double glazing as I don't remember what happens on Pacers.

Pacers do mist up, but then, are they trains or buses? :lol:
 
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On certain warm humid days, a train with air con could have condensation on the outside of the windows if single glazed!

They used to design trains so the windows matched the seating. Can they not put for example 9 windows in, and sized to match the seating.
I enjoy looking out the window, especially if travelling alone. Seeing canals, across valleys, junctions, lambs in the fields, view large industrial plants etc etc and even the backs of houses! Always something to see.
 

radamfi

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Some of the slam door trains (e.g. Class 423) that were replaced by Desiros and Electrostars were single glazed, meaning miserably steamed up conditions in winter. Other slam door trains e.g. Class 421 were double glazed so were much more pleasant.
 

Class172

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The windows on a 150 steam up in rain if someone's opened the window hatch.
 

LE Greys

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It's very important if you suffer from motion sickness. I never get that on trains (thank God, I'd never be able to use the Tube otherwise) but it's essential on cars or buses (and aircraft or ships to a lesser extent), otherwise they would have a major clean-up job otherwise. A bit of wind in your face is also very helpful.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On certain warm humid days, a train with air con could have condensation on the outside of the windows if single glazed!

They used to design trains so the windows matched the seating. Can they not put for example 9 windows in, and sized to match the seating.
I enjoy looking out the window, especially if travelling alone. Seeing canals, across valleys, junctions, lambs in the fields, view large industrial plants etc etc and even the backs of houses! Always something to see.

It's more expensive to have more than one bodyshell for each type of coach (which they did with the MkIIs) so they standardised on the ideal arrangement for first class, second had to suffer something not so good. It's obvious which class the designers thought they would travel in. :roll:
 

radamfi

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Given that everyone so far thinks being able to see through the windows is important, surely that means that buses should be double glazed?
 

notadriver

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What about seeing out the front or being able to see or ask the driver questions which you can do on a bus ?
 

causton

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Given that everyone so far thinks being able to see through the windows is important, surely that means that buses should be double glazed?

I've not seen a bus with steamed up windows for a good while now - perhaps some of the buses in Hertfordshire are double glazed?

And when the trains don't have announcements and it's late at night, *cough*First Capital Connect*cough*, definitely :)
 

142094

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Buses are usually boring anyway, so with no view to look out onto, the journey is even worse.
 

radamfi

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I've not seen a bus with steamed up windows for a good while now - perhaps some of the buses in Hertfordshire are double glazed

Arriva run quite a few Citaros between Heathrow and Harlow, and between Watford and Luton so these would be double glazed. I have never seen a double glazed double decker in the UK except coaches and Arriva run quite a few of those in Herts, so these must have steamed up in the recent heavy rain, unless there have never been enough passengers to enable the steaming up.
 

starrymarkb

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It's more expensive to have more than one bodyshell for each type of coach (which they did with the MkIIs) so they standardised on the ideal arrangement for first class, second had to suffer something not so good. It's obvious which class the designers thought they would travel in. :roll:

As built 158s are the opposite, the arrangement is for standard, with first having misaligned seats.
 

johnnychips

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Forget condensation, you can wipe it. Trying to see out of dirty windows is not good, and I hate those buses or trams covered in all-over advertising where you are looking out through a myriad of small holes!

Gosh, surprised how my blood pressure rose when I wrote the last bit!
 

causton

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Arriva run quite a few Citaros between Heathrow and Harlow, and between Watford and Luton so these would be double glazed. I have never seen a double glazed double decker in the UK except coaches and Arriva run quite a few of those in Herts, so these must have steamed up in the recent heavy rain, unless there have never been enough passengers to enable the steaming up.

That would be it, my local company runs a lot of Citaros :)
 

WelshBluebird

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Surely it is more important for buses to have windows you can easily see through?
They stop more often, and a lot of the stops are a great deal smaller, meaning it is a lot easier to miss stops.
 

causton

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Surely it is more important for buses to have windows you can easily see through?
They stop more often, and a lot of the stops are a great deal smaller, meaning it is a lot easier to miss stops.

I agree, although from buses you can see more landmarks e.g. shopping centres, buildings etc, whereas from trains it's normally just green, green, green, bridge, green, green, platform!
 

LE Greys

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I agree, although from buses you can see more landmarks e.g. shopping centres, buildings etc, whereas from trains it's normally just green, green, green, bridge, green, green, platform!

Well, unless (like my mother) you like spying into people's back gardens. ;)
 

bus man

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The old first group branding on buses used contra vision which was appaling if you were sat next to it for any length of time I used to feel sick.
 

BuhSnarf

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The old first group branding on buses used contra vision which was appaling if you were sat next to it for any length of time I used to feel sick.

The arriva midland CityLinx branding also does this. Doesn't bother me so much but does my little one as she always complains that there are spots on the window!

Sent from my Galaxy S2 with Tapatalk.
 
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