jack@rlgvax.UUCP (Jack Waugh) (01/06/86)
> . . . [Sydney] tunnels (which, by the way, are tall enough for > double-deck trains with overhead electric power -- something also seen > on the RER lines in Paris)? RER (Regional Express Network) runs ordinary electric trains with overhead pantographs just as SNCF (French National Railroads) does aboveground. The cars are of course wider than typical light rail cars. They are not double-deck. The southern part of RER is also SNCF. RER tunnels generally seem to be buried much deeper than the stations on Metro. While riding Metro in Paris, peeking through the partially silvered mirror separating the conductor's compartment from the passengers in the front car, I noticed little signs in the tunnels that appeared to give the desired speed. The The instrument panel, of course, has an indication of the train's actual speed. Speed control is automatic. The tunnels are lit up all the time, mostly with incandescent light. In Washington, DC, in contrast, the tunnels are dark and devoid of signs. The instrument panel has digital indications of what appear to me to be actual speed, desired speed (input to servo), and speed limit. The interactive fiction puzzle "Planetfall" features a subway the player must "operate" through commands. It has signs in the tunnels indicating speed guidelines. If the player goes too fast, the car crashes at the end of the line and becomes unavailable for transportation back.