wrote:
On 08.06.17 16:55, Recliner wrote:
wrote:
On 08.06.17 13:18, tim... wrote:


"Graeme Wall" wrote in message
news On 08/06/2017 01:02, Basil Jet wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40189937

In the diary.

you really have to go on the first day

tim



I'll likely visit sometime in the autumn.

Has anybody here ever ridden the line in its entirety? It doesn't have
any sort of wayside signalling, does it?

Given that the original trains were unmanned, what would be the point of
wayside signalling?

There were some manned, battery-powered trains, however. If there was a
curve in the line that would obscure the line of sight and another train
were stopped beyond the curve?

I'm assuming the battery locos only ran when the automatic trains were not
running (ie, when track power was off).


Also worth noting that the trains could obtain speeds upwards of 35 miles.

The trains were stopped and started by turning the
power off and on on the section of track they were travelling on.

Did power supply from the track feed into a relay for the trains' brakes?

Not quite.

Quote:
The trains brakes are held off by electromagnets whilst its receiving power
and on the move, but when it hits a dead section of track the train brakes
are automatically applied and held on by large springs.

When the Railway was first opened, it was controlled from control panels
located in the inter-platform tunnels at the stations. These panels allowed
trains to be shunted in the station, or routed straight on to the next
station. The switch panels were mechanically and electrically interlocked.
Outside each station is a short dead section which brings each train to a
halt. If they can be admitted, the line controller could operate a
receiving lever controlling a camshaft motor which closes three relays
progressively bringing into use three different voltages to control the
trains rate of approach. The first relay energizes the dead section at
normal line voltage, 440 volts and sets the train going, the second relay
reduces the voltage to 206 volts, so slowing up the train without the use
of brakes (remember the 1 in 20 gradient) and the third relay reduces the
voltage to 150 volts which brings the train into the station at 8 miles an
hour. On entering the station, the train rides into a dead section and the
brakes are automatically applied.

1993 saw the installation of a £750,000 computer to take over control of
the system from one central point. The Vaughan computer directly interfaced
with the existing control system. The computer system was bought into
operation section by section, this allowed the system to carry on operating
as normal during the installation. Each station had its own computer,
interfaced to the existing relay system.

The computer could control the progress of each train on the system
automatically, if needed the line controller could take control of any part
of the system, and reroute trains as needed.

http://www.mailrail.co.uk/operation.html


What would happen if another, unmanned train were on the track ahead?

The battery loco presumably wouldn't have been running on track sections
occupied by service trains.


Will the tentative journeys on offer run from Whitechapel all the way
out to Paddington via Mt. Pleasant, BTW?

No, nothing like that. It's just a short demo loop.