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We desperately need double deck trains here, but our loading gauge is just too low.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 07:23:17 AM EST
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 07:29:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Here is a good introductory page on railway loading gauges that also has drawings. (The Wiki article mostly only gives maximum width and height, but roundings can be a significant constraining factor.) Here are some of note:

The British W6 loading gauge -- rather complicated outline and rather small:

UIC-C, the highest international standard of the Europe-centered International Railway Union (with French acronym UIC), according to the majority of normal-gauge European double-deck trains are built:

However, French, Swiss and Italian double-deck trains squeeze people into the smaller, only 4.32 high, though flatter-top UIC-B gauge:

Now for something scary -- the Association of American Railroads (AAR) double-stack loading gauge (for container trains with two levels of containers atop each other):

The first side/roof break point is where French trains have their roof, it's already almost 4600 mm where the profile turns upward, and nearly 6150 at top.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 08:44:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Which only goes back to my persistent complaint that the Great central Railway trackbed should have been preserved, even after the line was closed, because it was built to the full UIC-C loading gauge (and high-speed running factored into layouts).

We knew the Channel Tunnel would be built sooner or later, so closing it and letting it be bulldozed was an act of economic sabotage against the country's future.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 10:43:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Wow, never knew. I know of the rebuilt nostalgic Great Central Railway, but didn't knew it was built with international gauge [nitpick: UIC-C is more recent; I suspect the GCR used the then international standard French gauge, which was later supplanted by Berne Gauge and then UIC-A, each slightly larger], and with an eye for the Chunnel.

While I was reading up on this, I found that some businessmen want to raise the 120-year-old idea from the dead: the Central Railway, which would re-use part of the GCR corridor, and which would even be suitable for double-stack containers!

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 02:15:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You missed this, unfortunately....

http://www.eurotrib.com/comments/2006/11/11/64127/243/2#2

I got an email back just now from the former FD, Alan Stevens, who is now the CEO.

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Thu Nov 16th, 2006 at 06:28:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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