What is this?

[iCe]

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=34493

What is this?
Is it used in Vancouver for commuter rail, subway, or what?

thanks

[Guilford350]

Not sure. I would have to guess commuter or subway.

[petertenthije]

This seems to be a train that is run solely by the computer with assitance of a remote controller.

I haev seen and driven something similar in London. There the DLR runs next to the regular tube. Only in the east of London though. Some of their more important stops include Bank (embankment), Tower gateway (Tower of London), Canary Wharf, Lewisham, Greenwich, Stratford, Canning town (for London City airport) and Beckton.

The train just from the inside just like a normal local train/tube. The only difference is that you can sit in the front looking forward instead of sideways.

Though there may not be a seperate driver, there is a service agent. At some points they take over the trains computer/remote controller. For instance when entering Canary Wharf station or Lewisham. Basically the larger stations. Otherwise it is all up to the computer/remote controller.

Map of the network (requires acrobat reader):
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr/pdf/network/zones.pdf

The website of the DLR:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr/

[iCe]

ooooh, that would be cool! to look forward in a train! :D

[smallspy]

Yeah, I know that this topic hasn't been replied to in almost a month...oh well, here's what that "thing" is, other than an incorrectly captioned photo...

It's called the "Skytrain, Mk II". It is a Bombardier product, and is known as an Intermediate Capacity Transit System, or ICTS. It's designed to fill the capacity gap between subways and light rail.

One interesting thing about this system that you can't see in the photo is that the trains are powered by a linear induction motor...similar to (although less powerful than) a maglev...it's basically a standard AC traction motor that's been laid out flat along the ground.

"petertenthije" is right about it being driverless...but there is no operator at anytime on board the trains. They are completely automated, or if need be, can be controlled from either a central office, or on board (there is a little flip down panel underneath the front window).

These kinds of trains are also used in Kuala Lampour, and a similar version is used in New York's JFK airport, called AirTrain. There are also older versions of these cars running in Vancouver, Detroit and Toronto.

Dan

[iCe]

Hey,

Thanks for all that info. Acutally I researched this a bit a while ago, and found an interesting site with lots of photos that will give a better perspective of the trains than the one uploaded.
http://metroplanet.elan.net/am/vanc/vancouver.htm

Toronto has them, too? I didn't see them the 5 times I went there. By the way, Dan, welcome to the forums. Also, where is Trawna? In BC?

Cya,

[petertenthije]

"petertenthije" is right about it being driverless...but there is no operator at anytime on board the trains. They are completely automated, or if need be, can be controlled from either a central office, or on board (there is a little flip down panel underneath the front window).

Dan

That's what I meant. Anyway, I have been back to London since. In a few days I finally can pick up my pictures of the DLR. The serviceagent/driver/whatever openend the panel so I got some pics of it too.

Judging from the small display on my digital camera they should turn out quite nicely, complete with readable captions for each button!

Check this post in a few more days!

[petertenthije]

http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-dlr-cockpit.JPG.29575.thumb
Click Here (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=38523) to view this pic full-size!

These trains are made by Bombardier in Canada. Some of the DLR trains where made by Bombardier in Brugge, Belgium. Most (all?) of them have been sold to a German local railway. Apparantly these where not allowed to drive in tunnels, don't ask me why!

The speedometer has two dials, the yellow one indicating the speed and the orange one indicating the fastest speed allowed. Rarely do they meet, usually the train runs below its maximum allowed speed. The acceleration is just not good enough over the short stretches on the DLR. Other than that not much can really be said, every button has its label.

http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-dlr-thewharf.JPG.23152.thumb
Click Here (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=38523) to view this pic full-size!

The DLR station of Canary Wharf. Note that this is a different station than the Underground/Tube station at Canary Wharf (seperate pic). It is quite impressive to drive into this station. It is surrounded by highrise, the tallest buildings in the UK! Shame I do not have a wideangle or fisheye lense!

http://207.44.222.57/images/images2/p/pjgttogb-dlr-trein.JPG.69167.thumb
Click Here (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=38523) to view this pic full-size!

And my train!

[iCe]

Nice photos!

You went to London Waterloo and didn't get some shots of the Eurostar? :oops:

[petertenthije]

Yeah, those where the pics I uploaded a few weeks back. I still had not got these developed.

For some reason one of my memory cards can't be read by my computer/reader. I have to get the photo-shop to burn them on a CD. Therefore those pics take about 2 weeks to develop (yeah I know, that's very slow) whereas the pics on my other card take only 2 hours at most. The Eurostar where on the 2 hour card and the DLR on the 2 week card.

[iCe]

Ah, That explains it all.

[bitburger]

What is this?
Yes i can ask this question now too...
Its about this picture here:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=38950

Like the description says... I've never seen such a thing before and it's not even in my little folder which actually contains all German traintypes, but this one isn't listed.
Anyone has an idea or mebbe some helpful information?

Thanks in advance
bitburger

[iCe]

What's up with the colour scheme?

[Joe]

It's the yellow and white, no-named train that nobody's supposed to know about, and its obviosly done its job, because nobody knows what it is. :lol: :wink:

[iCe]

lol

well, it's because I didn't think DB had yellow and white trains...

[petertenthije]

I don't know the train either, but I was thinking that perhaps it is an international train. In NL the international train between NL and BE operates in a hybrid livery combining Dutch and Belgian livery. Perhaps the same is the case for this train? In any case, it is not Dutch!

[petertenthije]

I GOT IT!

It's a "Baureihe 719". Check this picture of another such train. Its registration number, according to the photographer, is 719-102. Remember that the first 3 numbers always indicate the Baureihe. That makes this train a "Baureihe 719"

http://mitglied.lycos.de/bahnbilder/db_hb/719102_hb_lesum_200703.jpg
http://www.zug.de/set.html?fSiteID=756

[bitburger]

Wow cool, nice work...
Some sites i've found on this one say that it's some kind of train that can check if everything is ok with the tracks.
In German they call it Schienenprüffahrzeug, (measuring car for rail testing?) i don't know if the expression in the brackets is the correct one.

Too bad i've only found this information in German... but anyway who still is interested here are some link:

http://www.lokodex.de/or/o_tdaus.php?tdnr=2119&sprach=de

As soon as i have some good text together i will also change the remark on that picture...
Oh btw thanks for editing the Loco info already :D

Greets
bitburger

[iCe]

I think in English it would be a Track-Inspection Train.

[Black_Knight]

FYI = For Your Information

Toronto Transit Commission [TTC] also uses the same operating principle as the Skytrain Railsystem in Vancouver. The TTC's version of the Skytrain in Vancouver is called The Rapid Transit or RT. The Train is fully automated as well and can be switched to Manual Control when there is an emergency, workers at track-level, or when the automated system fails.

However I did notice a slight draw back on the TTC system. There is always an operator who controls the operations of the doors on the RT.
There are only six stops along the route on the RT. Kennedy, Lawerence, Ellesmerre, Midland, Scarborough Town Center, and McCowan (Main Railyard).

The Rapid Transit Train used to be consisted of a two car train, but since population growth the entire railsystem of the RT has seen major upgrades.

Currently the RT is using a four car train and goes as fast as 80 km/h.

The Rapid Transit Picture is donated on behalf of Felix Tse of Greater Toronto Bus Page taken in 1997.

http://gtabus.natransit.com/ttc/pix/ttc3007.jpg

http://www.translink.bc.ca/[/img]