Trainspotters. Why?

[Jurek]

I’ve follow this modeller on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/east_coastway

There is no better way to put it than to copy his profile:

Remembering the 2001-2004 South Central Trains franchise with a fleet of multiple units in 4mm

His work is superb. Once upon a time I used to be able to immerse myself in detail like this but I’m not sure if I have the focus any more.

Hope some of you enjoy it.

4mm scale
FFS!

[pcolbeck]

4mm scale
FFS!

British OO and N are just barmy. I understand the historical reasons for the non true scale dimensions but its crazy that UK modellers didn't switch to HO and continental N in the 60s.
4mm as a solution to gauge to rolling stock scale inaccuracy just seems perverse, "OO isn't true to scale as the locos and rolling stock are too big for the 3.5mm track gauge.  I know lets not do what the entire rest of the world does and go HO so they are true to scale no we will move to 4mm for a track gauge and now we need unique track of our own and unique locos and rolling stock of our own". It's bonkers. 

[orienteer]

Does EM gauge track still exist? (Wider than OO so it's true to 4mm scale)

[LittleWheelsandBig]

EM 18mm gauge was an intermediate stop between OO 16.5mm and P4 18.83m. All 4mm scale stuff is an oddity really.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Well, that will teach me to post on a trainspotting thread without first checking for the presence of sensitive issues 

[SoreTween]

I’ve follow this modeller on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/east_coastway

There is no better way to put it than to copy his profile:

Remembering the 2001-2004 South Central Trains franchise with a fleet of multiple units in 4mm

His work is superb. Once upon a time I used to be able to immerse myself in detail like this but I’m not sure if I have the focus any more.

Hope some of you enjoy it.

"This account doesn't exist" :-(
Bummer, it was fascinating.

[rogerzilla]

4mm scale
FFS!

British OO and N are just barmy. I understand the historical reasons for the non true scale dimensions but its crazy that UK modellers didn't switch to HO and continental N in the 60s.
4mm as a solution to gauge to rolling stock scale inaccuracy just seems perverse, "OO isn't true to scale as the locos and rolling stock are too big for the 3.5mm track gauge.  I know lets not do what the entire rest of the world does and go HO so they are true to scale no we will move to 4mm for a track gauge and now we need unique track of our own and unique locos and rolling stock of our own". It's bonkers.

Two things:

1. In the 60s, you couldn't physically fit electric motor drive in UK outline models.  British trains have a small loading gauge (an unfortunate consequence of being the railway pioneers, as well as eternal cheapskates) and are rather tiny in true HO.

2. OO gauge uses HO track, which is why trains look a bit wrong from the front.

[Andrew Br]

During lockdown I've become a regular viewer of Virtual Railfan on Youtube.
I tend to have it running in the background on a small screen.
My favourite location is Flagstaff, AZ:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnotRrW1udI
See if you can find the "Grab bag" showing the recent sno apocalypse.

 

[hbunnet]

That's great Andrew, crap day here, Flagstaff, AZ on all day on second screen.

That line handles a lot of freight, often in double decked containers. 

[Mr Larrington]

And you can acquire a reasonable proficiency in a FOREIGN language while waiting at the level crossings.  Fortunately whenever I've stayed in Flagstaff I've had a room round the back

[Andrew Br]

That's great Andrew, crap day here, Flagstaff, AZ on all day on second screen.

That line handles a lot of freight, often in double decked containers.

I'm glad you're enjoying it  .

In pre-covid times they had one Amtrak in each direction stop at the station.
IIRC, the eastbound goes through around mid-day UK time although punctuality isn't an Amtrak strength.....
I think the train is the South West Chief.

If you like lots of freight, albeit moving slowly, then the Belen, NM camera is worth a look.
It shows a marshalling yard with trains coming and going and some being built up using an SD40 shunter in the old, blue/yellow Santa Fe livery.

I wasn't really into trains when I went to Flagstaff. That came later when a (long suffering) girlfriend and I followed the Union Pacific mainline across part of Nebraska into Wyoming. Then we went up to the Powder River basin and, finally, down to Denver via Tennessee Pass* and Leadville where we took a trip on a preserved line to near the highest point on the US train network.
Epic.
Or at least I thought so.

*Not in Tennessee.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I’ve follow this modeller on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/east_coastway

There is no better way to put it than to copy his profile:

Remembering the 2001-2004 South Central Trains franchise with a fleet of multiple units in 4mm

His work is superb. Once upon a time I used to be able to immerse myself in detail like this but I’m not sure if I have the focus any more.

Hope some of you enjoy it.

"This account doesn't exist" :-(
Bummer, it was fascinating.

That’s a pity.

