The world's most useful model railway
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2021
- In Darmstadt, Germany, there's the Eisenbahnbetriebsfeld: a model railway connected to actual railway signalling equipment, so that controllers can learn without putting any real trains in danger. I got to learn the very basics. ■ More about the railway (in German): www.eisenbahnbetriebsfeld.de/
Camera: Moritz Janisch
Producer: Marcel Fenchel www.fenchel-janisch.de
Editor: Isla McTear
With thanks to Deutsche Bahn and DB Training, AKA Bahn, the Institut für Bahnsysteme und Bahntechnik at TU Darmstadt, and all the team at the Eisenbahnbetriebsfeld!
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One thing I didn't get in the interview: they can train twenty signallers at the same time here, using the entire network and all the switches!
Pin me or else
Hi
hi
Sorcerer
@@Carter_C727 hi
08:30 See the blinking rainbow with the alternating horizontal and vertical bars in the lower left part of the screen? The rainbow is displayed so that the operator can verify that all of the colors are still shown correctly and none of the CRT electron beams has failed (or whatever any of these newfangled LCD screens will do). Now for the blinking... The image you see is actually two images, generated by two separate graphics cards in two redundant processing units. If the blinking ever stops, the operator will notice immediately that the system has locked up and whatever is shown on the display is no longer reliable information. If anything but the indicators starts blinking in sync with the indicators, the two processing units have come to different results when computing the state of the system, so the display is untrustworthy as well. And if one of the redundant units fails, the entire screen starts blinking. (Simplifying a bit here, but that's the general principle.)
This is the bit that fascinates me about these systems. People spent a lot of time thinking about possible failures and every single thing is built to be as failsafe as possible.
Wow, I have seen these blinking indicators many times and always wondered what they were there for. Fascinating explanation! It also shows how trueful to real life the EBD tries to be.
Oh that's an interesting bit of information!
+
This is amazing D:
I love this, because the teacher says “try it” rather than explaining it won’t work. I’m very much a hands on learner.
Same
Welcome in Germany 😀
I'd say most people are, myself included
Everyone is. Being told something is so much less of a push to keep in your mind than doing it for yourself, and seeing the consequences - good or bad.
What do you do if told “Never touch the red button”?
"Oh you've automated all this, that means my job will be easier now, right?"
"Nah, we'll just make you do three stations instead."
The whole automation thing is not there to make your work easier. It is there so you can do more work alone so the company does not need to hire another operator. Even if you get sick or leave they will just ask the guy to your left or to the right from you do twice the work for a while.
@@Kirillissimus Nah, there is probably legal maximum stations or total workload per operator and a minimum on redundant operators to make sure you don't end up with a single person overseeing to many stations and making mistakes because they couldn't see everything.
the future is, that a program is doing everything and the human has to sit there, watch over the program, if it fucks up, find it and prevent it or get the responsibility dumbed on him, so that the progam devleopers can hide from their responsibility.
@@Kirillissimus They will probably ask someone to sub for you or to do overtime to catch up your work. Either way, it's extra pay if you are subbing for someone or doing overtime.
@@Izithel The maximum is 5 in my country, I can't speak for every country in the world though. Germany might be something different.
I’m always impressed when someone can explain a technical concept in another language, and this guy does it very well indeed
@@spot997 how do you explain "verarbeiten" means "okay!" then?... its not all about the "u" "e" and "th". verarbeiten means process and in this situation they talk about data. "daten verarbeiten" -> "process data"... how hard do i have to season my german with french to translate verarbeiten into okay!?
@@hito1988 I would say commit changes
@@hito1988 Do you always remember all of your vocabulary? As long as he understands what the guy means, it doesn't matter, besides, the whole interface is German, so it's not like, they're gonna let someone work in a real control center who isn't fluent in German
in germany this does not really count, we learn english from ground up and it is even easier than our own language.
@@hito1988
Its not a 1 to 1 translation, but the message is clear.
"OK" and "process data" say the same thing:
Take my inputs
The model railway-nerd in me is just itching to fill this layout with scenery.
