wrote in message

On Jan 1, 11:19 am, "Recliner" wrote:
for refurbishment. It would not be hard to get the trains to Ruislip
via the Picc and Met lines, but I suppose there are enough
complications to make road transport quicker and cheaper.

I can't help thinking that if its possible to transfer something by
rail instead of road it should be done. Theres enough congestion on
the roads as it is without another 7 or 8 HGVs per train being on the
roads just because it saves someone a bit of paperwork.

Yes, I was wondering what the problems are with moving undamaged LU
stock by rail. Some of the points that I could think of include:
- Braking -- is it possible to operate the LU train brakes from the
loco? If not, how does the whole ensemble get enough braking force?
- Are there any problems towing unpowered LU trains long distances?
For example, do the brakes come on when the air pressure is lost?
- Clearances -- obviously the shoes and tripcocks will have to be
removed, but are there any other clearance issues with platforms, ground
frames, etc? Some LU trains (eg, Met stock) are wider than NR trains.
- Vandalism -- is there a risk if the transfer trains have to be parked
in a siding en route?
- Can the train be pulled at a reasonable speed (say, 60mph)? If not,
it's going to take a lot of paths from busy lines.