The previous article was popular, because on the eve of the summer I decided to again turn to the topic of train travel and highlight some more tricks and unobvious moments associated with this type of movement. If anyone missed, then the first article on this topic. Knowing these things makes your trip more comfortable or predictable, and something can even save your life (seriously!)
Train passenger tricks
1. Number of seats in the car
People are sometimes confused and cannot understand what place they are buying. In fact, everything is simple. Odd numbers are lower shelves. Even - top. Numbers 1 to 36 are seats in the compartment (9 compartments in 4 places). From 37 to 54 - side in the reserved seat. And yes, 37 and 38 are the same side walls at the toilet!
Regarding which places are better to choose, one can reason for a long time. It is traditionally believed that the last compartment in the reserved seat is worse than the rest, and the worst place in the car is 38 (the upper side wall of the toilet). By the way, in new cars, the vacuum toilet can work quite noisily, then the last compartment of the compartment car will be different from the rest, a little worse. But, for example, 35 and 36 regiments in the reserved seat (the last compartment, seats on the right) are good from some point of view, better than 33 and 34. In most cars (but not in new ones), there is a partition at places 35.36, which protects legs from the door. The same partition also protects against careless passengers. Have you ever been woken up by people passing by accidentally hitting your leg? Me - yes, especially if you go to the lower shelf (I do not like the lower shelves). This partition restricts someone, but for me, there’s more benefit from it than harm.
Personally, I don’t like the first compartment in the reserved seat because it is fairly light at night - in the service aisle, the light usually does not go out and makes it a little difficult to sleep. In general, based on probability theory, on average, the calmest and quietest places will be in the middle of the car (17-20 and side 45-46), if we assume that it’s calmer where you walk less. This is in a standard carriage with toilets on both sides. But how exactly will be in your case - no one knows. There will be a snoring passenger in this middle of the car, and suffer like this all night 🙂
2. Cheaper ticket categories
For some time now, there is a different approach to the cost of different seats in the carriage in Russian Railways cars. In my opinion, it is perfectly reasonable that places with different levels of comfort should vary in price. Today it is implemented, although not always and not everywhere.
It works like this. We go in and start looking for tickets in the direction. They show us some prices. Then we go to the data entry, continue the design, and then we find that the final price is much higher than the one indicated during the search. Simply, when searching, they show us the minimum prices, and the place is automatically selected at the maximum. So for the minimum cost you need to choose a place yourself.
The problem is that at the moment the Russian Railways website does not inform us in advance what place it costs, we only learn about it at the stage of the last data check. And the situation is far from always the same. Possible options that I have identified empirically:
- in the compartment upper shelves may be cheaper than lower;
- in the reserved seat all top shelves may be cheaper;
- side upper shelves may be cheaper;
- the last compartment of the reserved seat may be cheaper, by the toilet, places 33-38;
- it may be cheaper than the only 38 shelf, sideboard by the toilet.
It happens that 38 regiments are sold at one price, and all the others at one different price. And it happens that the 38th shelf is the cheapest, the upper shelves are more expensive, and the lower ones are even more expensive. But the 38th regiment will not necessarily be cheaper than the other upper ones. It happens that one has to figure out with such an exhaustive search what Russian Railways came up with this time.
3. Emergency exits in compartment 3 and 6
For those who feel stuffy and who like to open windows. In new cars, it’s irrelevant - air conditioning is working, but for old cars everything is still the same. I remind you that in the car there are two compartments with emergency exits through the window. It is always a compartment numbered 3 and 6, seat numbers in the car 9-12 and 21-24. On the window there it says “Emergency exit”. You cannot open it without the need.
In fact, there are especially gifted people who open such windows. It is difficult, but it can open, as usual. But if, after all, someone guessed to open such a window, then in no case should you try to close it.I remember the story when the conductor tried to close such a window while the train was moving. The window did not close immediately, and she guessed to stand on the table. As a result, flew out of the car with the window - this is an emergency exit!
If the window is open, then it is worth telling the conductor about this. Maybe they will try to close it while parking at the station. But personally, I would have left at the place of the conductor until the end of the route. So if you do not want to go with the window open all the way and freeze at night, then do not touch it. And don’t touch it at all!
4. How many errors can be in the ticket
Several times I heard that up to three mistakes are made in the first name and surname or passport number. In fact, when I worked as a guide (although it was in 2008, I doubt that something had changed), according to the instructions, we had to let the passenger into the car if there was a mistake in one (!) Letter or number. It was allowed that two adjacent letters or numbers were interchanged. I think if you have 2-3 errors in the surname, and the passport number is written correctly (or vice versa), then, probably, you will still be put on the train. But it is better not to take risks and carefully check your data when buying.
Obviously, it is necessary to present the document for which the ticket was purchased (passport, passport, military ID). The document number and name on the ticket must match the document. I recall the cases when the conductors put passengers with errors on the ticket “for a fee”. But this is forbidden, rarely anyone will do this, according to the rules, the conductor simply must refuse to land.