The most german thing about this, is that it has an almost complete lack of scenery because this is a Very Serious Training and Research Facility. With no time for frivolous things like 'trees' and 'miniature people'
And wee people, and cows. At least there are proper model stations.
How very inefficient. What do you think this is, fun?
nah that is just how our landscape looks
@@mfbfreak Doesn't seem very German to me... In what country would the training center pay a team of modelling artists to make something that doesn't contribute at all to the quality of the training?
"The physical railway that you crash will always stay in your mind haha" - It's that kind of german humour we all love. 🤣
lets add some mini-passengers, that will be smashed to pieces and burnt afterward, so that it will stay even better in your mind, hahahaha.
@@apollomars1678 never heard such a frightening laugh in my life
@@secondaccount3546 "LET ME SHOW YOU ITS FEATURES!"
It's the kind of humour which makes Germans overcome Eschede `98
@@N4r4d4 i could be incorrect, but i think this accident was not created by a human on the train, but by a failure of repair on one of the wheels.
I hope this is part 1 in a series showcasing every model railway in decending order of usefulness.
part 498: the forgotten, incomplete, Thomas the Tank engine set sitting in somebody's attic
@@jasonwalker4003 and there's still 6000 to go
Part 5872, the fictional one but it has in depth timetabes (mine)
@@barryhomeowner9293 *6 million
Tom: "What happens if I was to pull the wrong lever"
Kolger: "Try it"
Tom: "So now I can't even..."
Kolger: "Try it"
I dunno why but Mr. Kötting's encouragement to test these things for yourself really speaks to me. Its hard to put into words but it speaks of an attitude of "I like my job and I like teaching people about my job."
Also, knowing what happens (or doesn't happen) when you get things wrong is a great way to get rid of anxieties about your job.
I love this point youve brought up
It is this type of teaching experience that enables students and trainees to make and learn mistakes without fear of penalty. How education should happen.
It shows he's one of the few worthwhile teachers. Encouraging students to try things, giving them the permission and the safe environment to make their own mistakes, and being the willing mentor to explain the theory the just put into practice.
It's *really* the only way to learn.
I love the instructor’s “try it” approach! Nothing like testing things out to learn from your mistakes.
Good to know it doesn't work now in a controlled environment than potentially being bored on day and trying it on the real thing. I imagine someone did at least once and that's why they show you it won't work in training so you can get it out of your system.
And it's way more memorable to feel that resistance than just be told it's there.
that is also why having such a small scale system is such a great idea, now people can try all the stupid things and realize they either dont work because someone knew about it or they can see the result happening without harming anyone.
Finally, a reason for your four divorces!
@@Pixelplanet5 Dejavu Train drifting
"Honey, we need to visit Germany."
"Okay why? To see the Brandenburg Gate, the churches and the castles?"
"... Sure."
Cue the Tim Traveller: "But we're not here for any of that."
If you’re into that kind of stuff, check out the „Miniatur Wunderland“ in Hamburg, Germany.
"..sure, let's just make a little detour to colon-city while we're at it"
Brandenburger Tor is overrated. The Pergamom and the museum insl in general however, are worth every penny
We'd have it the opposite way. It's always me who says to my boyfriend "We really need to go to Dresden." "To see the city centre and the Christmas markets?" "Sure...definitely that and not the suspended railway..."
I have green flags all over the map of Europe with interesting public transport related places. Good thing my bf finds it endearing.
I love how German people communicate. All knickers with minimal frills. And if they're trying to convey an idea they'll explain it as, as many times as it takes for you to get it!
Those are German engineers. Non-engineers don't communicate like that 😂
"All knickers with minimal frills". What a wonderfully precise and descriptive yet memorably florid phrase.
@@flopunkt3665 If the person is usful they probaly can here. As everywhere there are more and less talented volks :D
Yes, but “ok” is “verarbeiten”
The ending was real funny. Sure, the technology advanced, but that just means you end up working on even more stations at once!
And I was surprised how the mechanical computer locked up completely when you tried to make an invalid operation. Really cool!
see the beauty of it is it did not lock up, it locked the user OUT from doing illegal commands!
@@SkarmoryThePG Subtle but important difference. And explained in a very concise way. *nods with approval*
I never realised Tom was so innocent, the employer puts advances in not to make life easier... So fewer people can do the same work!
