For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Wow, thanks for those pics. It reminds me of Total Recall.

Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this:
http://www.bombardier.com/content/da...b.750.750.jpeg

--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Richard J. wrote:
Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this:
http://www.bombardier.com/content/da...b.750.750.jpeg


Yes, that looks right. From memory, I think the trains have four (or five)
carriages. The much more visible elevated Gatwick inter-terminal shuttle
trains have three carriages.

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two. There's obvious scope for the
line to be extended to a future third satellite or linked to a rebuilt
central terminal.

One thing that may or not be obvious from the pics is that the Transit is
very clean and well maintained; it still looks brand new, despite being
almost a decade old.

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:13:51 on Fri, 24 Mar 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two.

In both cases like the shuttle at Stansted, or thinking back a long way
the inter-terminal shuttle at DFW back in the 80's. May be still there.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:13:51 on Fri, 24 Mar 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two.

In both cases like the shuttle at Stansted, or thinking back a long way
the inter-terminal shuttle at DFW back in the 80's. May be still there.

No, the Gatwick shuttle is different: it's simply two unconnected shuttle
lines, with no switches or crossovers. Each line has its own train that
simply shuttles backwards and forwards, so there are a maximum of two
trains. In Stansted, there are separate up and down lines, and the number
of trains isn't limited by the layout. The Heathrow T5 system can work in
either mode.

In message
-sept
ember.org, at 09:11:51 on Sat, 25 Mar 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two.

In both cases like the shuttle at Stansted, or thinking back a long way
the inter-terminal shuttle at DFW back in the 80's. May be still there.

No,

Yes ... Stansted and DFW "both have" points for trains to switch tracks,
and not limited to two trains.

the Gatwick shuttle is different: it's simply two unconnected shuttle
lines, with no switches or crossovers. Each line has its own train that
simply shuttles backwards and forwards, so there are a maximum of two
trains. In Stansted, there are separate up and down lines, and the number
of trains isn't limited by the layout. The Heathrow T5 system can work in
either mode.


--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 24 Mar 2017 22:13:51 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
Yes, that looks right. From memory, I think the trains have four (or five)
carriages. The much more visible elevated Gatwick inter-terminal shuttle
trains have three carriages.

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two. There's obvious scope for the
line to be extended to a future third satellite or linked to a rebuilt
central terminal.

One thing that may or not be obvious from the pics is that the Transit is
very clean and well maintained; it still looks brand new, despite being
almost a decade old.

I wonder where "people mover" ends and metro train begins? These vehicles
seem to be in that grey area somewhere in between though the VAL metros
in france are pretty much the same except ridiculously narrow (presumably
for tunneling cost reasons).

--
Spud

wrote:
On Fri, 24 Mar 2017 22:13:51 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
Yes, that looks right. From memory, I think the trains have four (or five)
carriages. The much more visible elevated Gatwick inter-terminal shuttle
trains have three carriages.

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two. There's obvious scope for the
line to be extended to a future third satellite or linked to a rebuilt
central terminal.

One thing that may or not be obvious from the pics is that the Transit is
very clean and well maintained; it still looks brand new, despite being
almost a decade old.

I wonder where "people mover" ends and metro train begins? These vehicles
seem to be in that grey area somewhere in between though the VAL metros
in france are pretty much the same except ridiculously narrow (presumably
for tunneling cost reasons).

I'd say this is at the people mover end of the spectrum.

But I wouldn't say it was ridiculously narrow:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/33493259211/in/photostream/lightbox/

One limiting factor on tunnel size is that they have to bear the weight of
575 tonne A380s a few metres above.

On Sat, 25 Mar 2017 21:46:40 -0000 (UTC)
Recliner wrote:
wrote:
I wonder where "people mover" ends and metro train begins? These vehicles
seem to be in that grey area somewhere in between though the VAL metros
in france are pretty much the same except ridiculously narrow (presumably
for tunneling cost reasons).

I'd say this is at the people mover end of the spectrum.

But I wouldn't say it was ridiculously narrow:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/33493259211/in/photostream/lightbox/

No, not the T5 one - I was refering the the VAL systems. Even narrower than
a tube train (though higher) and the one in toulouse in the rush hour was not
a pleasent experience.

--
Spud