tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post273621610856316959..comments2024-03-28T11:51:19.078-07:00Comments on Caltrain HSR Compatibility Blog: Emergency Exit FailClemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-90666666460116931852019-09-02T16:41:48.322-07:002019-09-02T16:41:48.322-07:00"Saussine (2013) and Rodriguez (2013), among ..."Saussine (2013) and Rodriguez (2013), among others, have indicated that the distance between tracks plays an important role in ballast flight. The aerodynamic crosswinds created by two trains passing in opposite directions could produce a sufficient force to lift a ballast particle. Amtrak has reported a case (FRA, 2013) which occurred when a Northeast Regional train travelling at 81 mph passed an opposing Acela train travelling at a speed of 101 mph and a closing speed of 182 mph resulted." <br />https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/15445 Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-5026519233547821212019-09-02T14:35:45.344-07:002019-09-02T14:35:45.344-07:00Roland, Roland, Roland, Roland, this is for 300kmh...Roland, Roland, Roland, Roland, this is for 300kmh, not the Caltrain corridor.<br /><br />But since you're on about that decade-old document, do note also "At some stations in shared-use corridors, trains may pass at speeds up to 125 mph on tracks adjacent to a platform."<br /><br />PS Since you -- and our endlessly ignorant and insular friends at WSP/PBQD/HNTB/PTG/etc friends -- do so love and only recognize English precedents for anything, please do also note that Merry Olde's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford_International_station" rel="nofollow">Stratford International</a> (overbuilding! security theater galore! ridiculously inadequate playtform access!) features no inter-track fencing, and that the <b>slow</b> ("domestic") <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5448769,-0.012728,80a,35y,92.26h,67.46t/data=!3m1!1e3" rel="nofollow">platform tracks</a> lie <b>inside</b> the fast through tracks. Most suspiciously <i>foreign</i>, wot?Richard Mlynarikhttp://www.pobox.com/users/mly/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-59174914698642931672019-09-02T14:07:36.730-07:002019-09-02T14:07:36.730-07:00"Provision shall be made for the installation..."Provision shall be made for the installation of protection screens between through tracks and station platforms. This principally involves providing adequate space between main tracks and station tracks at intermediate stations. Provision of 25 feet between track centers will allow for the installation of protection screens, if required."<br />http://www.tillier.net/stuff/hsr/TM-2.2.4-Station-Platform-Geometric-Design-R1-100630.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-86520726997744204342019-09-01T09:02:55.948-07:002019-09-01T09:02:55.948-07:00https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gabarit_AA...https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gabarit_AAR_Plate-H.png.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-60350342295464113322019-08-31T17:03:34.015-07:002019-08-31T17:03:34.015-07:00Thank you for digging up these oldies-but-goodies....Thank you for digging up these oldies-but-goodies.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-30153368880711052032019-08-31T17:03:01.474-07:002019-08-31T17:03:01.474-07:00His unstated point is that the overhead clearance ...His unstated point is that the overhead clearance and horizontal extent of many of these grade separations are grossly excessive. Perhaps the HSR people have a Plan B up their sleeve in case HSR doesn't work out, such as triple-stack container trains. Should be plenty of clearance.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-12967617890231427662019-08-31T16:12:10.937-07:002019-08-31T16:12:10.937-07:00"Did you (conveniently) forget the 2 fences e..."<i>Did you (conveniently) forget the 2 fences each a minimum of TEN feet off the F track centers?</i>"<br />Assuming there's a point to Caltrain's inter-platform fencing, it's to dissaude humans from impulsively (as opposed to premediated suicidally) hopping off a platform and walking across track(s) to reach another platform or the Non-Caltrain Universe.<br /><br />As such, there's less than zero justification for |F|S_S|F| fencing, especially when -- as nearly <i>always</i> <b>ought</b> to the case on the Caltrain corridor -- the whole station is elevated, and nobody's going to run across two active tracks in order to jump off the side of a bridge. <br /><br />In contrast, |_SF|FS_| <i>needs</i> the inter-platform fence to dissaude the punters from taking a short-cut from the wrong platform (so easy to be wrong when there are two platforms instead of the logical <b>one</b>, after all) in comparison.<br /><br /><a href="https://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/2010/01/football-island.html" rel="nofollow">https://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/2010/01/football-island.html</a> shows how it works. Not that this will help you. True a decade ago, true today, true ten decades from now. (Good news, everybody!: we're going to be drowing in salt water and desperate for fresh water in just a few short decades!)<br /><br />The details, in millimetric detail: <a href="http://www.pobox.com/users/mly/caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/FSSF-extra-ROW.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.pobox.com/users/mly/caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/FSSF-extra-ROW.pdf</a><br /><br />How correctly-configured stations work within the Caltrain ROW, corridor-wide: <a href="http://www.pobox.com/users/mly/caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/FSSF-vs-ROW.