Charles Ellson wrote:
On 29 Jul 2006 15:32:45 -0700, "MIG"
wrote:

Charles Ellson wrote:
On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 20:14:30 +0100, Tony Polson
wrote:

"Boltar" wrote:

As I was sitting on the DLR the other day with the train squeeling its
way round
yet another sharp curve, it suddenly struck me - why did they use
standard gauge
track? Surely a narrow gauge would be far better suited to the tight
curves on the line?
Its not as if they'd have had any trouble procuring equipment for
narrow gauge
since plenty of light rail narrow gauge systems operate in europe. And
the DLR
is completely self contained with no physical links to any other
railway so thats
not a concern. Anyone know why they didn't use say metre gauge?
Because metre gauge was "not invented here".

.. and would also make it difficult for any kind of mixed running on
or off the DLR which might occur in the future.
And in the steady progression towards heavy rail, where they keep
having to sell off the previous more flimsy vehicles, they are more
likely to find buyers for standard guage stuff?

Or going in the other direction, the DLR stuff possibly doesn't need
much modification to tram standard for venturing out onto any local
tramways that might be built (oink, oink, flap, flap) which would
probably also be standard gauge.

The problem is that the DLR has to be fully segregated because of the
automatic operation - definitely no pedestrian crossings. To me, that
makes it rather incompatible with any (proposed) tramways, with the
exception of the bit on the Thames Gateway Bridge.

Originally, the northern DLR terminus was to be Mile End, with street
running along Mile End Road from Bow Church - but the choice of
automatic operation ruled this out.

Whenever Ken mentions public transport plans in the Thames Gateway, he
talks about the Transit schemes, and then always mentions the
possibility of upgrading them to tram or DLR. The only way to convert
them to DLR would be to use the busways for the supporting pillars of an
elevated track!

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London