Show off your realistic AI railway images!

[Topological]

Slipped away - what if slip-carriage working continued into British Rail Sectorisation era?
Here, an IC125 acclerates away from its just-slipped portion. The HST will continue along this diverging branch, whilst the two detached Mk3 carriages will be brought to a halt at the local station just out of view.

I cannot think of anything that could possibly go wrong there.

Does the power car elevate to eject the slip coaches?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Does the power car elevate to eject the slip coaches?

A separate portion - HST tail-lights are on, as are those on the rear slip-coach. A quick-retracting drawbar on the DM power car but broadly like it used to be (video linked)
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/slip-coaches.299709/post-7708567

 

[Topological]

A separate portion - HST tail-lights are on, as are those on the rear slip-coach. A quick-retracting drawbar on the DM power car but broadly like it used to be (video linked)

Slip coaches

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/what-exactly-were-brake-vans.299608 And, on a tangent, slip coaches. AIUI, slip coaches (post Armagh) were normally controlled by judicious use of the vacuum brake. The problems arose if the slip guard was a bit eager and stopped...

www.railforums.co.uk

It is a clever design. Just needs to fold itself in and get the cover closed in quick time.

What if the HST also copied the auto-pilot button (need to read closely for the "auto-driver" on the green button)



We do assume that the train has been safely brought to a stand by the auto-driver owing to the red signal in front. In such a case there would be clear issues with the speedometer.

 

[Sun Chariot]

That's very considerate, eschewing Visual Driving and relying on the instruments, so that we viewers have an unobstructed vista.

 

[Topological]

That's very considerate, eschewing Visual Driving and relying on the instruments, so that we viewers have an unobstructed vista.

I would be wondering more whether these first-class snack trays are available to people with Advances.

Another airline copy would be to use aircraft style business class seats. Here the hostess offers steak...

 

[Sun Chariot]

Is Beef Jerky on the menu too? Or is that only on Saturday's services?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Slipped away - what if slip-carriage working continued during British Rail, into Sectorisation era?
An IC125 accelerates away from its just-slipped portion. The HST will continue along this diverging branch, whilst the two detached Mk3 carriages will be brought to a halt at the local station just out of view.

I always thought that 153s would have made good slip coaches.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2026 ==

The management couldn`t understand why nobody wanted to see their shiny new train.

Inspired by the Deltic cartoon in Gerard Fiennes book.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Sign of the times - what if railway-named pubs had signs with something other than a ubiquitous steam locoomotive?
Mind you, this pub's sign-pAInter totally misunderstood what a slip-coach looked like. Perhaps they were confused by the "what if" HST slip-coaches yesterday...

Show off your realistic AI railway images!

That is quite a success. Captures the Plymouth I remember from the 2000s. It has put Harriet a little close to the yellow line, but I suppose her and Dave are rebels.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Topological]

That image is a perfect example of local competition in action. Which would you go to get a steak?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Shower of u-rain-ium - what if spent nuclear fuel wasn't spent enough...
The train's nearing the power station bi-di signalled branch's junction with the WCML. But, wait, what's going on with the rear flask?

That image is a perfect example of local competition in action. Which would you go to get a steak?

One and the same business. Pub and steakhouse combo. I wrote the same frontage description for those.
I don't think they do anything else. Their Saturday special is probably something like a cocktail.

 

[Topological]

Multitasking campers as another promotional Pendolino speeds past.

The what if question is "What if we celebrated American National days?" In this case there are two obvious ones and one "National Popcorn Day" which has not rendered as obviously as it might have done.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Alternate Advancement - what if the APT programme evolved, with a "Pendolino style" under-floor traction equipment and a pantograph mounted at each end of the train?

 

[Topological]

Alternate Advancement - what if the APT programme evolved, with a "Pendolino style" under-floor traction equipment and a pantograph mounted at each end of the train?

Be honest, you got done by the curse of Gemini putting pantographs on the first carriage. I hate it when it does that to my beautifully imagined Pendolini:



Prizes for guessing which American days are being celebrated in the foreground.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Prizes for guessing which American days are being celebrated in the foreground.

Hmmmm:
"Hamster front feet impression whilst stood between hay bales" day?
"Hold the hessian sack like it's Farm Man of the Year's ears" day?
"No losers, only thigh-bruisers" day?

 

[Topological]

There is a meeting set up ready to discuss which suggestion was the best. Another special livery Pendolino is speeding past.

The Chariot is clearly growing though, now sponsoring the trains as well.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I see a direct link between that livery and its predecessor on post 1030. The discussion panel fits that link too.

Show off your realistic AI railway images!

When my daily commute involved taking the Docklands Light Railway, I'd often look out of the train window, searching hard for the DLR's fabled West India Key. I never saw it. Kinetic-to-Potential, Potential-to-Kinetic; it's a genius energy-efficient idea @Topological . I've often wondered why...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Topological]

Post 1030 (A Virign HST in a slightly updated livery) does indeed hark back to the time when the WCML was Smart and Sexy. Though perhaps not with the farmer chique of my creation. Could not possibly comment on any further connections

Meanwhile, another special livery for the day again captured in the Lake District countryside.