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.pobox.com/users/mly/caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/FSSF-vs-ROW.pdf</a><br /><br />(This is as much fun and as reward as "arguing" actual real-world objective facts with Rick Silver, or Adirondacker6969, or anybody at Parsons Transportation Group, or HNTB ("How Not To Build"), or Parsons-Brinkerhoff, or Caltrain. Idiots gonna idiot. Rent-seekers gonna seek rents.)Richard Mlynarikhttp://www.pobox.com/users/mly/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-26416360368746688492019-08-31T15:37:58.614-07:002019-08-31T15:37:58.614-07:00@Roland, and so? Photos of the Ave. 8 grade sep br...@Roland, and so? <a href="https://buildhsr.com/projects/avenue_8_overcrossing_59578.aspx" rel="nofollow">Photos of the Ave. 8 grade sep bridge</a> suggest the dimensions are plausibly correct .... or were you hinting at some other unstated point?Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-29910790032917409382019-08-31T07:58:05.913-07:002019-08-31T07:58:05.913-07:00Latest update from the CV cuckoo factory: "Av...Latest update from the CV cuckoo factory: "Avenue 8 is 110 feet long and 44 feet at its highest point; Avenue 11 is over 100 feet long and 43 feet at its highest point." https://hsr.ca.gov/about/board/ceo_report.aspxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-9816341723333346732019-08-30T16:42:28.814-07:002019-08-30T16:42:28.814-07:00Spotted guidewire reels up on poles today. Specifi...Spotted guidewire reels up on poles today. Specifically the poles near the San Carlos Carls Jr and RWC Burger King. Wondering if their MOW equipment is putting them up or hyrailers (also seen driving on the tracks through SC around noon). Progress is being made. Most of the switcher activity seems to be concerned 25th Av which makes sense. <br /><br />Also, while at work I got to watch homeless people heckle UP's brakemen which wasn't cool. I realize the port isn't Caltrain's responsibility but eventually someone's going to get a video of it and it'll be an embarrassment for everyone involved.aarondnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-86343293690186555762019-08-29T13:20:51.581-07:002019-08-29T13:20:51.581-07:00@Clem "With dividing walls, _S|FF|S_ is no be...@Clem "With dividing walls, _S|FF|S_ is no better than F|S_S|F."<br />Did you (conveniently) forget the 2 fences each a minimum of TEN feet off the F track centers?<br />http://www.caltrain.com/assets/_engineering/engineering-standards-2/criteria/CHAPTER3.pdf Section 3.2 Right-of-Way Fencing on page 3.27Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-71258739223746428232019-08-29T13:12:33.886-07:002019-08-29T13:12:33.886-07:00Here is a picture of DB Regio double-deckers stopp...Here is a picture of DB Regio double-deckers stopped at the offline passenger platforms. https://www.google.com/maps/place/D%C3%BCsseldorf+Flughafen/@51.2915815,6.7867204,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPCO1_XWmhhsgVz4TEASEjlh0CUh6oOm4W1fh53!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPCO1_XWmhhsgVz4TEASEjlh0CUh6oOm4W1fh53%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x47b8c82e37d91253:0x5b56f56996d4f455!2sD%C3%BCsseldorf+International+Airport!8m2!3d51.2876146!4d6.7667912!3m4!1s0x47b8c839540a0acd:0xedcf7780870fe7d4!8m2!3d51.2915831!4d6.7867184 <br /><br />The top picture shows an ICE train passing the station at 125 MPH on the mainline (FF)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-83129042419893194212019-08-29T12:57:31.694-07:002019-08-29T12:57:31.694-07:00"Intermediate station platform configurations..."Intermediate station platform configurations must ensure customer safety as trains may operate through or in proximity to the station platform without stopping. Platform layout and station operations will mitigate potential hazards and vulnerabilities and noise from trains running through the station at high-speeds. Turnouts to station tracks will be designed to maintain headways and allow efficient train operations by not slowing or stopping following trains. Because of this, intermediate station passenger platforms will:<br /> Provide off-line HSR passenger platforms allowing for pass-through express services on the dualtrack mainline, except at Fullerton Station.<br /> Provide HSR side platforms with center running tracks as the desirable configuration for operational considerations."<br />https://hsr.ca.gov/docs/programs/eir_memos/Proj_Guidelines_TM0_3_1_Basis_of_Design_R0_150330_PD_Release.pdf<br />(Section 4.2.4 Track and Platform Configuration on page 13)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-15078720502337103292019-08-29T12:01:53.372-07:002019-08-29T12:01:53.372-07:00"Why are we discussing barrier walls for Calt..."<i>Why are we discussing barrier walls for Caltrain?</i>"<br /><br />Because "Anonymous" ("breaking news", "what could possibily go wrong") Roland has a quite the collection of odd and very counter-factual rail-technical idées fixes.Richard Mlynarikhttp://www.pobox.com/users/mly/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-25374013304706692372019-08-29T11:17:06.960-07:002019-08-29T11:17:06.960-07:00I stand corrected and thanks for the link to the c...I stand corrected and thanks for the link to the cool website.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10280692412235449436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-56768824255131791542019-08-29T10:29:22.340-07:002019-08-29T10:29:22.340-07:00Düsseldorf Airport has max speed of 200 km/h. Sour...Düsseldorf Airport has max speed of 200 km/h. Source: https://geovdbn.deutschebahn.com/isrPeterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00326948451529910432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-58517589867644540482019-08-29T09:51:31.906-07:002019-08-29T09:51:31.906-07:00Düsseldorf Airport is a good analogy for Caltrain....Düsseldorf Airport is a good analogy for Caltrain. It's only about five miles north of the Düsseldorf Hbf, and because of the density of traffic on the line, I assume top speed through the airport is probably no more than 100mph. It's not on a dedicated high speed line, although many ICE trains both pass through and call at the Airport station.