5. Do I need to print a paper ticket
With the introduction of electronic registration, we were able to travel without traditional tickets printed on an orange form. Now you can buy a ticket yourself on the Internet and go on it. We are provided with a paper ticket, which is a strict reporting document. By the way, do not forget to check that there is a mark “Passed electronic registration” on the ticket. Today, in 99 cases out of 100, when buying on the Internet, electronic registration is automatic. But there are still trains where, in principle, it cannot be. If you bought such a ticket, then you will need to print an orange ticket at the ticket office or in the terminal, otherwise they will not be put on the train. So for now, we are checking that there are no surprises.
Regarding the need to print a paper ticket. The following is written on it;
“Print this coupon or save it on your mobile device and present it at the time of boarding together with the identity document indicated when purchasing the electronic ticket.”
In fact, conductors do not ask for this listing in 90% of cases. If they have lists, then they will look for your last name in the list, checking only the passport. True, it sometimes happens that they do not have lists. And then something is needed confirming. Personally, I’m not printing anything right now, and if necessary, I’m showing a ticket in the smartphone application. I use the unofficial “Russian Railways Application”, wrote about it, very convenient.
Oh, by the way, I once came across a story when a peasant did not want to be put on a train. He had passed electronic registration, and on the ticket it was written about it, I saw it myself. But for some reason he was not on the landing lists. The situation was solved, the head of the train called somewhere, registered it. Then he told him that he somehow did not complete the registration. I can’t imagine what it could be. If only he registered, printed the form, and then canceled the electronic registration. Or a failure at Russian Railways. I don’t think it’s worth worrying much about such opportunities.
6. When does the boarding start and when does it end
We are not talking about intermediate stations, where the landing starts in accordance with the schedule, but about the initial ones. Here, boarding begins exactly 30 minutes before departure. Often the composition itself is served to the platform earlier. And some passengers like to get to their car, it is especially interesting in the winter, and wait on the platform and remember the conductor with an unkind word. You can still start knocking on the window. So all this is pointless, the landing should begin the same throughout the composition, in exactly 30 minutes. Then, the station will announce the start of boarding your train. So if you arrived at the station early, then sit quietly in the building. Peregrine Falcons, by the way, are often served even later, usually in about 20 minutes.
5 minutes before departure, they announce at the station that “there are 5 minutes left before boarding”. After this announcement, the conductor will ask everyone who is still on the platform to go into the car, and then go through the car to check if there are any mourners.
2 minutes before the departure of the train, they announce “a train such and such leaves from such and such a route”. That's right, they have already announced that the train leaves, but before the departure two more minutes. By the way, this also applies to commuter trains. Therefore, if you are late for the train and heard such an announcement, then do not despair. There is still some time to try to be in time.
7. Is it possible to hop on the train on the go
In the cinema, we have repeatedly seen passengers running along the platform behind a train that has already started moving and jumping into the open doors. In fact, this will never happen. The conductor must close the door immediately after the train has started. It’s more expensive to land passengers when the train has already begun. Besides the fact that you can get a fine, it may well turn out that the passenger confused the train (not the car, but the train!). And what will the conductor do with it when the train is already moving?
Therefore, if you came running to a door already closed, then knocking and asking for admission is pointless. Just turn around and go to the cashier, try (some amount you can still expect to receive).
To prevent such situations, we arrive at the landing in advance, and if we already feel that we do not have time in our car, then we run into the first one that we get. The conductor is required to land you upon presentation of a ticket for this train.
For situations when you are already traveling by train, and left at the intermediate station. There, theoretically, it would be possible to sit on the go, most likely, the conductor will wait, in which case it is already disadvantageous for him, if you stay, write reports later. But it’s better not to bring this up, except that the conductor risks a fine, because it’s also elementarily dangerous. Therefore, we follow the rules, listen to the requirements of the conductor, and go into the car in advance!
8. Is it possible not to buy bed linen
Today it is impossible to refuse to buy bed linen in compartment cars and SV. But in the reserved seat you can. In 2017, underwear costs 138 rubles, and over time this figure is gradually growing, along with inflation.
But you must remember that paying for bed linen gives you the right to use a mattress, pillow and blanket. If the linen is not paid, then you can’t use it, so the option with your own bed linen will not work. Therefore, such savings make sense only if you plan to sit all the way. No one forbids hikers to lay out their skins and sleeping bags 🙂
By the way, if you did not include bed linen in the ticket in advance, then it can always be purchased from the guide for the same price.
9. A bandage for a dream
It is absolutely incomprehensible to me why this attribute is not very popular among travelers. After I appreciated the convenience of the sleep dressing, I never part with it at all, especially when traveling in any transport.
Thanks to this accessory, we become independent of the lighting in the car. You can sleep during the day. But even at night there are some problems on the train, for example, that you are already going to sleep, but everyone does not turn off the light. Once I was driving in a reserved seat car, where an inexperienced conductor left a dim light all night. You could go and ask to turn it off, but it was easier to put on a bandage and not think about it.
10. Do I need to pour tea myself
When we buy tea from the conductor, it is not necessary to pour boiling water on our own. In many cases, the guide himself will offer you tea to your place. But it happens that the conductors are too lazy to do this and limit themselves to giving you a glass in the cup holder and a tea bag. To prevent this from happening, do not ask for tea and wait. We approached the guide, said: “Bring tea to such and such a place, please,” and that’s all, we’re leaving. We will pay the money when it brings. The conductor is not a fool, of course, will bring you tea, it is beneficial for him. You don’t even have to go after him, you can pick out the conductor when he passes by your place. C - service.
