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The design differences between the Japanese trains and the American ones is so sad. The Japanese trains are significantly more aesthetic, let alone their super
by tevon 3y ago
The design differences between the Japanese trains and the American ones is so sad.
The Japanese trains are significantly more aesthetic, let alone their superior function.
- qingcharles 3y agoI was thinking the same thing. I guess they give the American shit to the interns.. "Here, you gotta do the ones for the gaijin, make it as boring, ugly and 90s as you can."
- bombcar 3y agoConstraints on street-running rolling stock basically leads you to one basic design with some slight variations. All around the world they look mostly the same.
- pjc50 3y agoWhat does "street-running" mean in this context? Could you provide some examples?
- bombcar 3y agoStreet-running means a train or tram that has rails that are "in the street". Here's an extreme example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tQy49yJyvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tQy49yJyvc But for transit you often have something like this: https://youtu.be/NpwIc35tqUk?si=zeG5iqiAhROtf6NW&t=191 https://youtu.be/NpwIc35tqUk?si=zeG5iqiAhROtf6NW&t=191 Something like that needs a much different "locomotive profile" than a train that entirely stays on grade-separated rails. A tram that can be stopped at a stoplight like a bus needs visibility from the cab so that the operator can ensure there isn't a child in front of the train before moving. This means you end up with a front that ... looks like a bus. Compare to high-speed trains, or even subways (subway operator visibility is often pretty low). (American rails are separated into "light and heavy" where heavy rails have some very significant requirements due to sharing the lines with freight, etc. And the freight locomotives are designed to protect the engineer in the case of a high-speed grade collision. Something that is not supposed to be possible with euro/Japan style high-speed rail; a ducknose hitting a semi truck would push the truck right into the cab.)
- TylerE 3y agoI find the newer Japanese stuff a bit much, honestly. The duck bills are just...ugh. They look good from these sort of angles, but looks pretty dumb from the side.
- mitthrowaway2 3y agoJapan is full of mountains, and these trains need to repeatedly enter tunnels at high speed. You want to make the pressure change as gradual as possible. How else would you do it?
- bayindirh 3y agoThese duck bills are functional. They make the trains both efficient and quieter. They're modeled after one of the fastest birds on the planet (which I forgot its name).
- esquivalience 3y agoKingfisher I believe. (or... Duck?)
- bayindirh 3y agoYes, it's kingfisher [0]. [0]: https://interestingengineering.com/ie-originals/engineers-muse/season-1/ep-1-how-kingfisher-inspired-bullet-trains https://interestingengineering.com/ie-originals/engineers-mu...
- stevekemp 3y agoI have to say that I fell in love with Finnish trains the first time I saw the Children's Play Areas on-board: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4q6FqYu4AQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4q6FqYu4AQ
- grishka 3y agoInteresting. I did ride Finnish suburban trains a bit but never saw this. Those were single-floor though.
- phoehne 3y agoThere’s even one that kind of looks like a samurai helmet.