After a few days break, it is time for the last round of teasers from my latest website update, photos of European high speed trains. I'm pretty sure I've been on every high speed European train at one time or another at this point (I've been on Eurostar, TGV, AVE, ICE, Thalys, and Eurostar Italia) and I've posted some photos of these from other parts of my European adventures in the past. This teaser and the next one will only include photos from my May and June travels, but the rest are on my website, www.orenstransitpage.com (http://www.orenstransitpage.com).
Not much description to offer for these. They are fast (speeds of up to 300 KPH in many circumstances), quiet, smooth riding, comfortable, and did I say fast? Wish we had them in this country, too.
There is one unresized photo in the bunch, I apologize in advance for not having a resized version if it causes anyone inconvenience.
ICE-3 at Köln Messe/Deutz:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpgermpics/ice6.jpg)
AVE Class 103 at Madrid-Atocha:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpspainpics/ave5.jpg)
AVE Class 103 at Barcelona-Sants:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpspainpics/ave2.jpg)
AVE Class 103 interior:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpspainpics/aveint1.jpg)
No explanation needed:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/ave300kph.jpg)
Thalys PBKA trainset at Paris Gare du Nord:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpparispics/thalys3.jpg)
Thalys PBA trainset at Rotterdam Centraal:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpparispics/thalys4.jpg)
Thalys PBKA trainset at Köln Hauptbahnhof:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpparispics/thalys9.jpg)
Eurostar in TGV livery at Paris Gare du Nord:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otplondonpics/eurostar8.jpg)
TGV Paris Sud-Est trainset at Paris Gare du Nord:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpparispics/tgv13.jpg)
TGV Paris Sud-Est trainset at Paris Gare du Nord:
(http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpparispics/tgv14.jpg)
I hope everyone enjoyed the various teasers I've been posting. If you want to see more, just visit my website, www.orenstransitpage.com (http://www.orenstransitpage.com), and you'll find thousands of photos not only from across Europe but North America and the Middle East as well.
Coming sooneventually: Teasers from my most recent visit to New York City (almost two weeks ago at this point)
Damn I would ride those trains all day. If I could, I would have my own high speed train company here in the U.S. The TGV and the ICE are my favs, but I love that red train.
The red train is the Thalys, which operates between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Koeln.
One thing to know/remember about European high speed trains is that many of them are variants of the TGV itself. The Eurostar is a TGV modified for operation through the Chunnel, including the addition of fire supression systems. The Thalys is a TGV modified to handle current changes as it crosses from country to country. It is my understanding that the AVE Class 103 and ICE-3 are very similar to one another (I've been on both and there are definately similarities in the interiors, but I also believe they are mechanically similar to each other). Even our "high speed train", the Acela, borrows design features and technology from these trains, including the TGV, ICE, and Eurostar Italia. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on January 29, 2009, 03:43:11 PM
The red train is the Thalys, which operates between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Koeln.
One thing to know/remember about European high speed trains is that many of them are variants of the TGV itself. The Eurostar is a TGV modified for operation through the Chunnel, including the addition of fire supression systems. The Thalys is a TGV modified to handle current changes as it crosses from country to country. It is my understanding that the AVE Class 103 and ICE-3 are very similar to one another (I've been on both and there are definately similarities in the interiors, but I also believe they are mechanically similar to each other). Even our "high speed train", the Acela, borrows design features and technology from these trains, including the TGV, ICE, and Eurostar Italia. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
I figured Acela had some kind of design from an European train. We could learn some things from European rail systems. We need a lot of high speed service here in the U.S. Maybe one from Chicago to D.C, New York to Chicago, L.A to Seattle, L.A to Chicago, Seattle to Chicago etc. I could go on and on but yeah...
LA to Chicago and Seattle to Chicago are not viable high speed rail line routes, nor is LA to Seattle. Chicago to DC and New York to DC are pushing it as well. In order for high speed rail to be viable in a given corridor, trips can't take more than about 4 hours door to door. For an overnight trip, the train should leave after 7 PM and arrive at the destination before 9 AM. Most potential city pairs in this country do not meet that criteria, but some do, including these:
San Diego-Los Angeles-San Francisco-Sacramento
Eugene-Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, BC (with a spur to Spokane)
Chicago-Detroit
Chicago-Minneapolis
Chicago-Cleveland
Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh
St. Louis-Kansas City
Excellent photographs, thank you very much. The USA is a third-world country with respect to high speed rail transportation. The average speed for an ACELA trainset beween NYC & DC is only about 80 mph! I remember cruising across England and France in a Eurostar trainset effortlessly at 185 mph and that is slow for European trains. The other day I saw an interview with President O'Bama where he said the US rail transit system was a disgrace and he used the example of the ACELA having to slow down to 25 mph to go through the "leaky" Baltimore tunnels.
Nice photos man that Thalys PBKA set with the Red lights on look better than when it has the regular old white lights!!!
Quote from: WMAveteran on January 30, 2009, 01:59:39 AM
Excellent photographs, thank you very much. The USA is a third-world country with respect to high speed rail transportation. The average speed for an ACELA trainset beween NYC & DC is only about 80 mph! I remember cruising across England and France in a Eurostar trainset effortlessly at 185 mph and that is slow for European trains. The other day I saw an interview with President O'Bama where he said the US rail transit system was a disgrace and he used the example of the ACELA having to slow down to 25 mph to go through the "leaky" Baltimore tunnels.
When you rode Eurostar, was it on the original route or the new HSR1? When it terminated at Waterloo, they used conventional tracks in England, but now they use a dedicated high speed line on the British side of the channel from the tunnel to St. Pancras.