Although I do not force anyone to strain the conductor once again, some people like to pour tea for themselves.
You learned how vast our homeland was in childhood, at a geography lesson. And then it struck you to drive it all on the train for 6 days. The beginning is good, the journey will be informative. But here is the situation in the train you are sitting in, of course, Spartan: no bathtub or even a seedy shower, strange food at obviously overpriced prices in a restaurant car, dangerous neighbors and many other little things. Now we will tell you how to get through this with minimal loss.
Don't stink
From the moment you stepped in the car door, you will have to forget about the usual water procedures. To keep your human appearance, put dry shampoo in your bag. This contraption is extremely simple: you spray it onto your hair from an arm's length, wait a couple of minutes until the absorbent (than dry shampoo is) sucks particles of dirt, grease and dust from your hair, and comb it thoroughly. Your head will not become as clean as after an ordinary shampoo, but this is a worthy compromise for the duration of the trip. And do not use it every day, it will not benefit the scalp. The second point is wet wipes to wipe away particularly odorous places on your body. Collect those that say "for intimate hygiene", they will dry your skin less than others.
Do not get lost
Always carry your ticket, passport, compulsory health insurance policy and cash. Firstly, they steal on trains. Secondly, in any emergency this particular set will help you cope with the situation. For example, you gape on the platform somewhere in Ulan-Ude and the train left without you. Go straight to the station duty officer, present your passport and ticket. If the train left earlier than it should (this happens if the train does not fit into the schedule), you must be transferred to the next one. And if you missed the departure yourself - well, at least they will return part of the cost of the ticket to you. And the sooner you report a situation, the closer you go to get your luggage: things will be left to the personnel of the nearest station.
Where are we going?
If you are planning to ride this train, it will not hurt to find out something about him. Here are some facts to show off in front of a pretty fellow traveler:
1. The branded train "Russia" No. 2/1 (that’s the name of the train running from Moscow to Vladivostok and back) went on its first flight on September 30, 1966.
2. The train passes 9259 km, and it is the longest railway route on the planet. Travel time is 6 days plus or minus an hour.
3. The composition passes through 14 regions, 90 cities and 8 time zones.
4. On the way, the train passes 65 stops. The shortest - only 1 minute, for example Bogotol and Achinsk. The longest - for half an hour (you can go out to stretch your legs, say, in Khabarovsk and Belogorsk).
5. In addition to the branded "Russia", the route also runs an unnamed nameless fast train at number 100E. Tickets for it are cheaper, which affects the quality of the finish and, probably, the courtesy of the conductors. And he goes 19 hours longer and makes as many as 126 stops.
Do not stick anywhere
The frequency in the outlet that you will find in your compartment (if you are not traveling on a reserved seat, of course) is 200 Hz, it is designed for electric shavers. Put your phone or laptop into it - and don’t complain about the fact that they have broken. For portable equipment in each car, a common outlet is installed - next to it you need to stand shamefully and guard your device if it is charging.
Stock up on food
In order for the food you took with you to remain edible for a long time without a refrigerator, you must observe two conditions: a minimum of contact with air and moisture. It is clear that the product itself should not be perishable, so forget about the cottage cheese. But with another important source of protein - meat, everything is already better.
Option one - bake, for example, pork with spices. Here is the recipe from the cook and host of cooking programs on NTV Konstantin Zhuk:
1. Take a pork tenderloin (700 grams), rinse with cold water and cut off all the visible fat from it;
2. Make holes in the tenderloin and cram 10 cloves of garlic into them (if the prongs are large, cut them along and cram anyway);
3. Sprinkle the meat with olive oil, thickly add salt and pepper (take a tablespoon of both, these are natural preservatives; you can add any aromatic herbs to your taste), then tightly wrap in foil;
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, bake for 1.5-2 hours. Done! Such a dish will last two days even in warmth.
The second option is to dry the meat to the state of chips. This, of course, is not a full dinner, as is the case with baked tenderloin, but such food does not spoil for a week, or even longer:
1. Cut a piece of pork or beef into 600 grams into strips - as thin as you can (you can chop off the pieces so that they become even thinner);
2. Knead the marinade: 5 tbsp. l sugar, 4 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. l Uksu-sa, 5 tbsp. l soy sauce and 1 tbsp. l ground coriander. Put the meat in the marinade and send it to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or better - for 8;
3. Put baking paper on a baking sheet, lay the pieces of meat on top and bake in the oven at 100 degrees for about 45 minutes, so that all moisture leaves the chips.
Limited to these two recipes is not necessary. You can fry or bake any meat or poultry, the main thing is that there is a minimum of moisture in the product (and do not forget to generously salt and pepper, but so that the dish is still edible). Pack food tightly in foil or a food container and do not use cling film - without a refrigerator, bacteria will multiply very quickly in it.
