On 5 Aug, 11:01, wrote:
On Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:10:02 +0100

Neil Williams wrote:
On Wed, 4 Aug 2010 10:19:22 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

Fair point. But I'm sure they could build some sort of compromise stock
that could use the full UIC height and also width above platform level
that would still be within UK gauge below platform level.

UIC height isn't all that much higher than UK height. *The reason you
can do UIC double-deckers and not UK ones has more to do with the
width at platform level that allows for a reasonably wide lower deck.

Perhaps there could be a compromise type platform as used at St P. That
would allow double deck UIC shuttle trains in the centre section but also
allow UK gauge trains to use it too. After all, we're only talking a few
inches width required either side which is hardly going to create a huge gap
to step across.

What compromise platforms? St Pancras has UIC platforms on the
Eurostar platforms and UK platforms on the Kent, East Midlands and
Thameslink paltforms. HS1 was built as a UIC railway from the channel
tunnel to the buffer stops at St Pancras, hence the possibility of ICE
stock to London (which wouldn't fit a UK platform).

Of course it rather begs the question of why the victorians chose such a
daft setup in the first place but I guess we'll never know.

The Victorians chose to have platforms, while the European railways
(and those in most other parts of the world) chose not to have
platforms, and board the trains from the trackside, by way of carriage
mounted steps. Of course when the Victorians decided to have
platforms, a typical railway carriage had 4 wheels and perhaps 4 4-a-
side compartments.

Your typical 19th century European station was operated with the
passengers waiting by the station building, and if the train happened
to stop on the far track, then walking across the near track to board
it from between the two tracks. Indeed, there are even now, a goodly
number of stations that still retain this layout, for example
http://commondatastorage.googleapis....l/19186493.jpg

There were no platforms at all at first, and this is why whereas in
Britain we talk about trains being on platform 2 or whatever, in most
other languages (and in the US) trains are refered to as being on
track 2 (in the appropriate language), because when the language was
established, there were no platforms. By the time the idea of having
platforms started to gain favour in Europe, trains were already much
larger, and platforms had to be far enough back from the track so as
not to foul the steps that carriages still had (still have) to allow
for boarding at unimproved stations.

Robin