Must confess I did not realise a D Train has gone considerably further West
than Ealing Broadway or even Long Marston .
Not sure if this link will work properly , the relevant photos are around
13-14 April.

https://www.facebook.com/rockhilltrolley/

https://vivarail.co.uk/RDCVR2CAR/

Meanwhile I notice a second 484 unit has reached the I.O.W , l wonder if
the software issues have been sorted.

The transport contractor was busy as well as taking over the 484 they
moved a couple of the former units around on the Island, the best
operating set is now safe at the steam railway, a heavily graffitied set
was taken to a tourist centre to be used as a Cafe.
Both were shunted from Ryde to Sandown sidings by a Unimog vehicle.

https://youtu.be/D2SuG_0Op5U

https://youtu.be/I8bMaPy9sFA

GH

Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
> Must confess I did not realise a D Train has gone considerably further West
> than Ealing Broadway or even Long Marston .
> Not sure if this link will work properly , the relevant photos are around
> 13-14 April.
>
> https://www.facebook.com/rockhilltrolley/
>
> https://vivarail.co.uk/RDCVR2CAR/

Yes, Vivarail is a US-owned company, and the dearth of UK sales has forced
it to seek business on the other side of the Pond. The D-trains wouldn't be
allowed it mix with sturdier US trains on the same tracks, so they'd
effectively be treated as light rail vehicles, confined to feeder branches.
So they might appear on a scaled-up US equivalent of the Stourbridge Town
branch line.

>
>
> Meanwhile I notice a second 484 unit has reached the I.O.W , l wonder if
> the software issues have been sorted.

I don't think so. They plan to move the units there pending the software
fix (which can obviously be applied locally).

> The transport contractor was busy as well as taking over the 484 they
> moved a couple of the former units around on the Island, the best
> operating set is now safe at the steam railway, a heavily graffitied set
> was taken to a tourist centre to be used as a Cafe.
> Both were shunted from Ryde to Sandown sidings by a Unimog vehicle.
>
> https://youtu.be/D2SuG_0Op5U
>
> https://youtu.be/I8bMaPy9sFA
>

Pity they couldn't have been moved by rail to the Steam Railway!

Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yes, Vivarail is a US-owned company, and the dearth of UK sales has forced
> it to seek business on the other side of the Pond. The D-trains wouldn't be
> allowed it mix with sturdier US trains on the same tracks, so they'd
> effectively be treated as light rail vehicles, confined to feeder branches.
> So they might appear on a scaled-up US equivalent of the Stourbridge Town
> branch line.

I think the idea is that a lot of US light rail systems use the same tracks
as freight trains, but time-separated to avoid conflicts. Light rail runs
in the daytime, freight at night.

This vehicle is a demonstrator for how to set up a light rail system. Take
existing freight line (sufficiently lightly used that it doesn't need
daytime freight - possibly a lot of non-trunk routes). Plonk this battery
class 230 on it. Build some temporary platforms (the 230 is a high floor
vehicle). Now you have a prototype light rail system. Run it 'one engine
in steam' in essentially a daytime possession.

The point of this is that a lot of US cities haven't had passenger rail in
decades, and so it's better to provide a real prototype service than try and
draw usage projections in a market that has barely seen a train in living
memory. That way it provides data to motivate spending money on building a
permanent light rail system.

I don't see this as a route to selling vast quantities of stock though -
given the number of concurrent trials like this are likely to be limited.
Stadler will happily sell you a US-built FLIRT so there is also competition,
although Vivarail argue their stock as a trial is cheaper than a
consultant's report (and being battery no doubt helps over Stadler's
diesel).

Theo

On 02 Jun 2021 10:21:17 +0100 (BST), Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

>Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Yes, Vivarail is a US-owned company, and the dearth of UK sales has forced
>> it to seek business on the other side of the Pond. The D-trains wouldn't be
>> allowed it mix with sturdier US trains on the same tracks, so they'd
>> effectively be treated as light rail vehicles, confined to feeder branches.
>> So they might appear on a scaled-up US equivalent of the Stourbridge Town
>> branch line.
>
>I think the idea is that a lot of US light rail systems use the same tracks
>as freight trains, but time-separated to avoid conflicts. Light rail runs
>in the daytime, freight at night.
>
>This vehicle is a demonstrator for how to set up a light rail system. Take
>existing freight line (sufficiently lightly used that it doesn't need
>daytime freight - possibly a lot of non-trunk routes). Plonk this battery
>class 230 on it. Build some temporary platforms (the 230 is a high floor
>vehicle). Now you have a prototype light rail system. Run it 'one engine
>in steam' in essentially a daytime possession.
>
>The point of this is that a lot of US cities haven't had passenger rail in
>decades, and so it's better to provide a real prototype service than try and
>draw usage projections in a market that has barely seen a train in living
>memory. That way it provides data to motivate spending money on building a
>permanent light rail system.
>
>I don't see this as a route to selling vast quantities of stock though -
>given the number of concurrent trials like this are likely to be limited.
>Stadler will happily sell you a US-built FLIRT so there is also competition,
>although Vivarail argue their stock as a trial is cheaper than a
>consultant's report (and being battery no doubt helps over Stadler's
>diesel).

Yes, it does sound like a bit of a desperate long shot for significant sales.

I also notice that Vivarail seems to be talking about potential larger export orders elsewhere, but not necessarily
using D-stock bodies.

On 2 Jun 2021 06:13:13 GMT, Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk>
wrote:

>Must confess I did not realise a D Train has gone considerably further West
>than Ealing Broadway or even Long Marston .
>Not sure if this link will work properly , the relevant photos are around
>13-14 April.
>
>https://www.facebook.com/rockhilltrolley/
>
>https://vivarail.co.uk/RDCVR2CAR/
>
>
>Meanwhile I notice a second 484 unit has reached the I.O.W , l wonder if
>the software issues have been sorted.
>
>
>The transport contractor was busy as well as taking over the 484 they
>moved a couple of the former units around on the Island, the best
>operating set is now safe at the steam railway, a heavily graffitied set
>was taken to a tourist centre to be used as a Cafe.
>Both were shunted from Ryde to Sandown sidings by a Unimog vehicle.
>
>https://youtu.be/D2SuG_0Op5U
>
>https://youtu.be/I8bMaPy9sFA
>
>GH
>
>
>
>

One of the investors in Vivarail is Henry Posner (via has RDC
company). He also has a finger in the pie of resurrecting the East
Broad Top (3ft gauge) which is (literally) just over the road from the
Rockhill Trolley Museum.