Mount Washington Cog Railway

[LMS 4F]

i travelled on the line last weekend and found it very interesting. I rode the steam service which runs the first and last trains of the day.
I was surprised to see that the Diesel trains, each with one coach pushed up the hill ran in groups of 3 trains about 50 or so yards apart. This was both on the journeys up and down.
I have never seen this working on any line anywhere else in the world. Has anyone else experience of such multiple working anywhere else?

 

[blackfive460]

Has anyone else experience of such multiple working anywhere else?

Just off the top of my head....

Snowdon
Pilatus
Schynige Platte

 

[Catracho]

Schafbergbahn in Austria

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaf...afbergbahn_5099_railcars_at_Schafbergalpe.jpg

 

[LMS 4F]

As this is apparently quite commonplace is there no issue with safety if one was to run away and into the one behind? I would have thought that without any protection such as run offs or catch points, however difficult that would be on a rack railway, then the various regulatory bodies would frown on this sort of procedure.

 

[hexagon789]

As this is apparently quite commonplace is there no issue with safety if one was to run away and into the one behind? I would have thought that without any protection such as run offs or catch points, however difficult that would be on a rack railway, then the various regulatory bodies would frown on this sort of procedure.

Probably have some form of run-back protection.

The Snowdon Mountain has an emergency brake on the carriages that applies at I think it's over 5mph, the Mount Washington may have something similar?

 

[LMS 4F]

I can only say in conclusion that to my old eye it looked very strange to see 3 separate trains going along spaced out like a formation ream. Must be my age.

 

[eastwestdivide]

A runaway train on gradients like that is going to be stonkingly serious whether or not there's a train shortly below. Which is why those trains have multiple redundant braking systems. In fact I'd guess that having a train shortly below would be the lesser of two evils in the event of runaway, with the lower train stopping the runaway before it's gained enough speed to do more serious damage.