 

[Sun Chariot]

This has so much livery potential. What If a Pendo had a front end of:
Hannibal Lector's face mask?
Chuck E Horror's face?
Anyone from 90-day Fiancé, with orange tan and horror face-lift?

 

[Topological]

This has so much livery potential. What If a Pendo had a front end of:
Hannibal Lector's face mask?
Chuck E Horror's face?
Anyone from 90-day Fiancé, with orange tan and horror face-lift?

You do wonder if the railway companies are missing a trick. Throw together some of these masks. Kids go out trying to find them all. Snap the photos, stick them on Instaface, or Twitgram and its all good.

You could sell loads of models and general merch.

A final livery is actually a potential crossover with the Labubu craze.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Today is the final day for your "What If" themed images. It's then any realistic AI railway images, until 1st April.

Steak Pi - what if today's (14-March) internationally-observed subjects appeared on railway property, in cryptic form:
- One of them's definitely irrational. If the class 92 was more rounded, it would be 92654. There - I've given you one clue; actually, I've given you a number.
- No Wonder Woman pasties here today - but the other meat is much enjoyed. Tom Birdsey's followers know; suckers.

 

[Topological]

There is a lot of purposeful striding in the station picture. No dribbling though, so it is possibly not Dribble to Work Day that is being celebrated. It could be that there is a big pile of footballs behind the camera and all are striding to get one. Mr Bean has obviously got stumped by the poster question. I doubt he was pleased to see the pile of balls.

The alternative is that all that purposeful striding is for "Walkers Day" and they are all just excited for what else lies ahead?

Is the What if? for the station picture "What if maintenance on stations was not kept up with?"

The two locomotives waiting in the yard span a wide range of construction years. However, I think that was a red herring because of the rounding comment. Is this the amount of money that the crowdfunders want to buy the orange army a safe walking path in the depot?

Meanwhile, for my first image of the day I have gone back across the pond to acknowledge "Fanny Pack Day", "Save the Spider", "Legal Assistants" and "Potato Chip". Four-in-one.

 

[Ashley Hill]

What if, your back garden was big enough? "Dave, why is it in notch 8?" "Because there is no notch 9!"

 

[Sun Chariot]

What if, your back garden was big enough?

Far better than a fire-pit. Brilliant.

Meanwhile, for my first image of the day I have gone back across the pond to acknowledge "Fanny Pack Day", "Save the Spider", "Legal Assistants" and "Potato Chip". Four-in-one.

Well I'm glad one of those names didn't get mixed up with the others...

 

[Topological]

With that Class 20 idling away in the garden, I can only assume that Dave and Harriet do not live close to Marylebone. There must be much more tolerant neighbours alongside the GWR (unless they have moved since the photo with the 80x on an embankment).

I moved my pendolino setting in honour of Dave and Harriet. The new setting is amongst the urban decay and regrowth of Lancashire. Focus is firmly on National Learn About Butterflies Day.

 

[Ashley Hill]

With that Class 20 idling away in the garden,

Idling? That babies on a load bank thrashing away!! Mind you, the neighbours do moan when started on cold mornings .

 

[Topological]

Idling? That babies on a load bank thrashing away!! Mind you, the neighbours do moan when started on cold mornings .

Given there is obviously a suitable delivery contractor in the area then I fully expect a round of "one-upmanship" to begin and the sidings at Toton to be cleared in no time.

 

[Sun Chariot]

The new setting is amongst the urban decay and regrowth of Lancashire. Focus is firmly on National Learn About Butterflies Day.

I hear this day is popular in Accrington. Especially with the male residents.
They enjoy Learning About Butterflies In Accrington.

 

[Topological]

I hear this day is popular in Accrington. Especially with the male residents.
They enjoy Learning About Butterflies In Accrington.

Possibly my Pendolino is on diversion through Accrington then? It pushes the What If? slightly, but there could be all sorts of diversion oppotunities if we electrified via Skipton and Colne.

My linguistic cunning is struggling to form a link between all of this butterfly education chat and beef jerky. Maybe the woman with the banana on your station picture can offer suggestion? She certainly seems to be avoiding the temptation to get involved in the power walking down the platform.

No nearer on the locomotives by the way.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Mar 2026 ==

Somewhere in the West Midlands, another Pendolino is winding its way south. Another celebratory livery adorns the train.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Little Generals - the Emerald Isle widely adopted GM-powered motive power long before the class 59s and 66s arrived into the UK.
Here are a pair of venerable class 001 (formerly MetroVick A class) and a brace of class 181.
I had haulages by a wonderfully throaty 053 (001 class) plus a work-weary 150 (141 class - the lower-powered version of the 181 class).

 

[Ashley Hill]

Its Mothers Day and our family are out for a meal. Harriet`s dad has offered to do the driving. Proper Job!