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drat why do all american rail vehicles always look so boxy and heavy like an 80's volvo? Do they all have to be up-armoured to withstand constantly being smashed into by idiots in trucks/suv's turning left into them?
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Apr 4, 2012 19:38
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Baronjutter posted:drat why do all american rail vehicles always look so boxy and heavy like an 80's volvo? Do they all have to be up-armoured to withstand constantly being smashed into by idiots in trucks/suv's turning left into them? Those are actually Stadler Rail (of Switzerland) GTW type vehicles. The general design frequently runs as/alongside main-line trains in Europe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadler_GTW IIRC in America they're also used in Texas, but most of these trains are used in Europe, particularly Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Edit: Unless you were referring to the freight trains the other guy posted. But I haven't heard that freight locos in the rest of the world were much smaller/less bulky before. Nintendo Kid fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Apr 4, 2012 |
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Apr 4, 2012 19:49
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Install Gentoo posted:All I care about, in the end, is that I can use it to visit friends down there, and the ticket cost for the whole line is $1.50! If you take the state buses that roughly parallel it instead, you take 2 hours and 17 minutes instead of 58 minutes for the whole line, and the fare is $4.40 instead of $1.50. To get to where I usually go, in about the middle between Trenton and Camden, the bus is $2.55 and 66 minutes instead of $1.50 and 26 minutes. It also saves me money going down to Philly, instead of switching on to SEPTA or Amtrak at Trenton, I can take the River Line down to Camden, switch to the 24 hour PATCO subway and take that into Philly - about $2.90 total fare each way versus $10 for SEPTA or god know how much from Amtrak. On the other hand, once you get to Camden for PATCO it becomes sketchy as gently caress. I rode the river line to PATCO to get to the city, and decided not to do it again. It's not maintained and there were dudes trying to hustle me as I got off the river line.
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Apr 4, 2012 19:54
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Baronjutter posted:drat why do all american rail vehicles always look so boxy and heavy like an 80's volvo? Do they all have to be up-armoured to withstand constantly being smashed into by idiots in trucks/suv's turning left into them? But actually, yes. FRA (federal railroad administration) dictates that American rail cars have to be stupidly strong in comparison with their worldly brethren. From the Wikipedia article on DMUS: quote:In the United States only FRA compliant DMU systems are permitted on freight rail corridors. This is due to the Federal Railway Administration setting higher coupling strength requirements than European regulators, effectively prohibiting the use of lighter weight European-style inter-city rail DMUs on U.S. main line railways. This has greatly restricted the development of DMUs within the U.S. as no other country requires the sturdier and safer FRA compliant vehicles and no export market for them exists.
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Apr 4, 2012 20:17
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Baronjutter posted:drat why do all american rail vehicles always look so boxy and heavy like an 80's volvo? Do they all have to be up-armoured to withstand constantly being smashed into by idiots in trucks/suv's turning left into them? As a starting point: http://www.victorianweb.org/technology/railways/23.html While this doesn't explain recent designs, it does explain historical reasons why British trains looked like this:  And American ones looked like this:  (both of these are the most powerful freight steam trains either country produced) Designers are probably always influenced by what came before, so that might be why in general American things seem 'boxy'
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Apr 4, 2012 20:26
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I'm going to have nightmares of that train, holy poo poo it's scary looking.
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Apr 4, 2012 20:37
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Gat posted:Designers are probably always influenced by what came before, so that might be why in general American things seem 'boxy' Eh, I think it's just a matter of perspective. For every box, there's something like this:  Also, Europeans have plenty of rolling toasters.  Edit: Bombardier (Canadian) and MPI (American) have both found a nice middle ground between box and curve and have been applying it to all of their products over the past decade or so. Really hoping more of that design style trickles down into the other major American suppliers.     Varance fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Apr 4, 2012 |
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Apr 4, 2012 20:37
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And then there is Denmark with it's own crazy design:
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Apr 4, 2012 23:17
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John Dough posted:And then there is Denmark with it's own crazy design: It's a Nerf train 
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Apr 5, 2012 01:37
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John Dough posted:And then there is Denmark with it's own crazy design: True, they are not that pretty and probably not too aerodynamic either, but there is one cool thing about the design: The entire driver's cabin folds away when two trainsets couple, letting passengers walk between trainsets.
