Auckland Electric Trains (EMU) Progress

[kaiwhara]

Yes, only 1 Pan per unit, on the M1 car only.

[pshemko]

Yes, only 1 Pan per unit, on the M1 car only.

Will EMUs have a 'forward' and 'backward' travelling direction with preference to go one way or are they going to be completely bi-directional? I've noticed in other rail operations around a world that if an EMU or a loco has 2 pantographs almost always the second one from front (or travelling direction) is up, whilst the first one is down.

[Andrew]

Is that normal or just high speed rail?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV#Power_supply

On LGVs, only the rear pantograph is raised, avoiding amplification of the oscillations created by the front pantograph.

[Nick R]

Will EMUs have a 'forward' and 'backward' travelling direction with preference to go one way or are they going to be completely bi-directional? I've noticed in other rail operations around a world that if an EMU or a loco has 2 pantographs almost always the second one from front (or travelling direction) is up, whilst the first one is down.

Is that normal or just high speed rail?

On LGVs, only the rear pantograph is raised, avoiding amplification of the oscillations created by the front pantograph.

I do know that Melbourne trams only have one pantograph and run it leading or trailing just depending on which way it's facing. Maybe the oscillation thing is only a concern at high speeds.

[kaiwhara]

No. Wellington quite successfully maintain only 1 Pantograph per unit, and most BR AC rolling stock only has one Pan as well, including virtually all locomotives now!

Yes, only 1 Pan per unit, on the M1 car only.

Will EMUs have a 'forward' and 'backward' travelling direction with preference to go one way or are they going to be completely bi-directional? I've noticed in other rail operations around a world that if an EMU or a loco has 2 pantographs almost always the second one from front (or travelling direction) is up, whilst the first one is down.

[Andrew]

Contrasting that is this:



I may have said it before but I'm sure the pantograph salesman must have retired on that deal. Two pantos per car.

[pshemko]

Contrasting that is this:



I may have said it before but I'm sure the pantograph salesman must have retired on that deal. Two pantos per car.

Clearly they're never run them at high speed, so they don't have to be worried about oscillation. Quite impressive setup though

[geoff_184]

I enjoyed this one too. Quite a busy double track mainline down the street, and some of those Amtrak commuter trains appear to be doing about 50km/h. And being America, where the safety nazi's haven't taken over, they don't even bother with even basic road markings - just trains and cars and people all mixing it up on the same tarmac. Awesome!



Just imagine how many more lines we could have around Auckland if our thinking was the same as theirs.

[john-ston]

And being America, where the safety nazi's haven't taken over, they don't even bother with even basic road markings - just trains and cars and people all mixing it up on the same tarmac. Awesome!

Yet, America seems to have gone overboard with regulations and it has ruined everyone's life - read and weep

http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/the-day-your-life-fell-apart/

Stay on topic - mod.

[pickle]

And being America, where the safety nazi's haven't taken over, they don't even bother with even basic road markings - just trains and cars and people all mixing it up on the same tarmac. Awesome!

Unconstitutional to direct cars where they should drive on the road.

[drosophila]

And being America, where the safety nazi's haven't taken over, they don't even bother with even basic road markings - just trains and cars and people all mixing it up on the same tarmac. Awesome!

Spend some time working there and you'll realise that health and safety has taken over, as has the monitoring of anything everyone says in case it turns out to have been made at the expense of someone in which case it's harassment.

[Daniel]

I have to say this final train design and the livery look pretty snazzy. The AT logo's not too bad either if a bit American-looking.
Nothing for anyone to complain about here.

[Daniel]

I agree with you that his argument is crap, but it's a blog, not a parliamentary inquiry. It doesn't have to be factual and perfect. I've written plenty of opinion on there myself, some of it uninformed and unresearched and I've been hit up for it. They can't all be zingers!

The comments may be dumb as you'd reasonably expect.

But I'd expect the authors of the blogs to be a bit better informed and less rude than that Patrick Reynolds is. Just my opinion but he strikes me as a negative whinger who wouldn't be satisfied no matter what.

[geoff_184]

I have to say this final train design and the livery look pretty snazzy. The AT logo's not too bad either if a bit American-looking.
Nothing for anyone to complain about here.

It's really just the MAXX livery though, with the addition of a red stripe (which funnily enough the original MAXX livery as applied to ADL's 806 and 807 also had, albeit a bit more orange). So you could almost say the EMU's will have the 2003-era MAXX livery! All that's missing is a little Pukeko sticking his head out of the AT circle

I do quite like it, but in light of the dropping of the MAXX brand, I'm not sure if it's the one to go with.

[Daniel]

It's really just the MAXX livery though, with the addition of a red stripe (which funnily enough the original MAXX livery as applied to ADL's 806 and 807 also had, albeit a bit more orange). So you could almost say the EMU's will have the 2003-era MAXX livery! All that's missing is a little Pukeko sticking his head out of the AT circle

Guess that must mean that no livery could make the ADK's and ADL's look good. What a difference a decent-looking train makes.

[odaikorob]

I absolutely hate the colour scheme. Its exactly like that in use in Melbourne, Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur. Totally unimaginative and what's worse, its no change at all to what is in use in AKL right now. Cant stand the AT logo either. The whole train external colouring and logo design is unbeliveably amateurish and a complete embarrassment. Why, why, why, when NZ is good at product design and packaging for export overseas, do we then shoot ourselves in the foot everytime domestically with crap such as this?? Yes, I accept that yellow is necessary for the train fronts for safety reasons but for gods sake, we can be far more imaginative with the rest of the external colouring and still adhere to colouring that facilitates safe embarkation / disembarkation. Let me guess...is the interior colouring / design a similar trainwreck??....yellow coloured poles, cheap looking blue seats and no overhead luggage racks??

[Daniel]

I absolutely hate the colour scheme. Its exactly like that in use in Melbourne, Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur.

I only see a vague similarity with Melbourne's "Metro Trains Melbourne" livery.

Although now it's been mentioned the seating covers are not very good. It's about the only thing I think could be greatly improved and have one of those rich BR-style moquette's would be nice but the to be honest I don't think it matters that much.

[dpalenski]

All that's missing is a little Pukeko sticking his head out of the AT circle

Man we should bring him back. Properly the greatest part of the original MAXX brand was the Pukeko and I'm sure Cathy Casey would love it.

[vworp]

All that's missing is a little Pukeko sticking his head out of the AT circle

Man we should bring him back. Properly the greatest part of the original MAXX brand was the Pukeko and I'm sure Cathy Casey would love it.

Amen. Perhaps a Facebook page should be started. I doubt it'd get much momentum. That Pukeko was o-for-awesome

[dpalenski]

All that's missing is a little Pukeko sticking his head out of the AT circle

Man we should bring him back. Properly the greatest part of the original MAXX brand was the Pukeko and I'm sure Cathy Casey would love it.

Amen. Perhaps a Facebook page should be started. I doubt it'd get much momentum. That Pukeko was o-for-awesome

Nah I'll wait for my manager to cycle into whether I'm working and ask also get Cathy Casey behind it.

First jumpers and now Pukeko's what am I doing

edit: he almost looks like today's AT Ambassador with that blue vest. Back then from old photos I've seen we wore shirts with him on it.