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"MIG" wrote in message

On 18 Jul, 16:14, (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:
In article ,





(Recliner) wrote:
"Colin Rosenstiel" wrote in message
l.co.uk
In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

But the aluminium trains are heavier and use more power
than their steel predecessors.

The PEP-derivatives (Classes 313-315, 507 and 508) are aluminium
bodied and as light as anything around, though they are quite old
now.

But aren't the latest Electrostars much heavier? Of course,
they're air-conditioned, faster, safer and quieter, but exactly the
same could be said of modern vs old cars. And at least some modern
cars haven't put on weight (eg, the Jaguar XJ which I cited).

Indeed so.


They've also got considerably more glass to look out of, which is a
Good Thing, but heavy.

Do new trains have bigger/more windows than 1970s trains? I'd have
thought that, if anything, they have less. Admittedly they're now
double-glazed, which wasn't always true 30 years ago.

Cap'n Deltic reckons the weight of the copper wire in a modern train is
appreciable, which I'm sure must be true -- but then, modern cars with
motorised-everything presumably also have quite a lot of power wiring.

As an example, the current XJ has a motorised pedal box, which I assume
the old ones didn't. It lets you adjust the position of the pedals to
suit the thickness of the soles of your shoes (yes, I know that's
decadent, but surprisingly useful). Presumably in some future version,
it'll detect sole thickness automatically as well.

And while the windows aren't bigger, even the side windows are now very
effective acoustic laminated glass which is, I dare say, heavier than
ordinary toughened glass. The steering wheel is also electrically
adjustable in two planes, with multiple memories and automatic
retraction when the driver enters and leaves the car -- a common feature
these days, but not 30-40 years ago. And that's before you start
counting all the airbags, which trains don't have.

And then consider the external mirrors -- these days, they're obviously
electrically adjustable, heated, with electro-chromic dimming,
auto-dipping on the near-side and with indicator lights in them. All of
this must add weight compared to the simple, basic wing mirrors fitted
long ago, yet the car hasn't got heavier.