1st English Teamwork Project (Für Mitbauer)

[Sascha Claus]

Hello,
I'm working!

Well, my country has a low population density, and the capital has ~200.000 inhabitants.

so 6 times the connections and 6 times the local bus routes as Chur in Switzerland has? Chur has an hourly Interregio, hourly Regio train and 4 bus routes with 10min interval.

-New airport at SN, rail shuttle to the airport and bus to the airport.

Everyone wants an airport … there must be something special at these things. If you would do it like Rednael in his layout: Only flying is better.

-Suggestion for new rail line SN-Somewhere around Ardrossan.

Ardrossan Local Railways, the line to Largs (a large village) and Auchentiber (a small village). 900mm narrow gauge, 750V DC overhead wire, operated with tramway vehicles, maybe some goods traffic

-Electrification on the mainline (and maybe on the secondary lines too?)

Which electrification system? 750V DC 3rd rail, 1500V DC overhead wire (OHLE) or something modern (15kV or 25kV)?

[1993matias]

Everyone wants an airport … there must be something special at these things. If you would do it like Rednael in his layout: Only flying is better.

The inevitable question: Where can I get that layout?

Ardrossan Local Railways, the line to Largs (a large village) and Auchentiber (a small village). 900mm narrow gauge, 750V DC overhead wire, operated with tramway vehicles, maybe some goods traffic

Wee! trams in SN
Then, should I build the line to SN? With double track? How often will the trains run? How long will they be? You don't have to answer now, it is okay if you answer them when you're ready

Which electrification system? 750V DC 3rd rail, 1500V DC overhead wire (OHLE) or something modern (15kV or 25kV)?

Something modern, but if you stick to 750V=, I'll have to go old-school... Although it isn't impossible to have both 750V= 3rd rail and 25kV overhead? I'll have to see what the others have.
Btw, what does OHLE mean?

[Sascha Claus]

Hello,

The inevitable question: Where can I get that layout?

Rednael wants to publish it around Christmas.

Wee! trams in SN

Ardrossan tries to connect each of its suburbs.

Then, should I build the line to SN? With double track?

If you like, it's your area.

How often will the trains run?

At least half-hourly, with more trains the nearer you come to A. Maybe only hourly in Ribbleshire?

How long will they be?

Up to 8 elements to Fairlie, where two parts will be separated and go somewhere else.

Something modern, but if you stick to 750V=, I'll have to go old-school... Although it isn't impossible to have both 750V= 3rd rail and 25kV overhead?

750V has low voltage and therefore needs a higher amperage than 25kV. These would kill 25kV equipment since they both use the rails as return conductor. You need to switch off the 750V power of a section if a 25kV train is inside this section and vice versa (like it is done with platform tracks at Aachen and Brenner railway stations, where locomotives are exchanged between 15kV AC and 3kV DC, both OHLE).

Btw, what does OHLE mean?

overhead line equipment

[1993matias]

At least half-hourly, with more trains the nearer you come to A. Maybe only hourly in Ribbleshire?

Well, probably hourly, then more often, the closer you come SN.

750V has low voltage and therefore needs a higher amperage than 25kV.

I'm thinking, as I already have two 1500V= lines out of SN, maybe it'll be 1500V=? That can't interfere that much with the system, can it?

And how are your possibilities of making overnight freight-connections from you to me, and vice-versa? Like the '1M-FR1' which currently ends near the border. And mixed freight trains for my shunting yard would be much appreciated, too

Sincerely

A sleepy Matias

[Sascha Claus]

Hello,

At least half-hourly, with more trains the nearer you come to A. Maybe only hourly in Ribbleshire?

Well, probably hourly, then more often, the closer you come SN.

I'm thinking, as I already have two 1500V= lines out of SN, maybe it'll be 1500V=? That can't interfere that much with the system, can it?

Hm… The new Midlands Freight Thoroughfare (Eranthas) – Florwick – Oxford – Wigan is already 1500V=, so the River Ribble Railway could be converted to this, too. Later.™ In the future.