I think of it as a variation on Parkinson's law ("work expands to fill the time available"). The faster you can do something the easier it is just to decide to do more work to justify your position.
It applies in the trades as well, something along the lines of "slow down or they'll expect it all the time."
I really loved the guy just saying: “try it”.
I'd say it's a very typical thing for german engineers. It demonstrates one's own trust in the system working. So if it works it will prevent it, and even if it doesn't work there's a chance to debug why that happened together with the student, leading to a much greater understanding.
Source: I do this all the time - to the point of letting people intentionally screw up a git rebase, and then unwind it with them together. It's fun!
@@klaernie I do that with Git too. Also I like to challenge people to try to lose some data after they committed it, to show how to get the changes back.
I like his mindset. Try it. Ask yourself why it didn't work. Fix it. Try it again. Having this in a supervised training environment is really nice
And the bandaid on Tom's thumb that shows up just after it...
He's said that to many students, no doubt
Having my hometown forever cemented in Tom Scott lore is one of my greatest honors
lmao tom scott lore
that was funny
I felt the same way when he visited Portland, Oregon to see that nuclear reactor at Reed College.
Same here. Waschechter Heiner.
scientists: "technology will free humankind from labor. people can work less and enjoy their life more"
boss: "since you've got so much free time, i'd like you to cover some more work over here"
And "The "Internet will never be profitable. Advertising will never work on it."
I suppose that fewer people can do the same amount of work now
@Renan_PS and it also freed up the workforce so more services become available
"Oh and we're not gonna pay you more from all the additional profits we're making. That's all mine.".
all the wealth is sucked up by the banks and central banks, goes to making asset bubbles and ungodly sized personal yachts
Tom finds the best hosts for these visits: that guy was so friendly, appealing, and informed.
Presumably, as an instructor, he's probably a damn good one.
We Germans often flame the DB, completely ignoring how frickin nice most people are. And if they are not, they are only stressed because something got messed up again and they have to interface with mad customers.
Also gave the best answer: Try it!
He’s just german😂
This guy is honestly so great, plum Tom aswell. At the start i felt that this was complicated but by the end it seemed fairly straight forward
One thing I really appreciate about your videos are the people in them. You rarely see this in TV, movies, and so on. In your videos we just see real hard-working people doing average jobs which many people don't know about, but who are vital to our daily life, sometimes more, sometimes less.
To be fair, it's 'average jobs' through the lens of someone raised on Thunderbirds, so mostly about infrastructure and stuff.
Another favorite celebrity who does this is Mike Rowe. C
@@denniswood6791 I was just gonna say that the real workers were what made Dirty Jobs (hosted by Mike Rowe) such a great show!
FOr the longest time I thought Tom was a TV presenter turned RUclipsr and is doing a better job than the TV channels.
It's the behind-the-scenes of the world.
The interesting thing is, controlling the station at the high level with modern computers is easy, but the moment something goes wrong it is very necessary to be able to 'drop down' a level in one's mental model and think about what is actually going on at the level of relays or even pulleys.
Not for the signaller, but perhaps for the signalling engineers
@@dougle03 No that‘s not right, im a signaler in germany and if you have a problem with your system then u have to be careful and plenty of tasks to do.
I'm a signaller in the UK and are set up, both in terms of systems and used and how it is trained is very similar. I am however gutted that we didn't get the model railway with are training. Instead the simulators we use interact with a computer. Great video and really loved seeing how it is done in Germany.
I think MPEC in Derby have limited model railway in their training facility.
Greetings from a signaler in Germany who also trained here during his apprenticeship.
We had a set up at Watford but it was never linked to the simulator 👎
As a train driver, I got to spend a couple of days looking over their shoulders as part of my training program. I definitely don't envy the signal operators. Sure, when everything is working as planned, it's fairly manageable to handle all the traffic, but when something goes wrong, they're often in for hours of very stressful work. Meanwhile, I can often just sit back and wait in my train while they're clearing up the mess.
yes, it is some demanding work if you have to handle more than one train per hour, mentally as well as (in the case of the mechanical system) also physically. i was lucky enough to have been allowed to play with such a "real simulation" outside of their normal operating/educating hours, one hour at each of those different stations, and on the next day i could feel every sour muscle from having operated the heavy switch levers and signal levers even for an hour only. and making one hasty wrong decision (although not causing an accident but "only" a "lock out") takes a lot of back and forth in communication with the other stations and in handling (and thus also lots of time and delays on more trains) before the locks are released and can be set properly.
