On 11.09.2016 20:48, Russell Coker via luv-main wrote:
On Saturday, 10 September 2016 11:39:09 PM AEST Rick Moen via luv-main wrote:
I'm reminded about the old British Rail gag about 'the wrong type of snow' being cited as an excuse for problems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_wrong_type_of_snow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_rail#Other_causes
In Australia we have the wrong type of millipedes! LOL.
The grade trains can climb is governed by the coeffecient of static friction of steel on steel which is aprox 0.33, ie a trains tractive effort is aprox 1/3rd of the vehicles weight. The maximum grade normally encountered on adhesive railways is around 1 in 16. The load pulled on this sort of grade would be around 3 times the engines weight. The maximum grade currently on Victorian lines is 1 in 30 encountered between Upper Ferntree gully and Upwey, also on the Puffing Billy line from Cockatoo. While some of the Melbourne trains can do regenerative braking, I have been told the rectifer stations cannot handle this so it is not used in Melbourne. The problem apparently is not enough funds availible for power supply upgrade, inspite of there being projected excellent savings can be acheived. Lindsay