But 1500V= is bad for heavy freight trains, the heavy ore trains from Rotterdam Harbour to Germany are hauled by 4 Class 6400 diesel engines (or 1 electric and 3 Class 6400 diesels) because the overhead wire would melt away at such a high power. The new freight line Betuweroute through the Netherlands is electrified with 25kV to avoid this.

But I don't see many harbours which could cause a lot of heavy through traffic in Ribbleshire.

And how are your possibilities of making overnight freight-connections from you to me, and vice-versa?

Currently are neither goods yards nor industries available, but I'm going to set up freight traffic, complete trains as well as mixed trains with shunting.

A sleepy Matias

On the »Night Riviera« or the »Caledonian Sleeper«?

[1993matias]

Well, if you adapt your trains to also have a 4th rail, I could use 25kV?

And before I forget it again, your IR-133 has problems at Robbleside!

It comes way to early from you, and stands on the station waiting for my train to come on time.

But not always, because then one of your locomotives sets off without wagons, and ends up unable to uncouple at the terminal station.

Long story short, I think IR-133 is haunted....

Oh, and remember the timetable of the local trains at Robbleside

Matias

[Chris]

But the additional trains don't have as many transfer connections and only run on a shorter section, so the don't need to be double-deck and can use the old single-deck stock, which was cascaded down an arrival of the new IC2000 cars (=I need a reason for using yet another type of cars).

Not a big problem. I'm sure I can find some stock and somewhere on my patch to keep them at night.
As for interchange opportunities, passengers with heavy luggage appreciate being able to take their time changing trains, so a 15-minute wait for a connecting train is fine - especially if they're coming to or from double-deck coaching stock.

Suggested routes:
IC110: L’derry – … – Manchester – Clapham Jct – Ardrossan – Lipsia – Perth – A
IC1??: Ardrossan – Lipsia – Perth – K
both every 30min, joined from Ardrossan to Perth, same timetable as now; supplemented by IR110 trains serving more and smaller towns, on the whole line or only west of Perth
IC110 E: Lipsia – Perth – A
every 30min, forming 15min interval with IC110

What do you suggest?

My own thoughts would have been to reverse the service split, so the intermediate IC would either run IC110 short to Manchester or Ardrossan, or continue to somewhere completely different, and have the new service to C+K starting from Lipsia. That would make more sense from a network and passenger flow perspective.

I expect to be able to produce a pleasant surprise in the near future, though.

Help!

Oh no, not more trains! These ones will (hopefully) run at night, and will be able to run at full acceleration and linespeed on account of them not having any sleeping people on them.

I already noticed that GB has much higher platforms even in the oldest stations.

Yes, we have a habit of cramming things into tiny spaces. I heartily recommend a trip to London, where you get the privilege of stepping down onto tube trains in places.

[1993matias]

Maybe a through (night) train(s) from Chris to Ribbleshire? And freight trains too! Non-stop through Neneshire (and of course, some trains from Neneshire to me )

Does anyone know some tips and tricks on how to have road traffic? Cars and lorries. (Hint to what I'm up to)

[Sascha Claus]

Helllo,

Well, if you adapt your trains to also have a 4th rail, I could use 25kV?

then I'd have to replace all locos and EMUs. Then I could as well replace them by 25kV stock and introduce another 750V line anywhere else. For the goal of using different kinds of rolling stock, I'd still prefer electrification at 1,5kV.

And before I forget it again, your IR-133 has problems at Robbleside! Oh, and remember the timetable of the local trains at Robbleside

I just looked at it and found nothing. Maybe someone has fixed it in the meantime?

Maybe a through (night) train(s) from Chris to Ribbleshire?

I made a proposal on Octobre, 19th and received no response, so I'm assuming that it's accepted. But not at this turn.

Non-stop through Neneshire (and of course, some trains from Neneshire to me )

I'll hope so, otherwise I'll take some trains hostage! And it's a long way to bypass me!

Does anyone know some tips and tricks on how to have road traffic? Cars and lorries.

