OT and then some: railway engine racing?

This has sprung from an office discussion. Has anyone ever raced
railway engines, or trains? I mean, since the Rainhill trials?

Obviously there are certain limitations to racing the things, but I
was wondering about timed trials or suchlike?

Any Railwayisti know?

(I've discovered, to my delight, that people race steam traction
engines)

 

They were racing angle grinders & electric sanders on some TV show
t'other night.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

they set a new tgv record in france this year, 574.8 km/h.

 

Amazing.

For Christ's sake, how long do the electrical pick-ups on the
pantographs last? I mean, if they're rubbing on a steel cable at 350
mph, I'd expect them to wear out in seconds. Same goes for the
overhead wires, come to that.

So why don't they? What are the pick-ups made from?

 

Well, the wire isn't in a fixed position - it zig-zags so that it moves
across the whole width of the pantograph, so that must help some, but
still...

Where's sweller or Corfield when you need them.

 

From what I can find, it's metallized carbon.

 

Which could be changed on a daily or weekly basis without too much hassle

 

I might be working at Crewe railway heritage centre again soon so I'll
ask.

Some of the more 'aware' might note that I didn't let on that I was
working on relics again last week. This is because last time I was let
loose on them I took the piss and a bit of innocent (cough) cross
posting nearly saw me pushing trolleys at Asda.

 

My idol has feet of clay...

Damn right.

 

Urm, dunno, but I do know a related true story...

Seems the HST when it first entered service was liable to set up a
standing wave in the electrical cable - a standing wave which was likely
to touch the roofs of the carriages.

Red faces in the design dept.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

Teach a man to fish and he and his pikey mates will have the
river cleaned out in a day.

 

Was Petel involved?

 

Working.

 

It's a hollow carbon/metal tube with an air feed. If the carbon wears
through the drop in air pressure is detected and the ADD (Auto drop
device) collapses the pantograph preventing damage to the OHE.

This is the same if the pantograph goes overheight (runs out of wire); it
effectively pulls a plug on the air feed that keeps it up so it drops
without breaking its back.

 

HSTs are diesel so this is unlikely.

 

heh.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Champ

Champ, the ebay thing's over mate. Let it go.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (Fallen apart) Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single"
Norton 850 Commando Kawasaki GTR1400

 

Agreed.[/QUOTE]

I should coco. Result.

 

Sneak round to his place, steal it back before they fix the ignition and
Nige it out again.

 

Wasn't it? Or were they threatening to garnish your salary for
ongoing storage costs until you paid up?

If I had already given back the punter's cash, I would have let
the recovery folks keep the damned thing. It's what I did when
the sprog crashed his Mondeo, rather than paying the storage
bill and taking it home I just let them keep it.

 

Whatever - it was one wiv leccy motors, ok?
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

Teach a man to fish and he and his pikey mates will have the
river cleaned out in a day.