What is when baked pork ends? You can help canned beans: beans, chickpeas, beans themselves, etc. Look for ready-to-eat and eat right out of the can. Legumes are full of slow carbohydrates - your body will digest them for half a day, and you will not get hungry anymore. Ignore the stew, and it’s better to take several cans of baby puree from fish and meat with you. The taste, of course, is disgusting, but it is the most dietary food, without preservatives and flavor enhancers.
If you are in trouble
1. A police outfit rides on the train throughout the route. So if you have missed your things - go to them. It’s not that they were any different from all the other police officers that you saw earlier, but at least these guys have the right to walk on cars and compartments and check passengers - if any of them are wearing the same jacket that is for you James Hetfield personally signed.
2. Report the health condition to the conductor - he will take action. You will be taken to the first station, where an ambulance will be handed over, at which you will go to the nearest hospital. Seeing your passport and the MHI policy (you carry them with you, how did you agree?), People in white coats will be obliged to save you. The good news: as you come to your senses, they will transfer you for free to the next train, next to Vladivostok. But for this, it will be necessary to demonstrate to the cashier at the station not only your ticket and passport, but also the certificate from the hospital that you really had them.
Since the title is about fuel for trains, and this term, according to the explanatory dictionary of Vladimir Dahl, originally included horse-drawn carts and following each other, in particular at the wedding ceremony, representing a single “wedding train”. The meaning of the last word comes from the Russian word trip. In this case, oats served as fuel for the horses.
With the development of new technology, the same V. Dahl appeared and new definitions of the word "train". Now, under this definition, all the cars that were linked together and already represented a single train led by a steam locomotive fell. Efron and Brockhaus, who were: the first Russian, and the second of German descent, publishers, went further. They stipulated one more condition for the word “train” - this is the quantitative and qualitative composition of the traction units in such a composition. So all the same cars appeared, interlocked with each other, which the locomotive put in the head of such a “caravan” had to drive.
When horse-drawn transport lost its significance as a long-distance transport and remained only as a transport unit in the city, people began to apply the meaning of the word "train" only to the railway.
In the future, the meaning of the word was repeatedly changed and supplemented with new technical terms, including the definition of identification and light signals, listing technical means, stipulating conditions that could fall under this value.
Subsequently, exceptions appeared that could not be considered and called a “train”, starting with road transport.
The advent of the locomotive era came to us in the nineteenth century and reigned supreme on the world's railways until the mid-twentieth century, until the first diesel locomotives and then electric locomotives appeared on a massive scale.
Based on the name of the first steam locomotive machines on the railway, steam provided their engine, and fuel was needed for its production, and it was famous coal. A little later, in areas where oil was being extracted, heavy fuel oil was used for locomotive locomotives. But still, on the scale of our Russia, on the territory of European countries and on the American continent, only coal was originally used as the fuel for the engine. In the dashing year of the revolutionary days, as well as during the Civil War, wood or peat was burned in locomotive furnaces, sometimes dried fish was used as an absolutely exotic fuel. On a locomotive locomotive, a tender served as the storage of coal fuel. In such a car, water supplies were also stored. On locomotives that did not have such a tender, all their coal fuel and water were stored on the engine itself. For this reason, this modification of the locomotive was called the “locomotive tank”.
Solid fuel burned in the boiler furnace. To ensure its combustion, a grate was used. Waste as slag and ash was collected in the so-called ash pan, after passing through a sieve of a special grate.
With the help of a large number of flame tubes and smoke tubes, heat was exchanged and water was heated in the boiler, forming the same steam that was sent directly to the steam engine, which ensured the movement of the locomotive, activating the crank mechanism, which eventually transformed into rotational movement of the locomotive wheels.
It should be noted that the engineers who created the steam miracle went a very complicated way, inventing their car. Initially, they relied more on their intuition than on specific calculations.
Technique, which was improved, could serve people for a long time. In this case, the engineers were on the right track, being in a constant creative and technical search, including new types of fuel. For these purposes, enthusiasts suggested learning how to properly burn coal dust, which could significantly increase the useful fuel coefficient of the charcoal used. At the same time, the furnace volumes could not increase. But all these suggestions were only theoretical calculations, without solid practical ground under them. As a result, coal dust did not serve as fuel, since the inventors did not achieve operational reliability of pulverized-coal units of locomotive locomotives. It was not possible to fully curb the process of burning coal mass, including coal dust, at high temperatures. Therefore, this kind of fuel was abandoned.
After that, the era of the search and creation of additional equipment to increase the efficiency of the used coal fuel began. So the first Duplexes stockers appeared, which provided a two-way supply of solid fuel to the furnace vent. In the Soviet Socialist Republic, a similar one was found on the locomotive modifications "IS" and "FD".
The American inventors offered the engines to the so-called mechanical devices: “pushers”, which successfully loosened the frozen coal directly in the tender. As a result, the already loosened fuel by means of a conveyor was supplied directly to the stocker.
In the twentieth century, transport units appeared in the form of diesel locomotives, on which diesel fuel was already used for power plants. It could be directly a diesel engine or a gas turbine was installed. True, the train train of cars continued to be heated for a long time with coal.