[woollypigs]

Train spotter and a a nerd ? Then there is help https://www.traintrackr.co.uk/

[Jurek]

Train spotter and a a nerd ? Then there is help https://www.traintrackr.co.uk/

www.opentraintimes does most of that for free - at least where National Rail is concerned.
ETA - It might look slightly less pretty, but it is what the platform staff use to figure out where the train that you are waiting for is. [/notatrainnerd]

[woollypigs]

but but but it does not have blinking lights !!!

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Back in the day I followed the uk.railway USenet group. Great discussions about bits of track in out of the way places. 'Gricers' are not train spotters - they aim to travel over every track segment possible.

Regarding UK track guages I live near the Rotherhithe Tunnel, which is now on the East London Line. UK gauge of course. Someone told me that a Eurostar train would fit through there as they are UK guage. Does anyone know if this is true?

[Mr Larrington]

The Thames Tunnel is 20’ high in the middle while the usual clearance under the overhead wires in the Channel Tunnel is 20’8”, so the answer is probably “not without some reëngineering”.

[Cudzoziemiec]

But didn't the Eurostars initially run on third rail north of the Tunnel (due to Great British Planning, of course)? In which case the answer is, "Yes but only if there's third-rail electrification."

[Tim Hall]

The Thames Tunnel is 20’ high in the middle while the usual clearance under the overhead wires in the Channel Tunnel is 20’8”, so the answer is probably “not without some reëngineering”.

"Will this fit?"
"Yes, if (a) shut your eyes and (2) go rilly rilly fast."

[Kim]

"Yes, if (a) shut your eyes and (2) go rilly rilly fast."

AKA Eurotunnel's original fire evacuation policy.

[grams]

Regarding UK track guages I live near the Rotherhithe Tunnel, which is now on the East London Line. UK gauge of course. Someone told me that a Eurostar train would fit through there as they are UK guage. Does anyone know if this is true?

The original Trans-Manche Super-Trains were TGVs shrunk down to UK gauge so they could trundle through Kent and South London (and up to Manchester International). So they would definitely fit.

The newer Siemens Eurostars are standard-issue European size and too big for any other UK line. If the East London Line tunnel* had been built to a slightly larger gauge then they might fit. IIRC it wasn't originally built for trains at all.

(* the Rotherhithe Tunnel carries cars and occasional foolhardy cyclists and pedestrians. I'd guess a Eurostar would fit down through but you'd need a decent run up to get it out the other side, and it wouldn't do the wheels or the tarmac any good)

[Jurek]

Regarding UK track guages I live near the Rotherhithe Tunnel, which is now on the East London Line. UK gauge of course. Someone told me that a Eurostar train would fit through there as they are UK guage. Does anyone know if this is true?

The original Trans-Manche Super-Trains were TGVs shrunk down to UK gauge so they could trundle through Kent and South London (and up to Manchester International). So they would definitely fit.

The newer Siemens Eurostars are standard-issue European size and too big for any other UK line. If the East London Line tunnel* had been built to a slightly larger gauge then they might fit. IIRC it wasn't originally built for trains at all.

(* the Rotherhithe Tunnel carries cars and occasional foolhardy cyclists and pedestrians. I'd guess a Eurostar would fit down through but you'd need a decent run up to get it out the other side, and it wouldn't do the wheels or the tarmac any good)

I think we're talking about different tunnels. Road vs Rail.

[Tim Hall]

Regarding UK track guages I live near the Rotherhithe Tunnel, which is now on the East London Line. UK gauge of course. Someone told me that a Eurostar train would fit through there as they are UK guage. Does anyone know if this is true?

The original Trans-Manche Super-Trains were TGVs shrunk down to UK gauge so they could trundle through Kent and South London (and up to Manchester International). So they would definitely fit.

The newer Siemens Eurostars are standard-issue European size and too big for any other UK line. If the East London Line tunnel* had been built to a slightly larger gauge then they might fit. IIRC it wasn't originally built for trains at all.

(* the Rotherhithe Tunnel carries cars and occasional foolhardy cyclists and pedestrians. I'd guess a Eurostar would fit down through but you'd need a decent run up to get it out the other side, and it wouldn't do the wheels or the tarmac any good)

I think we're talking about different tunnels. Road vs Rail.

The tunnel in Rovrive that takes trains is the Brunel one. It's called the Thames Tunnel these days I belive.

[rogerzilla]

Given that third rail 750V DC is shit, apart from aesthetics, we have pretty much perfected it.  We have the fastest third rail train in the world.

[GdS]

The newer Siemens Eurostars are standard-issue European size and too big for any other UK line.

are you sure about that? don't think HS1 and stations like Ashford International were built to Berne Gauge* but IMBW

* also neither was the Great Central which would have required special rolling stock had it ever ran through to the continent