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| How 'bout Finland? 21/12/2020 at 17:56 #135030 | |
TVRail
1 posts |
Hello there, I admit I saw the proposal for Danish sims, so thought I'd throw Finland in to the mix. Now, unlike UK, the Finnish rail network is mostly single-tracked (5234 km of single-track, only 692 km of multiple track). A majority of it is under centralised traffic control, controlled by a few large control centres. There are still a few locations where a local yard traffic controller manually sets the routes as ordered by the signaller (I work in one of those locations). There is open source data available of much of the details of the network, and additional data might be (and likely is) available upon request, and there already is a third-party website (juliadata.fi) showing the timetables and infrastructure online. Older data is also available through box-loads of paper saved by signalling enthusiasts. What comes to the signalling system, the Finnish standard signal system and practise is basically a copy of the German H/V (Hauptsignal/Vorsignal) system without the additional indicators (what little indicators we had were phased out starting early 2000s). That and the automatic block signalling is basically the standard three-aspect sequence. The busier lines that were signalled early usually have shorter (less than 4000 metres) track circuit blocks, while the later installations received station-to-station blocks with axle counters. As the control centers are few and far between, an individual sim could be quite large, but naturally it would be divided among several signallers. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: sunocske |
| How 'bout Finland? 21/12/2020 at 18:14 #135031 | |
postal
5190 posts |
  Post has attachments. Log in to view them. “In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe Log in to reply |
| How 'bout Finland? 23/12/2020 at 10:24 #135109 | |
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Chromatix
190 posts |
In fact the supplementary speed indicators are still in use, but appear only on the cab signal displays rather than on lineside signal heads. If the cab signalling is u/s or not fitted, the maximum permitted speed is 80kph on a clear signal, 35kph on a diverging signal. Cab signalling is conveyed to the train through pairs of yellow Eurobalises, and is effectively a form of ETCS. The cab signal also displays changes in line speed. The speed indicators were removed from lineside signals after they contributed to a nasty derailment. The train involved normally took an express turnout to the slow line, but the same signal also controlled a slower route to the same line which appeared sooner. When the latter route was selected, the speed indicator extinguished to indicate the default 35kph speed, but the driver didn't notice that. The cab signal always gives a positive indication of permitted speed, even for the default speeds, as well as providing an enforcement mechanism. The photo above appears to show the Helsinki station throat. Helsinki is one of the largest terminal stations in Europe with 19 platform faces, most of which are outside the main trainshed and are nominally reserved for commuter trains. It is also one of the last refuges of the type of signal shown. The newer type more closely resembles that used in Austria or Switzerland, and shows lamp aspects equivalent to the typical West German type. The approaching train on the right is a pair of 2-car Sm4 units, typically used for semi-fast services towards Tampere and Lahti; these normally operate at 160kph. On the far left are a pair of 4-car Sm5 FLiRT units, used for inner and outer commuter trains in the capital region; they are capable of 160kph but are uncomfortable at that speed, and normally run at 120kph. In the middle left an Intercity train composed of a mixture of single and double deck carriages is departing, hauled by an Sr1 "Siberian Wolf"; this may be due to collect some Motorail wagons at Pasila, five minutes up the line, but that is normally reserved for the overnight trains which convey sleeper carriages. The Sr1 is limited to 140kph, though the carriages can run at 160kph with the newer locomotives. Most passenger lines in Finland are electrified, on the familiar 25kV 50Hz system, though at a considerably greater wire height than in Britain. A few of the less-trafficked passenger lines and a number of freight-only lines are unwired, requiring the services of the Dm12 "bubble car" and the Dv12 diesel-hydraulic locomotive. The latter is also drafted in as a contingency measure when the power goes out. Log in to reply |
| How 'bout Finland? 23/12/2020 at 10:46 #135113 | |
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postal
5190 posts |
Chromatix in post 135109 said:Indeed so. It was taken in May 2019. “In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe Log in to reply |
| How 'bout Finland? 23/12/2020 at 19:48 #135174 | |
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Chromatix
190 posts |