Then came the first electric locomotives, which were originally consumed as fuel
DC electrical energy. Subsequently, gradually began to switch to the use of already alternating current. This kind of transport units has established itself as an environmentally friendly transport. Emission of harmful substances has been significantly reduced.
The theory of train movement is an integral part of the applied science of train traction, which studies the issues of train movement and the operation of locomotives. For a clearer understanding of the operation of an electric locomotive, it is necessary to know the basic principles of this theory. First of all, we consider the main forces acting on a train when moving - it is the traction force F, the resistance to movement W, the braking force B. The driver can change the traction force and the braking force; the force of resistance to movement cannot be controlled.
How are these forces formed, on what do they depend? We have already said that each driving wheel pair of an electric locomotive has a separate traction motor, which is connected to it by a gear reducer (Fig. 3, a). The small gear wheel of the gearbox (gear) is mounted on the shaft of the traction motor, and the large one is on the axis of the wheelset. The ratio of the number of teeth of a large wheel to the number of teeth of a small wheel is called the gear ratio. If you use the traction motor, then torque is created on its shaft. The frequency of rotation of the wheelset will be 1 times less than the frequency of rotation of the motor shaft, but the torque, respectively, 1 times more (if you do not take into account the efficiency of the gear transmission).
Consider the conditions necessary for the electric locomotive to move.
If the wheels of the electric locomotive did not touch the rails, then after starting the traction engines they would simply rotate, remaining in the same place. However, due to the fact that the wheels of the locomotive come into contact with the rails when transmitting torques M on the axis of the wheel pairs, the adhesion force appears between the surfaces of the wheels and the rails.
Along the way, we note that initially, when creating the first locomotives - steam locomotives, they generally doubted their ability to move along a “smooth” rail track. Therefore, it was proposed to create a gearing between the wheels of the steam locomotive and the rails (Blenkinson steam locomotive). A locomotive (Brunton steam locomotive) was also built, which moved on rails with the help of special devices that alternately repelled from the path. Fortunately, these doubts did not materialize.
The moment M (see Fig. 3) applied to the wheel forms a pair of forces with shoulder R. The force FK is directed against the movement. She seeks to move the wheel reference point relative to the rail in the direction opposite to the direction of movement. This is prevented by the reaction force of the rail arising from pressing the wheel on the rail at the reference point, the so-called traction force Fcu. According to Newton’s third law, it is equal to and opposite to the force FK. This force makes the wheel, and therefore the electric locomotive, move along the rail.
There are two points in the place of contact of the wheel with the rail, one of which belongs to the bandage Ab, and the other to the rail Ar. In an electric locomotive standing motionless, these points merge into one. If in the process of transmitting a torque to the wheel, the point Ab displaces relative to the point Лр, then in the next instant, the points of the bandage begin to come into contact with the point Лр in turn. In this case, the locomotive does not move, and if it has already moved, then its speed decreases sharply, the wheel loses emphasis and begins to slip relative to the rail - to box.
In the case when the points Ap and Ab do not have a relative displacement, at each subsequent moment of time they exit the contact, but at the same time the following points continuously come into contact: BB with Br, Wb with Br, etc.
The point of contact between the wheel and the rail is the instantaneous center of rotation. Obviously, the speed with which the instantaneous center of rotation moves along the rails is equal to the speed of translational motion of the locomotive.
For the movement of the electric locomotive, it is necessary that the adhesion force at the point of contact of the wheel and rail feu, equal to but opposite in the direction of the force FK, does not exceed a certain limit value. Until it reaches its point, the force FC creates a reactive moment FCVLR, which, under the condition of uniform motion, should equal the torque.
The sum of the adhesion forces at the points of contact of all the wheels of the electric locomotive determines the total force, called the tangent force of the traction FK. It is easy to imagine that there is a certain maximum traction force limited by adhesion forces, at which boxing does not yet occur.
The occurrence of adhesion can be somewhat simplified as follows. There are bumps on the seemingly smooth surfaces of the rails and wheels. Since the contact area (contact surface) of the wheel and rail is very small, and the load of the wheels on the rails is significant, large pressures occur at the contact point. The irregularities of the wheel are pressed into the irregularities on the surface of the rails, as a result of which the wheel engages with the rail.
It was found that the adhesion force is directly proportional to the pressure force - the load from all moving wheels on the rails. This load is called the grip weight of the locomotive.
To calculate the greatest traction force that a locomotive can develop without exceeding the traction force, in addition to the grip weight, it is also necessary to know the traction coefficient. Multiplying the grip weight of the locomotive by this coefficient, determine the traction force.
The work of many scientists and practitioners is devoted to the problem of the maximum use of the force of adhesion of wheels to rails. It has not been finally resolved so far.
What determines the value of the coefficient of adhesion? First of all, it depends on the material and the condition of the contacting surfaces, the shape of the bandages and rails. With increasing hardness of the tires of the wheelsets and rails, the adhesion coefficient increases. When the rails are wet and dirty, the adhesion coefficient is lower than when dry and clean. The influence of the state of the surface of the rails on the coefficient of adhesion can be illustrated by the following example. In the newspaper Trud of December 13, 1973, in a note entitled Snails Against a Steam Locomotive, it was reported that one of the trains in Italy had to stop for several hours. The reason for the delay was a huge number of snails crawling through the railroad tracks. The driver tried to lead the train through this moving mass, but to no avail: the wheels were skidding and he could not budge. Only after the stream of snails thinned, the train could move.
