Official Train Thread

[de.das.dude]

Choo Choo.

heres a thread for train lovers!!!!!!!!!!!!

feel free to fill this thread up with train stuff (pics , vids, knowhow etc).

foolish indian couple XD

thats the shatabdi travelling at fastest allowed track speed in india, 160kmph, i.e. 100mph

[FordGT90Concept]

Union Pacific's "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 (most powerful successful steam locomative):

In motion:



Union Pacific's Gas Turbine Electric Locomotive "Big Blow" (most powerful single locomotive in history--they could theoretically pull 750 railroad cars if the couplers could handle it):


Sitting still giving info about it (lots of good info about it and the DDA40X):



Union Pacific DDA40X (most powerful single diesel-electric locomotive in history):


Second engine in this video:



...something about Union Pacific and doing it bigger. XD

[de.das.dude]

i like the big boy a lot. 86 kmph was the top speed right?

im not a big fan of the yellow old looking american diesels though.
also isnt there any form of AC electric traction other than the subways?

[FordGT90Concept]

80 mph (130 km/h)

It has relatively small prime movers which means it can't go as fast as others. It's built more for power.

Yeah, their gold/yellow color is rather ugly but it's the engineering that facinates me. The DDA40X was the first commercial locomotive ever to introduce dynamic braking which is found on practically every electric locomotive today. It was also the first engine with fuel tanks designed to bare the entire weight of the locomotive should the engine derail.

"AC electric traction?"

[de.das.dude]

you know. trains that run on electricity. not diesel.

like this


or this 6600bhp BEAST! which has 2tonnes of ballast loaded for traction :O

[mtosev]

ddd do you want to be a train driver?

[de.das.dude]

Originally Posted by mtosev

ddd do you want to be a train driver?

i wouldnt have gone into engg for that

the pay and extras is good but you cant settle down.

[FordGT90Concept]

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

you know. trains that run on electricity. not diesel.

Where I live, there aren't any but, as Oda pointed out, they do exist.

Diesel electric is better for hauling freight (which is what the majority of cargo is in the USA) because of the tremendous weight of the V16-V20 engines, electric generators, and cooling systems.

[FordGT90Concept]

That's funny! XD

[de.das.dude]

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

Where I live, there aren't any but, as Oda pointed out, they do exist.

Diesel electric is better for hauling freight (which is what the majority of cargo is in the USA) because of the tremendous weight of the V16-V20 engines, electric generators, and cooling systems.

yes i guess your stops are really far apart and the trains dont run often for the lines to be electrified. in here, there are still some bits that arent electrified as well.

[de.das.dude]

Originally Posted by Odameyer

Assburgers

that dude is funny.


also i have noticed that the rolling stock over there is pretty large size, but still its using two axels?

[FordGT90Concept]

Those looks like empty autorack cars (for transporting lots of vehicles across the country). They're large because the load is light.

But yeah, most cars in the USA have two trucks with two axels each (2-2 design). The cars that carry heavier stuff (like fuel) are often shorter.

[FordGT90Concept]

They do exist, but they are rare. 3-3 passenger cars did exist decades ago for use on rails that couldn't handle 2-2 passenger cars. Metalurgy has come a long ways so the iron used to make modern rails is much stronger than the rails of yesteryear meaning 3-3 has largely gone the way of the dodo. There are a few speciality cars (like crane cars) that can still have more than 4 axels total.

[de.das.dude]

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

They do exist, but they are rare. 3-3 passenger cars did exist decades ago for use on rails that couldn't handle 2-2 passenger cars. Metalurgy has come a long ways so the iron used to make modern rails is much stronger than the rails of yesteryear meaning 3-3 has largely gone the way of the dodo. There are a few speciality cars (like crane cars) that can still have more than 4 axels total.

not only that. i guess your tracks are less bendy and thus the locos and rolling stock can afford having long wheel bases.

here the wheels are grouped into two and with each of the pairs are rotatable perpendicular to the earth.

[FordGT90Concept]

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

not only that. i guess your tracks are less bendy and thus the locos and rolling stock can afford having long wheel bases.

Trains were well established in the USA before cars came along and most towns sprang up along the rails instead of the opposite (rails springing up where people are). Only on the east coast where people came before rails are there major problems with railroad infrastructure.

In India, I suspect rails came after people in virtually every instance so they cram tracks where they can fit. So yeah, there's less "bendy" tracks in the USA and most USA tracks can handle higher average speed than India.

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

here the wheels are grouped into two and with each of the pairs are rotatable perpendicular to the earth.

Yes, same here.

[de.das.dude]

we have trams and an underground network as well. only in my city

[de.das.dude]

old version of the tram




modern tram!



kolkata metro, fully AC.(when its above ground in the shed ;p)

cab view




the metro is passing through my locality underground. digging is being done by two TBMs.

[de.das.dude]

nice!

[Bundy]

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

that dude is funny.


also i have noticed that the rolling stock over there is pretty large size, but still its using two axels?

All our old rollingstock is 2 axles but the new gear uses 2 x 2 bogies

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

not only that. i guess your tracks are less bendy and thus the locos and rolling stock can afford having long wheel bases.

here the wheels are grouped into two and with each of the pairs are rotatable perpendicular to the earth.

Yep, the same. It will carry more weight, due to maximum axle load but requires careful engineering to operate at high speed, otherise the bogies wobble in the tracks.

Here is my contribution, i've always been a train fan, and worked for QR for a couple of years. 3 weeks ago in China, I had the pleasure to ride in their high speed train at 300km/h. What an awesome piece of engineering.

First, the train station

then, the train

Last, the trip, totally quiet and smooth, even at near full speed (note the display up on the wall at the back, 297 km/h)

[de.das.dude]

is this the bullet that crashed?

[Bundy]

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

is this the bullet that crashed?

Yes, one of them did. It crashed into another one.

Note they have dozens of these, the station has 20-30 platforms.

[de.das.dude]

the place where i live has 2 stations close to me.

one has 25 platforms(mostly express trains) the other has 17(mostly local trains).
lulz i need 10 mins after i reach the station everyday to get to the correct platform.

[Hate_Camel]

[DanTheBanjoman]

Those Amtrak colors look familiar. Can't quite figure where I've seen them before though.

[DanTheBanjoman]

Originally Posted by Hate_Camel

http://img.techpowerup.org/120817/freedomeagle.jpg

It's all bullshit, and it's bad for you.