How does a train driver know when to start slowing down...

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 1647515, member: 9609"] I have never heard of anybodies holiday being delayed because the pilot cannot find his keys[/quote]
You remind me of something in a book I read recently where one of the characters is waiting for baggage reclaim, despite having only a small holdall - his fixed policy being to always check in some luggage, however negligible, since security means no plane will take off with luggage unaccompanied by the passenger who checked it in. So you can fall asleep or get pissed in the bar or anything and know for sure your flight won't leave without you.

 

[yorkshiregoth]

On the tube, the train operators have to learn the whole line that they work on, including signals, stations, stopping marks, points, shunts etc. There are also signals called repeaters to give advance warning of signals ahead that may be partially obscured by foliage etc. Thats why they deserve a salary of nearly £50k.

 

[martint235]

The stopping distance for a loaded VLCC is the Captain will start reducing speed off Lands End for Rotterdam

I thought I'd read somewhere that VLCCs never stop they just endlessly circle the globe being refilled/emptied by other smaller ships that pull alongside.

 

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 1648853, member: 45"]They take your bags off the plane.[/quote]
I was assured by this fictional character that it's more hassle for them to try to locate your bags than to locate you - so they don't. Course he could be lying, fictional bastard.

 

[srw]

I was assured by this fictional character that it's more hassle for them to try to locate your bags than to locate you - so they don't. Course he could be lying, fictional bastard.

He's lying. I've been delayed on more than one occasion by luggage being taken off the plane. And if you get too pissed they won't let you on the plane.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Apoligies its B+W its the only one I can find, tanker training from Naked Gun 2 1/2

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[Globalti]

Flights from European cities to African cities, mostly BA flights from London to Lagos, are frequently delayed when passengers check in cases full of trade goods for a friend's or relative's shop in Nigeria then don't show up for the flight. There is still a naive belief that the plane will fly with their case, for which they will have someone looking out at the other end. When I used to fly BA this used to happen on 50% of the flights and the captains would often express very evident annoyance when announcing the delay. By then the airlines had got used to it and were careful to note the container in which each case had been packed so unpacking the hold usually only delayed the flight by 30 to 45 minutes. Presumably the passengers would go back and claim a refund on their ticket. Presumably also the goods were clothes from Primark, bought on the Thursday night "African night" when everything is marked down even more in price. We have a suitcase factory near our office and my Nigerian customers love to go there and buy sets of half price shop soiled or ex-demo Antler or Revelation cases to carry the stuff, which then can also sell in Lagos. The same thing also happens occasionally on AF and KLM, who I use in preference because they are cheaper than BA, less arrogant and don't use Heathrow.

 

[Piemaster]

I thought I'd read somewhere that VLCCs never stop they just endlessly circle the globe being refilled/emptied by other smaller ships that pull alongside.

There are tankers used as FPSO (Floating Production Storage Units) including the North Sea, there were a couple that dragged their anchors in the recent bad weather. Big tankers are sometimes used as plain storage units too but they do go ito ports, even if there aren't many that can accomodate them.
Biggest ship (and man made moving thing) ever, Jahre Viking, and Clarksons little trip out on it (the Master gives some stats on stopping and turning towards end of video)

 

[Archie_tect]

You've never seen the signs? ...300m from the stopping point- 30 foot tall in flashing neon- on the overhead gantries?







BRAKE! NOW!!
YOU STUPID PRAT.

 

[BrumJim]

Also, the Driver has to make allowances for poor weather conditions, ie rain, sleet and snow and at times certain sections of track which suffer from leaf mulch on the lines which neccesitate braking much earlier and lighter to stop the wheels locking up so causing the train to slide. More modern rolling stock has anti wheel slide protection fitted so that if a set of wheels do lock, the train maintainence system will automaticly release the brakes on the set of wheels so that they start to turn again. This reduces the problem of flatted wheels, but increases the braking distance the driver has to calculate to stop at a signal or station.

No longer. Modern WSP (train ABS) systems are much better than locked wheels. Obviously stopping distance is longer than good adhesion conditions.
Wheel slide protection has been in service for a long while now. Don't know the exact time, but I assume that all passenger trains in normal mainline operation in the UK have it.

 

[BrumJim]

If your driving a steam train your an Engineer , if its a diesel train your a train driver , my mates drives trains and it takes two years to qualify and he says breaks on a train are really bad.

About 15% of what you get in a car.

 

[Maz]

In my experience of train journeys, the drivers don't know when to start speeding up!

 

[Globalti]

I bet the breaks are bad, they have to stay awake all the way from London to Edinburgh sometimes.

 

[Archie_tect]

What happens during their lunch breaks?

 

[Black Sheep]

Only under the Fat controllers orders .. or as he's called today ... Mr Topham Hatt

I thought it was Sir Topham Hatt
The yellow ramp like things in the tracks alert a train to what the next signal is set at, if at red and the train does not slow / driver press a button to acknowlage the signal then the brakes will be applied.

on the approach to stations there are markers saying where you are (I pass the 'Reading Mile frequently) which signify the approach to a station.

there are also markers on the platform showing where a 2,3,4 or 5,6,7 or HST+6 /8 should stop level with to be in the centre of the station.