The adhesion coefficient also depends on the design of the electric locomotive - spring suspension devices, the switching on of traction motors, their location, type of current, condition of the track (the more the rails are deformed or the ballast layer sags, the lower the adhesion coefficient is realized) and other reasons. How these reasons influence the realization of traction force will be described later in the relevant paragraphs of the book. The adhesion coefficient also depends on the speed of the train: at the moment the train starts moving, it is larger, with increasing speed, the realized adhesion coefficient first increases slightly, then drops. As you know, its value varies widely - from 0.06 to 0.5. Due to the fact that the adhesion coefficient depends on many reasons, the estimated adhesion coefficient is used to determine the maximum traction force that an electric locomotive can develop without boxing. It represents the ratio of the greatest traction force reliably realized under operating conditions to the grip weight of the locomotive. The estimated coefficient of adhesion is determined by empirical formulas that depend on speed; they are obtained on the basis of numerous studies and experimental trips, taking into account the achievements of advanced machinists.
When starting off, that is, when the speed is zero, the coefficient for direct current and dual power electric locomotives is 0.34 (0.33 for VL8 series electric locomotives) and 0.36 for alternating current electric locomotives. So, for a dual-supply electric locomotive V L 82m, the coupling weight of which is P \u003d 1960 kN (200 tf), the tangential traction force Fк, taking into account the calculated coefficient.
If the surface of the rails is dirty and the adhesion coefficient has dropped, say, to 0.2, then the traction force Pk will be 392 kN (40 tf). When sand is supplied, this coefficient can increase to the previous value and even exceed it. The use of sand is especially effective at low speeds: up to a speed of 10 km / h on wet rails, the adhesion coefficient increases by 70-75%. The effect of applying sand decreases with increasing speed.
It is very important to ensure the greatest coefficient of adhesion when starting and moving: the higher it is, the greater the traction force can be realized by an electric locomotive, the greater the mass of the train can be driven.
Resistance to the movement of the train W occurs due to friction of the wheels on the rails, friction in the axle boxes, deformation of the track, air resistance, resistance due to descents and rises, curved sections of the track, etc. The resultant of all resistance forces is usually directed against the movement and only at very steep downhill coincides with the direction of movement.
Resistance to movement is divided into primary and secondary. The main resistance acts constantly and arises as soon as the train begins to move; the additional is due to the slopes of the path, curves, the temperature of the outside air, strong winds, moving away.
It is very difficult to calculate the individual components of the main resistance to the movement of the train. Usually it is calculated for cars of each type and locomotives of different series according to empirical formulas obtained on the basis of the results of many studies and tests under various conditions. The main resistance increases with increasing speed. At high speeds, air resistance prevails in it.
Given the basic resistance to locomotive movement, in addition to the tangential traction force of an electric locomotive, the concept of traction force on the automatic coupler Fa is introduced (Fig. 4).
In the process of running a train, brakes are used to reduce the speed, stop, or maintain its constant speed on the descents. The brakes create braking force B. The braking force is generated due to friction of the brake pads on the wheel bandages (mechanical braking) or when the traction motors act as generators. As a result of pressing the brake pad to the bandage with the force K (see Fig. 3, b), friction force arises on it.
friction. Due to this, the adhesion force B is formed on the bandage at the point of contact with the rail, equal to the force T. Force B is braking: it impedes the movement of the train.
The maximum value of the braking force is determined by the same conditions as the traction forces.In order to avoid skidding (sliding without wheel rotation on the rails) during braking, the condition for friction of the brake pads against the brace must be met, depending on the speed of movement, the specific pressing of the pads on the wheel and their material. This coefficient decreases with increasing speed and specific pressing due to an increase in the temperature of rubbing surfaces. Therefore, apply two-way depressing the wheels when braking.
Depending on the forces applied to the train, there are three modes of train movement: traction (moving under current), coasting (without current), and braking.
At the moment of starting up and during the period of further movement under current, the traction force Fк and the resistance to the movement of the train K act on the train K. The nature of the change in speed depending on time in the section of the OA curve (Fig. 5) is determined by the difference in forces. The larger this difference, the greater the acceleration of the train. Resistance to movement, as already noted, is a variable quantity, depending on the speed. With increasing speed, it increases. Therefore, if the traction force is unchanged, the accelerating traction force will decrease. After a certain point О, the traction force decreases. Then there comes a moment when Fк and the train moves with constant speed under current (a portion of the AB curve).
Next, the driver can turn off the engines and continue to coast (section BV) due to the kinetic energy of the train. At the same time, only the force of resistance to movement that reduces its speed acts on the train if the train does not move on a steep descent. When the driver turns on the brakes (from point B to point G), two forces act on the train - resistance to movement and braking force B. The speed of the train decreases. The sum of forces B is a decelerating force. There is a possible case of movement when the train moves on a steep descent and the driver uses braking force to maintain a constant permissible speed.