Eberhard had road traffic in when he was still in the Teamwork, and his big “Model Railway” in the JBSS Archive had a lot of road traffic; there is also an extended Model Railway by Andreas Stein

As for interchange opportunities, passengers with heavy luggage appreciate being able to take their time changing trains, so a 15-minute wait for a connecting train is fine - especially if they're coming to or from double-deck coaching stock.

It would be difficult to maintain 15min transfer time with trains from 4 directions (Ardrossan – Perth, Northampton, Eranthas, and a second one to you). I'll should make an Interrail tour through Switzerland to research on this, but I think they simply direct these people to the next train, which tends to arrive after 30min. Or we offer a luggage transfer for our IC/IR passengers; my trains already have a wagon for mail/baggage/express goods.

Oh no, not more trains! These ones will (hopefully) run at night, and will be able to run at full acceleration and linespeed on account of them not having any sleeping people on them.

Nightly Mail trains? Hm…they wouldn’t use full accelation, since paper can become very heavy in such numbers. Maintenance trains with monitoring cars?

I heartily recommend a trip to London, where you get the privilege of stepping down onto tube trains in places.

That needs only a trip to my local main station, where we can see trains with entrance for 55cm platforms on 76cm platforms.

Edit on Saturday: Although The Netherlands use 1,5kV=, they are planning to upgrade to 25kV at some time in the future. New trains have room for an additional 25kV transformer and when OHLE insulators are in need of change, 25kV-capable ones are installed.

Maybe an option for Ribbleshire, extending the existing 1,5kV network and preparing for a later conversion to 25kV. (where later means: beyond the scope of our Teamwork)

[1993matias]

then I'd have to replace all locos and EMUs. Then I could as well replace them by 25kV stock and introduce another 750V line anywhere else. For the goal of using different kinds of rolling stock, I'd still prefer electrification at 1,5kV.

Dual power traction 25kV~and 1500V=

How do you think of me adding new user-defined graphic symbols? From this site.

[Sascha Claus]

Hello,

How do you think of me adding new user-defined graphic symbols? From this site.

are there still any symbols I didn't include already? It would be nice if you keep some distance to the existing user graphic files, e.g. start with file no. 60 (or 100), so that I can add some files immediately after the existing files in case I extend my sc-road-corners to a second file.

You can also fix your 1M-NG4, where the engine is in the train and a goods car is running around at the terminals.

New in version 237(C) is the new mainline (Eranthas – Florwick – Alduin Par) – Oxford – Preston – Wigan and the extension of 1M-IC1/SC-IR133 to Oxford. With the expected 25kV electrification in Ribbleshire, the line from Ribbleside to Oxford will be converted to 25kV too, along with an upgrade for 220km/h north of Wigan. The Rail 2000 programme already funded new stations for this north-south-line in Holton Heath, Wigan and Oxford; Preston will follow the next time.

The speed upgrade will allow additional IC trains Ardrossan – Wigan – Oxford; to connect Twocousin County to the nearest IC stop in Wigan, I built a line from North Cothelstone to Wigan and extended SIR-LE26, thereby using the opportunity to mess it up. A corrected version is already on the way to you. (I needed to smuggle third train into this route, look if you can find it! )

I'm now passing the baton to Finland.

[1993matias]

I will not be able to build on saturday, so Chris will be able to build for one more day. But then I have free on monday, so I will be building then

[Chris]

I gladly accept the extension. You should now get it on Sunday morning instead.

[1993matias]

Until sunday midday - about 2pm Greenwich

[Chris]

DC line to Hopford complete, and automatic signalling installed (the manual signals have been left in plug-and-pray mode). 10-minute service between Hopford and Medford, alternating between Hall Street and Castle Street. After some expermenting with various combinations of yellow, white and blue, Medford Metro Rail has settled on blue and white, with yellow doors to meet accessibility regulations.

The main line is in place to Cornford, and may have some trains running on it next time, with placeholder trains running in the path of the long-distance traffic. Let me know what times you're expecting IC110 out of and back in to Perth and I can schedule them appropriately.

Onward to ... wherever it's going.