_although this looked easy and like some fun, in reality it is quite some work for well trained professionals only!_
Out of curiosity, why was observing signal operators part of your training, if it's not something you have to work on!
@@wariolandgoldpiramid So when we send them WAIT! they know we aren't just sitting about drinking tea, it gives an appreciation of what is involved in the bigger picture. Just as Signallers can and do request cab rides for the routes they signal.
I'm guessing air traffic controllers have much harder jobs.
For PapaQ, you can sit back as long as it is not Your train that ran amuck! ;) Here in the States we have pictures of train cars on their side, with the wheels pointing away from the rails. I thought it was only the automobiles that went rolling off the road.
Long ago we had a snow in the Washington DC area. I stayed at the office until 830 PM (2030 hrs) to let the traffic sort itself out. Going home around the DC beltway I was impressed with the number of cars in the median strip, shiny side down! (four wheels in the air)
Old Bill G
I have a weird love for Germans very carefully and accurately explaining in English, how things work. It's like a manual coming to life.
That makes me weird too.
I like the German language, but also get a kick out of Germans speaking English.
I've been to Germany a couple of times and the people were wonderfully welcoming, friendly and generous.
@@ianmacfarlane1241 I'm jealous. But I could go to Hahndorf, I guess.
@@linmal2242 I had to look up Hahndorf.....Australia.
Well I'm jealous of Australia, so we'll call it a score draw.✌️
And for your next trick please get a Chinese or Japanese instructor to explain how their railway signalling/points/handover works? Will they be as clear as this chappie was?
@@roblamb8327 As a Japanese, probably not, if we're assuming they're explaining in English.
It's so wholesome how passionate the instructor is about all this and how Tom's enthusiasm validates that. You can tell how much the instructor enjoys his work and I love the format in which he's interviewed. Great stuff!
He really is. I was there and you could feel this lab is his life.
I’ve been working in Signal Engineering here in the UK for 15 years. I’ve worked in areas that have some of the oldest mechanical systems in the country down in Cornwall. I’ve worked with 70s vintage NX panels, 90s installed IECCs and the most modern Rail Operating Centres. I’ve even worked in an area during a wholesale re-signalling and re-control when relay based interlocking were replaced with solid state and control moved 20 miles from the 1974 signal box to a brand new control centre. Everything done in Germany is done here too. They have as much of a mix as we do, and although the principles from the drivers perspective are different, the engineering behind it is recognisable.
Everything we do is designed to fail “right-side” (Fail safe is not a term we use). Relay and Mechanical Interlockings prevent conflicting routes by the nature of their binary design principles. Computer based interlockings have double redundancy, with additional processors, checking each other’s results and outputs. We don’t detect the presence of trains, we prove their absence. Points are not only moved, but physically locked in place. In the incredibly rare event that a failure does occur “wrong side”, we will follow strict testing guidance, using all our available evidence such as CCTV, data loggers and the observable state of equipment, then we dismantle and destructively test the equipment, sending it off to external forensic investigators if required (not its manufacturer). There is a reason that our railway is amongst the safest in the world, and that is down to generations of learning from our mistakes, improving processes and the dedication of engineering staff.
Anyway Tom, great video.
9:29
I really like this format where you're just kind of vibing with an expert and interviewing people about their Thing :) lots of nice footage in this video too!
Agreed! This felt so much like a classic Tom Scott style video, just made me so excited to see the story unfold!
fun seeing different ways of working track switches.
Mate you put into words my thoughts exactly I like this format too it's like we are learning but watching Tom experience it
The train guy was so stoked to share. Loved seeing his expression.