Transport, methods of its use, are very similar to our Russian realities, but only more convenient and understandable. Each country has one or even several carrier companies, for example, DB (Deutsche Bahn in Germany,? Bb in Austria, etc.). Each company has a website with timetables and tickets and, most likely, there are automatic terminals where you can buy tickets that are at stations. In small settlements, there may be no cashier with a person, so you will have to buy a ticket yourself in the machine.
In general terms, we can say that the trains are local (local transport) and international express trains ICE, IC (Inter City Express) from Deutsche Bahn or similar, but other transport companies.
ICEIC more comfortable, drive fast, make stops in large towns, trains have bistro cars and restaurants. Tickets can be bought online: as a rule, they are not cheap, but there may be discounts when buying in advance.
Train in Norway:
Train to Czech Republic in the local direction:
For trains (especially IC and ICE), there are wagon layouts on platforms
Sometimes there is such a thing with trains: the main part of the way the train travels in one direction, but at one station part of the cars disconnects and travels in the other direction. That is, the train is divided into two parts: part travels in one direction, part travels in the other. We once hit such a chip when driving to Bavaria. The train is divided into 2 parts quietly and quickly. It can help to see the movement pattern of cars and the movement pattern of the train itself. True, such trains are not frequent, mostly ordinary trains.
It looks like a dividing train on the scheme
See the movement diagram in the train itself
Alternatively, if you need several trips every day, it’s easier to buy ticketInterrailPass for the required number of days and not think about the price of a ticket for ICE, IC (when traveling to France, I had to additionally buy a reservation for a train, but basically there are no surcharges on the Interrail Pass, and you can travel almost all over Europe, including ferries) .
There may be special tickets for local trains. Actively distributed in Germany: this is the so-called land tickets, for example, North Rhine-Westphalia Ticket and others. In Germany, such a ticket is valid all day and applies to all local types of public transport (trains, trains, subways, buses, trams and, possibly, individual ferries, lifts, etc.). Traveling with such tickets in Germany is convenient and profitable, especially if a group of several people is traveling.
Local trains make more stops and are not as comfortable as international express trains, although they are quite acceptable and much better than domestic trains.
As a rule, there are elevators at train stations and subways, so if you have a lot of things, do not rush to carry them up and down - feel free to go to the elevator and use it (as in Russia elevators are not locked and do not need to to call somewhere so that a person comes and opens the elevator). Perhaps there are escalators or travelators for baggage upstairs (a moving belt next to the stairs on which you put the baggage, and it rises along the belt).
Are there toilets on European trains?
All trains (which I saw) are equipped with a toilet, which, as a rule, has water, paper, soap, and paper towels.
At the stations, toilets are often paid, cost about 0.5 euros. You can pay in cash or by card at the entrance to the automatic turnstile. As far as I remember, the machine gives change and you can pay, for example, as 0.1 + 0.2 + 0.2 euros.
If you want to save money, wait for your train and use the toilet for free.
Hint. Often the toilet at a large station gives a check, which can be presented in a cafe at the stations as a voucher to set off these 0.5 euros for payment of the purchase. So, for example, if you buy for 5 euros minus 0.5 euros for a toilet, you need to pay 4.5 euros for food. Detailed information about this offer is located directly in the toilet itself - on the door. Perhaps somewhere there is some kind of stand or booklet on where the discount is valid.
How to ride a train with a child?
Separate trains have special areas for children, where children can freely play, crawl, run and not interfere with other passengers.
How to ride a train with a dog? Or, conversely, without animals?
As a rule, in trains you can transport pets near you. When buying a ticket in Norway, one could additionally indicate whether a wagon with animals is needed or not. I chose cars with animals. As a result, she rode in a carriage with several dogs.
How to transport bicycles?
In Europe, not only on trains, but even on buses, it is possible to transport bicycles. It is necessary to clarify this possibility when choosing a flight and additionally pay for the transportation of a bicycle (bicycle).
What is first or second grade?
Trains (cars, zones in them) have a comfort class: first class and second class. The second class is quite acceptable for movement, it is used by almost all passengers. The first class in local trains is almost like the second. There may be less people, noise, stand tables, etc.
The class of the wagon or zone in the wagon is marked with a number.
Do I need to show tickets?
Unlike Russia, the entrance to any platform and any train is unobstructed; no documents or tickets are required at the entrance. As a rule, ordinary tickets are sold without a seat - this means that the passenger can take any free seat on the train at his discretion. The main thing is to enter the zone of the car of your class (if you bought a ticket for class 2, then go in second class).
Tickets without indicating the place in the car (can be of different formats, including those printed on the printer)
The ticket in which the place is indicated (ticket + reservation)
For cyclists, places are usually near the entrance to the carriage. There may be special mounts for bicycles.
There are also places for people with disabilities not far from the entrance, it is advisable not to occupy these places, but to sit in free ordinary places.
While the train is moving, the controller (or maybe not) approaches the passengers in turn and ask them to show their tickets. On tickets, he will make a mark with the date and time of verification. It may happen that different controllers put a few marks, for example, if you crossed the state border, if you traveled on different trains and in other cases.
