|
Thanks SFE!,
We will just love more hand-me -down HST's! Problem is lack of acceleration along the West country main line with its sharp curves and steep hills. We need the wires to give the performance we need to accelerate services. It currently takes 195 minutes for 185 miles from Newton Abbot to Paddington by the fastest service.
There is enough clearance on the Royal Albert Bridge, Brunel didn't skimp on his clearances. The soggy bit of the GW line is between Dawlish and Teignmouth (Saltash is 40 miles away). Last time I visited Blackpool (I used to live there), it had it's trams on the promenade which still ran during the worst storms without fatalities although sand caused a few derailments. Anyway, diesel "thunderbirds" could escort 'leccy' trains just as they do in engineering gaps now, between Exeter and Newton Abbot.
|