Guess it was covid that prevented these vids for a while tbh
Its really intresting how similar the german systems are when compared with the UK (where I work as a signalling engineer) I understood everything that was said and how the principles are nearly if not exactly the same. Honestly I had so much fun thinking through how this all worked and especially loved how you showed the mechanical interlocking before going onto the electro-mechanical. what makes me laugh even more is that ALL and I mean that literally all of what was shown where is 100% still in use in the UK.
Excactly same in Finland too. Mechanical interlockings are getting rare, but still exist.
I believe some swaths of the British rail network are operated by a German company controlled by the Federal Government, so maybe the systems they operate are made to German specifications?
I work for a company that designs digital interlocking systems like the one shown at the end, and I can confirm that the same principles are used all over the world. It's cool to see a video on a subject I actually know something about!
same in germany there are lines which still use these signal boxes from the empire
@@MarkusAldawn Not in traditional installations, though modern signalling installations are often made by Siemens (albeit to a spec more in line with how it was traditionally done in Britain!)
Tom: The technique from 50 years ago is still in use today?
Next sentence: The technique from 100 years ago is still in use today
If it's robust enough to last 100 and more years, why not?
I am all in when using old technic if it works.
But I was also astonished that it fulfils todays security standards. It must, otherwise it wouldn't be used.
@@Delibro Today there is added electrical locking in addition to the mechanical interlocking. So once you mechanically interlock the points, you then electrically lock the mechanical interlocking lever, so you can't undo the mechanical lock on the points. And the electrical lock can't be undone without a lot of additional safety work. Many old interlockings also got rail occupation sensors added later on and other stuff. The old systems got upgraded to todays standard. Just because the tech is from 100 years ago doesn't mean it stayed at the safetylevel from 100 years ago. It just operates the old way which means that you don't have the throughput of newer systems. And you need a lot more personnel.
I love that the 50s interface is (I assume from the looks of it) modular, so you can switch out the rectangular panels and build a representation of almost any system required.
In Germany we use interfaces like this at some locations still today .
It's completely modular, both in the operating panel and in the relay logic (which is in another room). Each switch and signal is represented by an off-the-shelf module. The tracks are represented by cables connecting the modules. Modules can also be easily replaced for maintenance. This makes building new ones, adding or removing tracks or switches as well as replacing broken equipment cheap and easy. Later relay models also offered the same operating comfort as modern computer based ones, meaning you only select start and end, and it would automatically find the best route, configure it, check all safety interlocks and operate the signals. (And also undo all of that as soon as the train has passed)
@@youtubemensch not just in some places, in fact those are still the predominantly used variety, with different models.
I know it's "only" 9:42 long, but I like these longer form videos with more detail!
wouldn't mind a 20min+ video of this also.
it's kind of like on other channels there are 20-60 minutes long "novels" and Tom Scott is creating "short stories", even if it's a shorter format, it's brilliant how much he's able to compress the information into these small videos without losing quality.
Wait it was almost ten minutes? It felt like only five or six
I misread “with more derail!”
Yee
Much of the terminology around threading (i.e. a program doing more than one thing at a time) is taken directly from railway signalling, so amusingly that computerised control system is almost certainly using locks and semaphores somewhere in its code whilst itself replacing the locks and semaphores etc those terms derive from.
Do you mean semaphore ? Those are older than trains, just look up: optical telegraph
@@autohmae the programming term does reference railway semaphore signals. It's a way to ensure only one thing enters a critical section.
The programming version is the equivalent of every customer taking a basket so only a certain number of people can enter the market. Usually there is only one basket for a critical section so simultaneous actions don't overwrite each other.
Here in Sweden the ”federal railway school” has the same thing but there’s landscape and buildings on the model, they also have all the relays and mechanics right next to the control so you can see and hear everything working =) i guess you cant really call it a simulator because all the real mechanics are actually there and works just like real life.
An operator here have 8-10 stations, except main hubs such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö that has 3-4 operators for the single station instead
Hmm, set the points for Sweden, then, Tom! I think we need to see this!
There's at least one US railway that has a similar training system (BNSF, IIRC)- and perhaps the FRA as well.
I have this huge need to pull those levers. The audible sound it makes feels so satisfying.
