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Oops... There really is a prototype for everything General discussion
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Super User 3,230 posts barr_ceo Super User 3,230 posts
barr_ceo

Looks like someone forgot to check their loading gauge...

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/22/french-train-platform-stations/9430471/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28USATODAY+-+News+Top+Stories%29

 

From the article:

Quote:

France's state-run railway service ordered 341 new trains before engineers discovered the fleet was too wide for many stations.

Nearly 1,300 out of the country's 8,700 railway platforms are a few inches too narrow for the new trains, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The cost of widening these stations: $68 million.

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!BARR_LO.GIFFreelanced N scale Class Digitrax & JMRI

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Dave O Prolific poster 1,145 posts
Dave O

Had they built a scale model ...

...

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Graeme Nitz OKGraeme Prolific poster 1,695 posts
Graeme Nitz OKGraeme

It's Not Unusual.....

This has happened several times before that I know of:-

 

London underground had some cars that wouldn't fit the early tunnels they were designed for. They had to use the stock on the later built lines which had a bigger loading gauge.

Victorian Railways (Australia) had a problem with one of the cars on the new "Spirit of Progress" train in the thirties. I think it was the baggage car was too wide. They found this out just before the big celebration first trip which the State Premier and Dignitaries were going to ride. So they dispatched a train up the line to Albury loaded with MOW workers equipped with axes and proceeded to cut several inches off the wooden platform edges. This was done so hurriedly that some Station Masters didn't know what was happening until all these guys started hacking into their platforms. Some were not impressed!!

OKgraeme

Graeme Nitz

An Aussie living in Owasso OK

K NO W Trains

K NO W Fun

 

There are 10 types of people in this world,

Those that understand Binary and those that Don't!
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shadowbeast Regular poster 302 posts
shadowbeast

The prototype for Hank?

Hank being an American ex-pat now living on the island of Sodor. Allowed solely because TV producers have to make it more multicultural there.

 

And don't get us started on Hiro.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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UPWilly Prolific poster 1,961 posts
UPWilly

Point of view

The primary article states that the platform was too narrow. This is inaccurate - the space between the rail and the platform was too narrow - the platform is too wide. The platform needs to be thinned to provide additional clearance for the new train.

 

Bill D.

egendpic.jpg 

N Scale (1:160), not N Gauge. DC (analog), Stapleton PWM Throttle.

Proto-freelance Southwest U.S. 2nd half 20th Century.

Keep on trackin'
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barr_ceo Super User 3,230 posts
barr_ceo

The platform is just fine...

The platform is just fine... it's the new TRAINS that are too wide.

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!BARR_LO.GIFFreelanced N scale Class Digitrax & JMRI

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STEPHEN Regular poster 117 posts
STEPHEN

One article said the train

One article said the train cars were 8" too wide. Does anyone know which side?

S
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barr_ceo Super User 3,230 posts
barr_ceo

One article said the train

Quote:

One article said the train cars were 8" too wide. Does anyone know which side?

The platform side, of course.

Geez, some engineer YOU are...

Read my Journal / Blog...

!BARR_LO.GIFFreelanced N scale Class Digitrax & JMRI

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STEPHEN Regular poster 117 posts
STEPHEN

Well then, can't they just

Well then, can't they just reverse the cars so the narrow side is against the platform?

S
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duckdogger Super User 808 posts
duckdogger

Just install rollers on the

Just install rollers on the bottom of the platform so it can be rolled out of the way of the new locos. Then it can be rolled back for the narrow locos. Sounds like a new career opportunity for someone - platform roller.
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CRScott Active Member 75 posts
CRScott

Nice Idea, Duck!

I propose they take it one step further, and have the platforms get out of the way of larger locos automatically. It'd be like the '70s all over again - the platform shoo's...

Craig Scott

Edmonton, AB

http://smallempires.wordpress.com/
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Virginian and Lake Erie Super User 9,216 posts
Virginian and Lake Erie

The C&O had a similar problem

The C&O had a similar problem on one occasion. Due to some difficulty somewhere a suitable passenger locomotive was unavailable so a T1, Texas type was dispatched to pull the passenger train. Things went well until arriving at the first Platform down the line where it was discovered the massive side rods were too wide to clear the platform and they hammered their way through a bit of it prior to getting the train stopped. I actually believe it was a considerable amount of damage done, and I do not know what else was damaged.

Can you imagine the terror a locomotives side rod hammering through the platform floor would cause to passengers on that platform? To steal a phrase from the Britts that would be sheer bloody panic. I'm sure there are many instances of things like this happening through out history as equipment got bigger over the years.

We see this often on our highways as truckers with 53 foot trailers take turns that are too sharp for their equipment and then run up on the side of the under pass and get wedged under a bridge. There are lots of photos of flatbeds with cranes and track hoes stuck in the base of a bridge crossing an interstate as well.

Rob in Texas

Rob in Texas

MRH Blog / Prep for an Operating Session / Delving Into the Past / The Club Blog / Youtube / etmrc.org
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Bing Regular poster 418 posts
Bing

CRScott

GROAN!!!

God's Best and Happy Rails to You!

 Bing,

The RIPRR (The Route of the Buzzards)

The future: Dead Rail Society
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Bing Regular poster 418 posts
Bing

Rob in Texas

The state is redoing a highway in our town. Cement plant owner said his trucks wouldn't be able to turn the new radius corners envisioned. State said "Try it". They did. Truck had to be pulled out of the ditch.

The only good engineers are on trains.

God's Best and Happy Rails to You!

 Bing,

The RIPRR (The Route of the Buzzards)

The future: Dead Rail Society
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Ed P New member 19 posts
Ed P

Side rods

Ouch,  that's gonna leave a mark!
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DKRickman Prolific poster 3,069 posts
DKRickman

Speaking as an engineer..

Quote:

The only good engineers are on trains.

I LOVE this line!

Ken Rickman

Danville & Western HO modeler and web historian

http://southern-railway.railfan.net/dw/
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