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Apr 5, 2012 01:56
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John Dough posted:And then there is Denmark with it's own crazy design:
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Apr 5, 2012 02:52
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Cichlidae posted:It's a Nerf train I keep having a mental picture of this train going into a wall, and bouncing back.
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Apr 5, 2012 04:05
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AmbassadorTaxicab posted:I keep having a mental picture of this train going into a wall, and bouncing back. That's pretty much how they connect into longer trains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9FPeSaelrg
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Apr 5, 2012 10:11
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KozmoNaut posted:That's pretty much how they connect into longer trains. Of course, proper trains just have the driving set to one side and a corridor connection in the middle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySZtLmS59YY&t=30s
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Apr 5, 2012 15:05
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Cichlidae posted:It's a Nerf train I wonder if there's something wrong with us for thinking that these trains look adorable.
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Apr 5, 2012 16:46
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Mandalay posted:I wonder if there's something wrong with us for thinking that these trains look adorable. http://www.thetransporters.com/about.html
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Apr 5, 2012 17:46
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I keep telling everyone, there's something about trains and autism spectrum. Before there was anime or eve online, autistics flocked to train spotting and model railroading. Go to a model train convention/show and talk to some of the people with booths...
Baronjutter fucked around with this message at 17:52 on Apr 5, 2012 |
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Apr 5, 2012 17:49
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Baronjutter posted:I keep telling everyone, there's something about trains and autism spectrum. Before there was anime or eve online, autistics flocked to train spotting and model railroading. Go to a model train convention/show and talk to some of the people with booths... It's because people with autism like things that move with regularity and predictability, and when someone with autism likes something, they will usually obsess over it.
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Apr 5, 2012 17:53
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Baronjutter posted:I keep telling everyone, there's something about trains and autism spectrum. Before there was anime or eve online, autistics flocked to train spotting and model railroading. Go to a model train convention/show and talk to some of the people with booths... I think this is true of any really specialized field that requires vast amounts of specific information but little human interaction. My offices are on a University campus right now, and there's a gentleman in the Chemistry department who is basically the Rainman.
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Apr 5, 2012 18:18
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Baronjutter posted:I keep telling everyone, there's something about trains and autism spectrum. Before there was anime or eve online, autistics flocked to train spotting and model railroading. Go to a model train convention/show and talk to some of the people with booths... Yeah, I took my gf to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum last month and felt really weird with the enthusiasts/volunteers. And I go to loving gaming conventions... (Blizzcon, Gencon)
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Apr 5, 2012 18:26
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I have walked by that museum a million times (I hit Balboa Park nearly every time I go to SD) and only recently have I realized that place must be a wet dream for autistics / spergs. And I play OpenTTD and read this thread religiously 
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Apr 5, 2012 18:30
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IOwnCalculus posted:I have walked by that museum a million times (I hit Balboa Park nearly every time I go to SD) and only recently have I realized that place must be a wet dream for autistics / spergs. And I play OpenTTD and read this thread religiously If you live in SoCal, skip that and go straight to Metropolis II: http://lacma.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/metropolis-ii/ (now i'm gonna stare at this youtube for 5 mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=llacDdn5yIE because it's like my childhood matchbox car wet dream come true)
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Apr 5, 2012 18:44
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Why I casually study transit: railfanning was one of the few positive highlights of my childhood. My family was broken and poor and I had to entertain myself on a regular basis. Good thing I grew up a block away from a major intersection with streetcar, bus and trolley action plus a major rail sub a block over. My father has a degree in urban planning, so that probably rubbed off on me a bit as well. That said, I get creeped out by the average railfan. It's one thing to have a casual hobby or convert a hobby into what you do for a living. Being able to recite the entire historical roster of Union Pacific steam locomotives from memory might indicate that you have a problem. Varance fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Apr 5, 2012 |
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Apr 5, 2012 20:51
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Gat posted:As a starting point: http://www.victorianweb.org/technology/railways/23.html Now that's an American train right there. 
