Tehran Metro!

 One of the most Interesting?

There are many great sites to see, if one ever gets to visit Iran, ancient, historical, but the Metro system in the capital is a joy to see and travel on!

Most of the line dates from the end of the Shah in 1979 and was encouraged by the Soviet Union, but Iran has gone on to do their own work and improved the lines into the city with connection to mainline rail?

One does not think that the recent bombings by both the U.S. and Israel targeted any of the structure and that they system is providing air raid cover for civilians!

Most of the stock is modern, compared to other underground systems around the world and they are well maintained and safe, signaling has been improved over the years and comfort designed for large numbers of passengers?

Mono-Rails?

Viability?

Many nations around the world today have invested in the novelty of having their own version of the Mono-Rail system based on those 19thCentury wonders of Germany?

But until recently they have not been as viable apart from an easy way to transit airports and the fad of many a Sci-Fi film! It is the development in Mumbai India that is now leading the way in the first serious points development that will now at last put the mono-rail back as a serious alternative to rail and underground?

China wants a simpler system to move people over ground and various designs have come to the fore, apart from their own mono-rails and levitating railways? The future, here and in Japan look brighter and many other nations are now copping on to the viability of the system!

Engineering, Maintanance and Building. Part-Two.

Differing Requirements?

Because there are so many different gauges around the world and types of systems from mainline, to metro and tubes there is need for the same types doing the same jobs at differing scales. This has been tried on the London Underground, who purchased smaller Class 66 locomotives.

In days gone by steam cranes and open waggons carried material and crew gangs to build, but today a whole section can be laid by machine as we have already seen. It is the complex electrics overhead that cause expense and delays, computer systems have to be accurate with signal commands.

This new requirement when in place allows high-Speed travel and less point switching for passenger trains, but freight remains a different matter. Most recovery over the last forty years has been carried out by a second locomotive, but in the years to come this with under floor motors as on both tube and metro stock will overcome all of the old problems.

Much of the maintenance of the old days may be carried out more by robotic controlled vehicle based on the current stock with video equipment. Not every nation will be able to afford this so depending on where they are many older methods will remain.

Electric Trains. Part-One.

Europe First.

With the advent of electricity it was Europe that first cottoned on to developing electric trains. Many experiments were carried out from Trams to Monorails and then both France and Germany pioneered the field. 

The Paris Metro railway was well ahead of the London Underground by 1900, but England was to commit with Southern third rail and London-Eastern with the Electrical Multiple overhead units

Basically the U.K. was the first to develop overground electric suburban rail networks, Europe advanced with the electric locomotives and have maintained that lead ever since. TVG, Ice and many other high-speed trains are the fruits of electrification.

Light Rail.

Metro to Docklands.

If you ever pop up or are on a visit to London, please make to effort to ride the DLR from Bank to Greenwich. It will be worth your while and an interesting experience.

Light rail is that sort of in between railway, it is neither a tram or a train, but it fills a needed gap in urban transportation requirements. The movement of people, especially in rush hours is a vital aset to ones transport system and is a alternative. 

The Dublin DART, Liverpool and Newcastle METRO perhaps are the best examples of this system along with the east-London DLR.

I hope to cover this subject in closer detail in the next few months.