That's crazy at the beginning of my apprenticeship we went with the whole class there and had a brief introduction to all the systems and afterwards 1 or 2 where put a each station and had to operate it. In 30 min we produced a combined 120 min of delays. After that day I had a totally different appreciation for punctuality for trains. And to think how punctual the trains in Japan are is totally mind blowing.
Well, in Japan, the personal transport has got it's own rail network. In Germany, the Deutsche Bahn has Goods, Intercity, Regional and even third parties from different countries on the same rails.
Still more on time than the last Amtrak train I took
@@17Beastmode17 I do hope you weren't on that train and you are OK if you were.
*Shinkanzen intensifies* 🚄🚅🚆🚇
@@skorp5677 Well they had to. Most regional and freight trains in Japan are narrow gauge (regional and freight share the same network), while the Shinkansen is standard gauge. They could't mix the system, even if they wanted to.
Furthermore, Japan has a shape (and it's an island) that is really suited for long distance high speed network. With just one line I can serve all the major population hubs, while in Germany the Bahn needs to criss cross across the country. What would passengers say if they had to travel from Cologne to Leipzig via Hamburg and Berlin? You also have to interconnect big cities like Amsterdam or Warsaw if you want people to travel via train, and then you get into different security and electricity standards.
Apart from building the tracks itself, Japan is easy-mode for a modern railway.
As a German, I'm contractually obligated to complain about the DB never being on time.
This was quite interesting though.
As a non-German, this is the most German thing I've ever seen.
Their overall on time performance makes them a victim of their own success.
The Swiss beg to differ, and the Japanese have taken this to an art form, in that they have times down to the second, and marks on the platform as to where the doors will be, complete with apologies if any of these are even slightly out.
Da schließe ich mich an.
as an Italian, I feel obligated to complain about Trenitalia having big delays and also cancellations of trains.
Great video Tom 👌 Thanks for being our guest. You're welcome any time!
I love the look of the electromechanical switchboard! I know a computer screen is almost always more efficient but I wish more stuff nowadays used physical indicator lights & switches like that.
That's why so many nuclear power plant control rooms still have physical switches, buttons, and lights arranged in a flowchart pattern that matches the actual layout of the plant. Operators need to be able to understand the details as well as the high-level overview, and need to be able to see things at a glance, without switching between different computer screens or menus.
I always love being taught by a British person about new things from my own country that I've never heard of
@@Henristime and it's all technology invented in Britain anyway...
And now Britain is well on its way back to being a provincial insular backwater while Germany and the rest of the EU picks up the slack
@@AndorianBlues on the contrary, the EU is tearing itself apart, Britain for all its problems is well shot of the Brussels bureaucratic nightmare.
@@richardharrold9736indeed, what a joy to run out of gasoline!
@@nemosonn the HGV driver shortage is a global problem, same in Europe and North America right now. We aren't short of fuel, we're just short of truck drivers to distribute it. Personally, I've yet to encounter any shortages.
Really loving your whole German series! Your content's on a constant upward curve. Ausgezeichnet
Gesundheit!
Exzellent!
Tee
Genau!
Aber hallo! ;-)
I love how they have the trains accelerate slowly, helps it feel that much more real
There's one minor detail in the video that you could probably make a whole video of itself about, the blinking indicator on the displays for the modern digital signal box. What is actually happening there is that there are two independent computers feeding the displays, with their own graphics card and everything. Then there's a piece of equipment that constantly switches the displays between the two outputs every second. If everything works normally both computers produce the exact same picture on the display EXCEPT for the indicator area which is deliberately different. This way as the outputs are switched the indicator is blinking while everything else doesn't. But if there's ever any discrepancy between what the two computers are showing (eg. due to malfunction), then that part of the picture starts blinking and the operator knows that they can no longer rely on what is being shown. And if there's a failure in the display switching unit itself then the indicator area STOPS blinking, so this failure mode can be recognized by the operator too.
That's fascinating! Thanks for the information; I love details like that.
The last statement from the instructor really speaks volumes, about how one person does 3-4x as much work as was expected of them 50 years ago.
And in reality the workload is higher. There is more to keep track of now, and that makes for a more stressfull work environment.