Ticket with several marks of controllers (vertically) (marks were set by both Czechs and Germans)
It may be necessary to present the bank card with which the ticket was purchased (if it was bought with a card), the card must belong to one of the passengers. In this regard, it is best to make sure in advance whether you need to present a card when buying a ticket and buy tickets from your personal card or for cash.
The conductors track who entered the car and after each stop they can go through the train and check the tickets for newly-entered passengers. That is, it is not necessary to twitch at each entry of the controller into the car, if he needs to, he will do it himself. But all tickets and cards can be prepared in advance, especially if you are not friends with a foreign language.
How to get in and out of a train?
In Europe, the train (both the metro and the tram) does not open all the doors at each station, you need to press a button or turn the knob to open the door. At the station, when the train stopped, the train unlocks the doors, you can click on the button (it will turn green) and the doors will open. If the button gives a red signal, perhaps the doors are not yet unlocked, you need to press later. Buttons in wagons both inside and out.
There are old models of trains, there are various handles that need to be turned to open the door. As a rule, in popular directions, trains are new, that is, with buttons.
Do I need to compost a ticket?
Separate tickets - yes, you need to compost. They usually get into the composter and they have arrows and corresponding text. Whenever possible, I prefer to buy tickets for the whole day, they do not need to be composted (if the date is already on the ticket), you can enter and leave trains in the direction, change trains, choose any train from the schedule.
That is, whether it is necessary to compost the ticket, it is advisable to clarify when buying, reading the information on a specific ticket. Most likely, intercity transport and S-Bahn and similar trains need to be composted, and regional trains (in the Russian sense, also electric trains) do not need to be composted, because there are day tickets.
Composter (you just need to put a ticket in it)
Tickets may have arrows and text calling for composting tickets
But you can buy a ticket that is valid for a day (you do not need to compost it)
Composters on the railway stand down to the ascent to the platform or on the platform. In buses, trams and so on. - in the transport itself. If the composter does not work, then enter the date and time of entry into the train with a pen.
At all major stations there are areas or rooms with information for tourists. Even so: there are consultants in the center of the station + a room where you can buy, exchange tickets and also ask questions. Consultants, as a rule, answer some simple questions such as: where are the platforms, how to get to trains, etc., and in offices you can buy tickets and get a schedule.
In the Czech Republic, I was printed out a train schedule in the direction between cities, and in France and Austria they gave me mini-booklets with a timetable in the direction. Such booklets can be in the public area and you can come to the station and take them.
To clarify the movement of trains at the moment, as in Russia, you can watch the scoreboard. In Germany, platforms are known in advance, but can sometimes change. In other countries, I had trains, exits to the platforms to which I had to wait, as in Russia, on the scoreboard. Only, unlike Russia, at the station by speakerphone neither the platform, nor the beginning of the landing, nor the completion of the landing are announced. Everyone needs to watch this independently.
As a rule, one large display is located in the center of the station + monitors can be hung up at stations, located in large stores, cafes, etc.
Advice! If you are afraid to lose the train, it is better to come to the station in advance and see in advance where which platforms are located. When you recognize your platform, go straight to it.
What is reservation of a place and whether it is necessary to do it?
When you buy a ticket for a regular train in Europe, you are buying the opportunity to ride the train anywhere in your class. As a rule, all trains are half-empty and there are no problems with seats at all, however, there are directions or dates when trains are packed to the eyeballs and it is difficult to find a place. In this case, it is worth buying a reservation on the train. It is usually inexpensive.
When to buy a seat reservation?
- Friday night, weekend, as locals love local tourism and sometimes it seems that they go on vacation whole cities.
- In particularly popular destinations during the high season, say, etc.
- When you need to travel far, for example, 5 hours and do not want to twitch, changing from place to place.
- When you have a lot of things or you are traveling with a company or with children and want to go all together, and not for 1 person in a car, in different places.
- When there is a preference for a place by the window or not, at a table, with a dog, with a bicycle, with a child, etc.
You can reserve a place with the purchase of a ticket - on the website, or in the machine, or at the station. Sometimes you can buy a reservation separately - you need to check on the railway website in advance. In Germany, this is definitely possible.
Where to leave luggage on the train?
Baggage can be left at the beginning, end or middle of the car on luggage racks (which I always do, but you need to arrive on the train early so that there are empty seats) or on the upper shelf (above the seats). If there are few people in the train, then you can put things next to you, at the next chair or directly on it.
Do controllers speak English?
Generally yes. You can ask them whether to go for a long time or how many stops, whether to go to such a station now, etc.
What is the penalty for stowaways?
I did not specify this question in figures, but everyone says that the amount is very substantial. I don’t want to check. But there are areas in which I have never been checked a ticket.
Can I go from wagon to wagon?
Yes, before the train starts to move and during its movement, you can safely walk from wagon to wagon. Doors open either automatically (at the top of the presence sensor), or click on the button, or pull the handle to the right - there are several modifications of the cars. One thing is clear - moving between cars is easy. For example, in search of free space, in search of a guide (ask a question), in the toilet of a neighboring car, in a restaurant car, in a bistro, if there are any on the train.
Do you have any other questions? Want to complete an article? Write in the comments.