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10280692412235449436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-2103372646726670942019-08-29T08:12:10.449-07:002019-08-29T08:12:10.449-07:00Why are we discussing barrier walls for Caltrain? ...Why are we discussing barrier walls for Caltrain? I assume that the run-through speed for the Düsseldorf station is going to be much higher than any express train on the Caltrain corridor could ever achieve?Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00326948451529910432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-36406752732917411472019-08-28T03:16:33.353-07:002019-08-28T03:16:33.353-07:00Agreed! Here are the _S|FF|S_ walls at Düsseldorf ...Agreed! <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Bf-d-flughafenfern.jpg" rel="nofollow">Here are the _S|FF|S_ walls at Düsseldorf Flughafen</a> that @Roland is talking about.<br /><br />Single center island platforms (FS_SF) are functionally & operationally superior for Caltrain and its passengers. Instead of isolating NB and SB riders from each other with 2 widely-separated platforms (possibly visually blocked by the walls @Roland suggests) with redundant amenities, they greatly simplify crossing NB & SB Caltrains over (for maintenance-related single-tracking and/or turnbacks without crossing <b>both</b> HSR tracks), eliminating the "wrong platform — missed train" problem confused riders currently suffer during single-tracking.Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-86438383968662326952019-08-28T02:59:19.514-07:002019-08-28T02:59:19.514-07:00"Intermediate station platform configurations..."Intermediate station platform configurations must ensure customer safety as trains may operate through or in proximity to the station platform without stopping. Platform layout and station operations will mitigate potential hazards and vulnerabilities and noise from trains running through the station at high-speeds. Turnouts to station tracks will be designed to maintain headways and allow efficient train operations by not slowing or stopping following trains. Because of this, intermediate station passenger platforms will:<br /> Provide off-line HSR passenger platforms allowing for pass-through express services on the dualtrack mainline, except at Fullerton Station.<br /> Provide HSR side platforms with center running tracks as the desirable configuration for operational considerations."<br />https://hsr.ca.gov/docs/programs/eir_memos/Proj_Guidelines_TM0_3_1_Basis_of_Design_R0_150330_PD_Release.pdf<br />(Section 4.2.4 Track and Platform Configuration on page 13)<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-66768153918768697692019-08-27T22:16:52.710-07:002019-08-27T22:16:52.710-07:00Oh now we’re really blowing things up, unless you ...Oh now we’re really blowing things up, unless you keep the island platform and go FSSF. With dividing walls, _S|FF|S_ is no better than F|S_S|F.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-91290913798808858922019-08-27T21:09:28.228-07:002019-08-27T21:09:28.228-07:00Here is how Germans eliminate the need to "cl...Here is how Germans eliminate the need to "clear the platform area endangered by the suction" without "doubling the width of the existing yellow safety zone from 2.5 feet to 5 feet from platform edge":<br />https://www.google.com/maps/place/D%C3%BCsseldorf+International+Airport/@51.2924947,6.7866755,35m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47b8c82e37d91253:0x5b56f56996d4f455!8m2!3d51.2876146!4d6.7667912<br /><br />Please note that the white barriers between the slow and fast (SFFS) tracks are made of concrete panels designed to protect passengers from flying debris.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-46981496286311318782019-08-27T19:08:51.950-07:002019-08-27T19:08:51.950-07:00Indeed, after you double the width of the existing...Indeed, after you double the width of the existing yellow safety zone from 2.5 feet to 5 feet from platform edge (possibly even with <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reisendensicherungsanlage" rel="nofollow">German-style safety barriers</a>), an island platform that meets Caltrain's <a href="http://www.caltrain.com/assets/_engineering/engineering-standards-2/criteria/CHAPTER3.pdf" rel="nofollow">minimum design standard</a> width will still have 18 feet of remaining usable space. Not so for a side platform, where Caltrain's existing standards could leave as little as 4.5 feet of usable space.<br /><br />If anything will have to be "blown up" it will be the side platforms.Clemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374282217135682245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-36428601907467061522019-08-27T11:54:09.449-07:002019-08-27T11:54:09.449-07:00They should all be island platforms!
Not only do ...They should <b>all</b> be island platforms!<br /><br />Not only do they make more efficient (less redundant) use of platform amenities (benches & TVMs, etc.) ... they're wider, safer, more flexible and support the superior FSSF track & platform layout.Reality Checkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974156676436895262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419444332771213285.post-78595583681483756562019-08-27T11:27:36.534-07:002019-08-27T11:27:36.534-07:00Are you saying that "HSR" will have to c...Are you saying that "HSR" will have to contend with blowing up every single island platform peppered up and down the Peninsula by the San Carlos loony bin?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com