Looking closer at the photo, I think it actually is sleeper stock, though the difference is subtle. So it's almost certainly due to pick up Motorail wagons, and that explains the use of the older locomotive. The Sr1 had its chassis and bodywork made in the USSR, as a small cast plaque on the side commemorates. The electrical gear that actually makes it all work was made locally in Finland. The nickname "Siberian Wolf" comes from this factoid combined with the howl its cooling fans make when passing. Log in to reply |
| How 'bout Finland? 25/12/2020 at 00:15 #135229 | |
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postal
5190 posts |
Chromatix in post 135109 said:Most passenger lines in Finland are electrified, on the familiar 25kV 50Hz system, though at a considerably greater wire height than in Britain.Just to illustrate the point, double deck train departing Helsinki on the same date as the last pic. My notes have been lost but I think it was one of the local services towards the Airport.   Post has attachments. Log in to view them. “In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe Log in to reply |
| How 'bout Finland? 25/12/2020 at 03:15 #135247 | |
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Chromatix
190 posts |
Well, no, loco-hauled stock is not normally used for "local" trains from Helsinki. There is one conspicuous exception in the form of red carriages that form one particular service at rush hour. This is probably one of the normal Intercity services reaching across most of the width or length of the country, to Oulu, Kajaani, Kouvola, and maybe beyond. From the platforms further to the right there are services to Turku. The Sr2 at the head is the normal type for an Intercity train, and is capable of hauling both the single and double deck Intercity carriages at their maximum service speed, unlike the Sr1. It is capable of working with a cab car at the opposite end of the train, which is primarily used on the Turku services as the Turku Harbour station has no run-round facility. I've also seen it used on some peak-hour shuttles to Tampere. The airport services are a little unusual as they operate on a loop line, and so you can start from Helsinki or Pasila and, depending on which side of the station you catch the train from (lettered I or P respectively), you'll approach the airport from opposite directions, after branching off either the main line north of Tikkurila or the coastal line at Huopalahti. It also means you can catch any train from the airport and expect it to take you to the city centre. I believe only the Sm5 units are allocated to that service, due to steep gradients on the airport tunnel section. Several of those can be seen to the left. I'm unsure of the significance of the two very distinct liveries these units have been given, except that only the earlier units have the blue and white livery, and the later ones have the purple one. The Sm5 is a version of the FLiRT platform specifically adapted for Finland's winter climate, with some of the generous loading gauge used for extra cabin insulation, and with heat exchangers fitted in the ventilation systems. On the right you can see the chief missing member of the VR passenger service family - the 6-car Sm3 Pendolino. Very different body shape from the Pendolino variant used in the UK. This is responsible for Finland's high-speed services, up to 225kph, though very few stretches of line actually support that speed (most notably the newly built shortcut line to Lahti). The tilting capability is used to support enhanced speeds over standard Intercity trains, but at the expense of seating capacity, and tickets on Pendolino services are correspondingly pricier. A small number of the old 2-car Sm1 and Sm2 units (which outwardly look very similar) are still in use, though they have mostly been displaced by the Sm5. Last week, I saw a 6-car set forming a semi-fast from Helsinki to Kouvola, a relatively long-distance route normally served by the Sm4 and Intercity trains. I assume that a larger percentage of stock is out of service at a time due to extra cleaning, and the veteran units are making up the shortfall. There is also a 7-car Sm6 "Allegro" variant, which is designed for and exclusively allocated to cross-border services to Russia; this includes dual-voltage capability as Russia uses DC electrification, and a subtle change to the wheelset gauge as Russian tracks are 4mm narrower. As far as I know, the Sm6 only goes as far as St Petersburg, with more conventional loco-hauled Russian carriages being used for the Moscow service, changing locos at the border. Elsewhere in the country, some of the busier services on lines normally served by the Dm12 may be formed of a Dv12 locomotive and a short rake of blue "express train" carriages. The latter are roughly equivalent to BR Mk2a stock in terms of technology and atmosphere. Confusingly, such trains are referred to as "Pikajuna" or "express train", when they are typically all-stops or at best semi-fast services. From Helsinki, only the overnight sleeper services are classed as "Pikajuna", though they have graduated to Intercity-standard coaching stock. Log in to reply The following user said thank you: postal |