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Leapfrog

 Trains alternate stops
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Somewhat similar to a half-baked idea, but more realistic and safe. Have trains make alternate stops, thus cutting in half the number of stops it has to make. A simple half loop at the stations allows the other train to pass while the other one is docked. Every third or fourth train could be used for every stop for those goobers trying to go from one station to the very next station. A B A B A B A B Train A goes to stations A Train B goes to stations B Train C goes to all stations
—goober, Jun 11 2003

Similar to this idea, but better! http://www.halfbake...ster_20Light_20Rail
Not as safe or efficient [goober, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

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       Wouldn’t half of all passengers have to wait for Train C? Or is there a reason why passengers at an A station would only want to go to another A station?
—AO, Jun 11 2003
   

       AO - you presuppose that destination is random - on a commuter train like mine, at least half the people are going to one particular station half-way into london to change (East Croydon) the other half to London itself. Most people would only have to wait for one train. However, the big BUT is - if you did it strictly by ABAB, then half the trains wouldn't stop at the connection point, whereas, if you AbAB for smaller statiois, but all stop at the connection point, you'd get a more efficient service.
—goff, Jun 11 2003
   

       Good point, goff, but the problem would also occur if the destination is heavily weighted and the point of origin is evenly distributed. If East Croydon is an A station, only people who live near another A station would be able to get there without waiting for the C Train.
—AO, Jun 11 2003
   

       I already have to take one train to another station, get off and get on another to get home. For someone like me who has 12 stops between my job and home, it'd be worth it if I had to wait for train C to go from Station B to Station A to get to my home next to Station A just to skip all the Station B's between my job and work. So this is a selfish idea, but there's a lot of people in my situation. Is this too confusing?
—goober, Jun 11 2003
   

       I suppose both A and B trains could stop at East Croydon if it’s really that popular.
—AO, Jun 11 2003
   

       I've never heard of East Croydon, so it can't be popular. Sorry.
—goober, Jun 11 2003
   

       Well it's very popular for people travelling from the south coast to london (i.e from Brighton etc.), as all trains go either to londong bridge or victoria. To get to the other one you have to change at East Croydon.
—goff, Jun 11 2003
   

       I was kidding, goff. I have no idea what the system is like because I live in Maryland on the other side of the pond.
—goober, Jun 11 2003
   

       Ahh, well it's good to enlighten our american friends sometimes. If you realised how complicated it was to get into london...basically a result of all stations being built by different train companies in the victorian times, and therefore all terminating at different points, with no interconnections (save for places like east croydon and clapham junction which are outside the centre of london itself). Only one train actually goes through the city and keeps going (the one I get).
—goff, Jun 12 2003
   

       goober - You live in Maryland? Great! Off my ex-wife & I'll give you *almost* a half bag of Keebler Chocolate Chip Cookies.
—thumbwax, Jun 12 2003
   

       I'm within shouting distance of Clapham Junction if someone wants to give me a shout :) what we need here is an underground station.
—po, Jun 12 2003
   

       Just have carriages that are disconnected from the train at the right stop. By slowing their speed after disconnection, a gap can be made big enough for the tracks to be switched, directing the carriage to the platform.
The only problem being, passengers cannot be picked up by a train, unless they get on at a start station.
—silverstormer, Jun 12 2003
   

       are you British?
—po, Jun 12 2003
   

       yes! its not a trick question - but we have enough trouble here with carriages flying around at random at various speeds and angles without designing them to do that.
—po, Jun 12 2003
   

       Yes I am, and proud of it. <g>
—silverstormer, Jun 12 2003
   

       Baked, on the NYC subway, on some lines in the boroughs. Except I can't find an explanation on the subway site: perhaps they stopped doing it.
—DrCurry, Jun 12 2003
   

       I once spent three hours trying to get from West Croydon to East Croydon.
—DrBob, Jun 12 2003
   

       isn't there a bus?
—po, Jun 12 2003
   

       [thumb], make it famous amos cookies, and I'll do it! What part of Maryland is she in?
—goober, Jun 12 2003
   

       [DrBob] you should have gone east.
—ato_de, Jun 12 2003
   

       he should have walked.
—po, Jun 12 2003
   

       Um, goober, Maryland has the best rail system in the world. (just my opinion)
—Shz, Jun 12 2003
   

       Have you really been on all the rail systems in the world? I'm not complaining so much, although it's really Washington D.C., Maryland & Virginia's rail system. I just thought that skipping half of my 12 stops would be great. I'm kind of surprised it didn't catch on, but whatever.
—jediprincess_3, Jun 13 2003
   

       //Have you really been on all the rail systems in the world?//   

       My observation is based on a survey of the best rail systems in the world, and having been on the top three... Maryland is best. Yeah I know it’s also D.C... When I fly into JFK I ride it to the Hilton in Bethesda, then back to D.C. for visits to the Smithsonian. I’m guessing goober wants to do this above ground.
—Shz, Jun 14 2003
   

       Hmmm it looks like a winner at first until you have a think. Won't half the passengers have to change trains... I hate changing trains...
—madness, Jul 31 2004
   


 

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