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Apr 6, 2012 00:12
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Baronjutter posted:I keep telling everyone, there's something about trains and autism spectrum. Before there was anime or eve online, autistics flocked to train spotting and model railroading. Go to a model train convention/show and talk to some of the people with booths... http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/nyregion/children-with-autism-connecting-via-bus-and-train.html?pagewanted=all
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Apr 6, 2012 00:40
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Baronjutter posted:I keep telling everyone, there's something about trains and autism spectrum. Before there was anime or eve online, autistics flocked to train spotting and model railroading. Go to a model train convention/show and talk to some of the people with booths... http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2010/11/roadside-america-the-model-train-version/ 
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Apr 6, 2012 01:41
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grover posted:This must be the work of the lord of the autistics, then. The level of detail is rather depressing. Depressing? That's amazing. If I could somehow hover over it, I could spend hours (or days) looking at everything. I'll stop by next time I'm in Shartlesville.
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Apr 6, 2012 01:58
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Cichlidae posted:Depressing? That's amazing. If I could somehow hover over it, I could spend hours (or days) looking at everything. It's worth stopping at and takes maybe an hour if you go slow. Or, if you're amish, you'll apparently spend all day there because it's more exciting than not watching TV. grover fucked around with this message at 02:14 on Apr 6, 2012 |
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Apr 6, 2012 02:11
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The train display at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh is pretty rad too.
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Apr 6, 2012 02:38
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I want to visit that miniature wonderland thing in Germany or Amsterdam or whatever. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9IlPDOar7E)
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Apr 6, 2012 02:48
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Elendil004 posted:I want to visit that miniature wonderland thing in Germany or Amsterdam or whatever. Miniatur Wonderland is in Hamburg, Madurodam (outdoor miniature country) is in Scheveningen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6m83jir3Io&feature=relmfu Both are pretty impressive as far as miniature stuff goes.
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Apr 6, 2012 10:42
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I'm not sure if this has been asked, but do you prefer concrete paving or asphalt paving? I'm a pretty new structural engineer (graduated a year ago), and I'm mostly dealing with bridge design at the moment, so as a disclaimer I just have an extremely basic knowledge about roadway design. From my viewpoint, it would seem like concrete would be the more durable and cheaper option. Is there some particular reason to use asphalt instead?
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Apr 6, 2012 18:34
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Thundercakes posted:I'm not sure if this has been asked, but do you prefer concrete paving or asphalt paving? I'm a pretty new structural engineer (graduated a year ago), and I'm mostly dealing with bridge design at the moment, so as a disclaimer I just have an extremely basic knowledge about roadway design. From my viewpoint, it would seem like concrete would be the more durable and cheaper option. Is there some particular reason to use asphalt instead? Cichlidae talked about it a bit at the very beginning of the thread. Basically comes down to: Concrete has superior durability and lasts a long time, but is very expensive to put down initially and could be wasted if things change drastically over the lifespan of the roadway. Concrete roads also become rough over time as the slabs settle in different ways (bump bump bump bump). Truckers love it because concrete roads don't easily develop ruts, normal drivers hate it if proper maintenance isn't being done to minimize the bumpage. There's also climate and politics to consider: concrete roads take longer to degrade when not being subjected to freeze cycles, plus there's always someone who wants to make a profit off of roadway construction and will take steps to make it happen. In general, the only concrete going down these days is on bridges, interstates/major freeways already built with concrete and some large arterials that are unlikely to change over time; IE roadways that have physically expanded as far as land use allows and can't afford to be shut down or limited for repaving/construction due to lack of capacity on surrounding roads. New freeway projects are also good candidates for concrete paving, depending on what kind of PCPHPL (traffic levels) and traffic mix (trucks/buses vs cars) you're expecting to see on the roadway within 20 years. Each state has its own set of standards for how and when asphalt and concrete are used, with some systems featuring bias against one or the other in certain situations. Politics is a big issue, simply because roadway materials have to come from somewhere and those material suppliers