Quote:
Originally Posted by maviczap
Obviously we've invested in the wrong type of overhead lines!
Mondays train was delayed getting into London by poor track conditions ( leaves on the line!) and an underpowered engine (an electric unit!)
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Did anyone see the documentary about the winter of 1962/3 a few months ago ? There were clips of steam locomotives traveling through deep snow without it seemed too much problem. Electric trains can be stopped by either snow on the track or ice and snow on overhead lines (it insulates them ). I hate to think how we would have fared in WW2 if we had been using either diesel or electric locomotives ( or even diesel electric ), it would either have meant using up precious oil ( that we did not have ) that was needed for war effort or if the enemy had just managed to hit one power station / or even a power sub-station supplying 25Kv to trains they could have bought railways to a full stop over large areas. Many countries around the world continued to use steam trains well after us because either their network was unsuitable to be electrified, the sheer cost, or they had plenty of coal and wood but no oil. Or they had resident pikeys that would nick the copper wires LOL