@@57thorns You will have more points of failures with more stations, which will be more stressful - even if the normal operation is less with the modern system for these stations.
But it's Germany, so it's just possible that they are paid appropriately, they get full healthcare, six weeks vacation, etc, etc, etc. In the US, I'm afraid that CSX or Union Pacific or Norfolk Southern or some other giant corporation would just expect more work while tryng to bust any unions that come along 🙁.
More work also means more accidents. They happen rarely, but when they do it is usually catastrophic!
This is a bit misleading though, because there is now a team of software and hardware engineers designing and maintaining the system, alongside the mechanical & electrical design and installation. One operator in an air-conditioned room can therefore do what was once back-breaking work for several people out in the elements. This is not a backwards step!
Oh it is out! It was a really fun day, watching you make this video! Thank you for visiting our model train, we had a blast.
One thing to add: These models trains are not only used for training, they are also used for science! The TU-Darmstadt uses it to both teach students and do simulations of modern traffic management systems.
Greetings, the Filmkreis guy :)
This was a really cool peek behind the curtain! Thanks for your part in this episode.
@@TheOobo My part was mostly standing around, watching them making the video ^^
@@Turidus Well, everyone's got a role to play :)
@Jan Silas ja, da ist auch ein Elektro-mechanisches verbaut.
Why does Tom suddenly have a band-aid around his thumb?
I really enjoyed this. Seeing the progression of the technology that most people don’t even realize goes on in the “background” to govern our daily lives. Very well done Tom! Leave it to the Germans to have a complete model city setup for actual hands on training. Mind=Blown
Excellent to see, the London Underground also has a training model railway.
Parents: "Ohh look at the kids playing with the trainset!"
Kids in their minds:
Accurate.
Also, train sets are a top tier toy.
Let's play a game: 20 different maniacs trying to make everyone elses trains crash into each other while keeping their own train on the tracks for as long as possible
Railway Deathmatch.
I think there was a board game with this principle decades ago.
I'd say very difficult when using only the normal operations, very easy when using workaround operations, see for example the Bad Aibling rail accident (Wikipedia)
They did that. It was called World War II.
We have that everywhere. It's called politics.
the system wont allow it :D
"But that's not the only safety-critical job on the railway that needs TRAINing."
Good one.
No...no get out 😄
Finally Holger and the EBD in Darmstadt gets the attention it deserves :D! I had the opportunity of taking part in a training there once (for a whole day) and it was totally awesome! Keep up the good work guys :)
You know its german engineering when the response to using it wrong is "yea try it" ol mate knows nothings gonna break this machinery in his lifetime
Yes, because if it would break... People could die. That's the point haha
"german engineering" is such an ignorant phrase, they also make some rubbish just like the rest of us.
@@Metal-Possum The same equipment and system is in daily use at the Bluebell Railway (a heritage steam railway). I went to the open day and operated it myself, a bit like Tom did here. Much of it is also original equipment dating back to when the railway was new in 1881. Those that aren't have been rebuilt to original spec. The only ones that are newer are signals that were built on line extensions more recently. They too use period equipment from when they were new. The most modern is about 1958, when the railway ended it commercial life.
So fun fact, they're in the process of building software for this using Unity (primarily because of pandemic reasons and the costs and risks of having people travel to a physical location).
I was lucky enough (and unlucky enough for them) to have worked on it. It's a rather odd system how railway systems work.
Woah, that sounds interesting. But what’s wrong with unity though, what would you have rather used
@@ranjith27 I _guess_ custom Code only
@@ranjith27 nothing, I like unity
I mean it's unfortunate that it was me they had on the team 😅
I thought you meant the switchers and got so confused... you do mean the model train right? XD
@@safebox36 BP?
I don't know why but I find the purely mechanical system super fascinating. It may be outdated, but it worked for so many years and is still working today. What a feat of the engineers back in the days.
I find it fascinating too
It sure is. Thats the reason I find mechanical puzzles really cool. They use a lot of different mechanic functions and ideas that many people had to come up with. And in todays time and age I personally find it more difficult a sole mechanic to engenieer then just putting in a moter and a gear for every axis instead mechanically linking them what would resoult in a bigger system overall :)
That was literally the most interesting episode by Tom Scott. Interesting to see how train signals work from the signaller's perspective.