know how to sell to the politicans. For example, Florida loves concrete roads in its urban areas. Our interstates are concrete, our toll roads are concrete, our US highways are concrete. Even our major arterials and primary state roads are occasionally built with the stuff when called for (truck routes). But why does Florida have so many concrete roads? We've got a hell of a lot of limestone production in our backyard, so we have a much larger incentive to pave our urban areas with the stuff (in other words, it's cheaper than other states). Of course, that also means there's a large concrete lobby that pushes the politicians to prioritize concrete roads more often. Hell, back in 2009 the concrete lobby tried to push the Florida legislature to mandate that 50% of roads needed to be built with concrete as a form of economic stimulus. It took a combined oil/asphalt lobby to stop that one. Oh yeah, one other use: Concrete can be a preferable alternative for BRT projects. A bunch of heavy buses using the same path every day will ruin improperly-designed/built asphalt roads in a matter of years. This is also one of the main reasons why bus bays and transfer facilities are generally built with concrete. An example: the transit agency I work for has this one stop outside of a major bus transfer center that uses an asphalt staging area as a bus bay. Since it was last repaved, the stop has developed these huge pothole-like ruts where the tires are normally situated during dwell time that cause buses to unexpectedly lunge forward/to the side if the driver doesn't enter the stop just right. That's not the sort of thing you want to see happening from a safety standpoint. This is also applied to airport runways/taxiways/aprons and roads frequently trafficked by heavy military equipment (tanks and the like). Edit: ... and then there's stuff like this that happens when people change their minds with future construction projects. Hillsborough Ave (US41/US92) in Tampa. Center lane in each direction is half-concrete, half-asphalt. You get to feel both the bumps AND the rumbles!  Varance fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Apr 7, 2012 |
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Apr 6, 2012 19:01
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So this turned up on slashdot. It's a neat idea, at least, but I just want the bag vs snowplow video...
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Apr 12, 2012 00:13
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EoRaptor posted:So this turned up on slashdot. That is a really cool idea. If they could make something with a ton of surface tension, they could even forgo the bag entirely. Even if it can't stand nasty weather and plowing, it could be used as temporary patching in the warmer seasons. Potholes don't only appear in Winter.
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Apr 12, 2012 03:03
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Cichlidae posted:That is a really cool idea. If they could make something with a ton of surface tension, they could even forgo the bag entirely. Even if it can't stand nasty weather and plowing, it could be used as temporary patching in the warmer seasons. Potholes don't only appear in Winter. Wouldn't the liquid evaporate?
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Apr 12, 2012 11:29
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Dutch Engineer posted:Wouldn't the liquid evaporate? Depends on what the liquid is. Evaporation from the surface might help it cure like concrete, making the surface even stronger.
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Apr 12, 2012 12:24
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Cichlidae posted:That is a really cool idea. If they could make something with a ton of surface tension, they could even forgo the bag entirely. Even if it can't stand nasty weather and plowing, it could be used as temporary patching in the warmer seasons. Potholes don't only appear in Winter. There is a non-newtonian liquid that will do just that. You don't want to know what is is, though. pig semen The point of the bags is to be really low cost and fast to deploy, and they are then removed by the patch crew that should turn up in a week or two and re-used. The whole thing seems strange, though. You could probably just roll the patch crew as quickly as you'll get someone out there to stick a bag in the hole.
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Apr 12, 2012 18:29
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EoRaptor posted:The point of the bags is to be really low cost and fast to deploy, and they are then removed by the patch crew that should turn up in a week or two and re-used. The whole thing seems strange, though. You could probably just roll the patch crew as quickly as you'll get someone out there to stick a bag in the hole. That said, it would be great for private roads and rural jurisdictions that can't maintain a huge public works department. Varance fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Apr 12, 2012 |
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Apr 12, 2012 18:41
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The article was talking about putting a few in the back of police patrol cars and other council vehicles. They're supposed to pack down small and then get bigger when you add water. Honestly, it all sounds like a complicated fix for something that could be easily sorted by just funding the transport system properly. 
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Apr 12, 2012 19:06
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