What an awful idea!

[Mojo]

Well, I had to laugh when I read this in "The Eye."

http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2009/11/waverail-promises-return-of-slip-coach.html

 

[Oswyntail]

I seem to remember a "Fly carriage" system on the GWR - but not picking up the one in front as well.

 

[Mojo]

I'm sure I've heard of a similar idea before, but it really wouldn't work in practice, unless the train was maybe 2 coaches long!

 

[jopsuk]

Not only does it seem a poor idea (if you think about it for more than a couple of seconds), it seems an awfully amateurish website. I hget the impression they haven't even strated to think about the engineering issues of coupling up on the move, and provding through-train access etc.

The "slip coach" system was indeed used on the GWR, I think mainly on services from London, to provide one or two coaches worth of Express from the capital. The coaches would have their own brakevan, and be coupled behind the brakevan of the main train. At the appropriate time (travelling at speed, some distance from the station), the coupling would be undone and the slip coaches left to coast. I think the carriages even sometimes went on to bays or loop platforms, requiring good reactions from signalmen.

 

[Greenback]

IIRC each slip coach had its own braking system, and a member of staff to operate it!

 

[poshbakerloo]

the whole idea seems a bit hit or miss...what happens if it stops too early?

 

[Bighat]

I seem to remember a "Fly carriage" system on the GWR - but not picking up the one in front as well.

Yes, Westbury was served by a 'slip coach' from Paddington at one time!

 

[Metroland]

Slip coaches were very common in steam days, especially on the GWR - though several railways had them. The Cornish Rivera had quite a few slip portions, as did some of the GWR expresses to Wales.

The last slip coach was in 1960 at Bicester north.

The system required a guard to bring the coach gently to a stand. In those days, goods traffic was far more important than passengers, and most stations had freight yards with shunting locos. So if the guard did miss the platform, the coach(es) could be rescued.

 

[Drsatan]

To pick up the coach in front without derailing it, or jolting the passengers off their seats, the train would have to slow down considerably. Also, the coach in front would need a driving cab, so as soon as the train coupled onto the coach in front, the driver would have to leap out his seat, and run through the vestibule to the driving cab in front. Seems a daft idea to me!

 

[Oswyntail]

..., the driver would have to leap out his seat, and run through the vestibule to the driving cab in front. Seems a daft idea to me!

Unless it was driverless, as in the DLR:roll:

 

[Daniel]

But still, to sucessfully couple the train would virtually have to stop anyway - so it might aswell serve the station..

 

[Oswyntail]

Has no one else had hours of endless fun with a circle of hornby track trying to use the "uncoupling ramp" without stopping, seeing how long it takes to get the set formed in the opposite direction?


[retires slowly towards corner marked "sad"]

 

[Daniel]

I haven't... but i'd like to try.

 

[37401]

If this happens i wont just eat my own hat..ill eat the whole bloomin hat shop, awful idea indeed

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I am not trying to cause trouble but I am sure its the rules that other forums/blog links are not allowed?

 

[Mojo]

This is a link to a blog, not a forum?

 

[MCR247]

I am not trying to cause trouble but I am sure its the rules that other forums/blog links are not allowed?

AFAIK its only if its not relevant. ie If someone asked for help on something and the answer was on another forum, and you linked to that thread ( on the other fourm) its ok.

 

[37401]

I am not trying to cause trouble but I am sure its the rules that other forums/blog links are not allowed?

I dont think the OP needs reminding of the rules as he made them, also its a blog not a forum

 

[SouthEastern-465]

AFAIK its only if its not relevant. ie If someone asked for help on something and the answer was on another forum, and you linked to that thread ( on the other fourm) its ok.

Thanks for the info.

 

[eos]

Now that most trains are individual self-powered coaches in multiple, why does the slip coach need to be unpowered. ?
Add an engine , and the system becomes a vague possibilty. My only concern is that I can't see the point of it at all.
...and in the same science fiction world of rubbish ideas , if solar panels are so good, why is the roof of a pendolino not covered in them?

 

[90019]

...and in the same science fiction world of rubbish ideas , if solar panels are so good, why is the roof of a pendolino not covered in them?

Because they're currently prohibitavely expensive and atm are only about 18-20% efficient (the record efficiency is about 42% IIRC).