I remember the feeling sitting there at the operator's desk as a student: “Oh, no no no. Well, I guess your train will arrive at platform 3 today.” You cannot easily take back any action. Was fun though. To bad Tom, you couldn’t include the interlocking system of Darmstadt. Most of Darmstadt is operated using all-electrical interlocking and a giant pin-board. Just looking at it made me sweat.
Still a lovely video!
That's incredible, you were a signalman too?
Now I picture Tom Scott in the same position and all the timetable boards across England showing "content" for arrival times.
@@brendanmark4372 Yes, at least as part of my subsidiary subject. Actually any student of the technical university in Darmstadt can participate. The module is called “Eisenbahnsicherungswesen I“. It doesn’t really require prerequisites (possible to do without)
@@moshmasch361 At university I was always on the lookout for interesting courses without prerequisites. I took fencing, foundry, and welding among others.
@@hughbrackett343 Fencing was taught as a course?
As a signalman at Hamburg Central Station I must say that I really enjoyed that video! We've got a fully electrical-system as they named it in this video, but we actually type in two three-digit numbers instead of pressing two buttons. The track layout is displayed on a large wall. But the best thing is the view from our workplace, up there in a nice tower.
Nice, you most certainly were operating the track quite a few times while I was taking a train ride ;)
Dann sage ich als ehemals regelmäßiger Fahrgast einfach mal Danke für deine Arbeit. ;)
@@LordHorst Gerne. :)
@@LordHorst Then, as a former regular passenger, I simply say thank you for your work.
So it's you I have to blame when the platform changes at the last minute and I have to run up and down the stairs carrying loads of luggage! :)
I say this every time I see something of German logic and efficiency, but, I'll say it again - That's the most German thing I've ever seen! Love it.
Mostly copied from the UK. Remember, we led the world in railway technology, and still do to some extent...
@@dougle03 Sad to see how it's all collapsing though, but I believe the UK can bring their railways up again if the government steps in
I’m a signalman on a heritage railway in the UK, and one thing I can say is that you learn all the time with this role. It’s also very interesting seeing how different signalling is across the world compared to the boxes I work in
As someone who works on the railway and goes into signal boxes all the time, it's interesting to see just how similar things are even half way around the world.
Which railway do you work for?
@@aniruddhabhattacharjee3729 Hogwarts Express
Trains drive internationally so it makes a lot of sense to harmonize everything. Also, all the engineers faced the same problem so it's not unlikely that they found the same solution.
@@user-xb9yv2ci4c and then you have the US, where we have completely different signaling between railroad companies, and then mergers happen so there's differences *within* a railroad too.
I legit do this in real life as a Train Dispatcher in an office.
My job involves throwing switches remotely, putting in signals for trains to move, or putting up protection/blocking devices to prevent trains from entering work areas, and protect workers within those work areas.
I work for the MBTA in Boston, in Amtrak’s CETC (Centralized Electrification Traffic Control) dispatch center.
The office is like NASA Mission Control meets a massive movie theatre screen showing every piece of track we control. To me, it’s the coolest office job in the world. I love it.
From Boston to Worcester, Boston and Springfield down to New Haven, CT, and the various Massachusetts commuter rail branch lines.
I’ve always loved trains and am now working for a railroad. Seeing this type of hands on/visual approach to signalman in training is fascinating. I love that!
Thank you, Tom Scott for showing me this. Makes me extra happy that other nations and railroads have people with such a strong passion and creative thinking to safely operate the railroads of the world.
🚄🚂👏🏼👍🏼
Can you recommend a computer game that replicates what you do?
@@markkawika PacMan
@@markkawika Have you tried Railway Operation Simulator?
The instructor is a great character, so enthusiastic and happy to show how thie amazing machine works.
Germany's practical physical approach to training railway signallers and train drivers is one of the best approaches in putting actual theory into practice.
If something goes wrong, there’s a shutdown button that releases Topham Hatt to say “You’ve been a very naughty engine!”
Well, if everything goes wrong, it causes confusion and delay!
That's Sir Topham Hatt to you! Good day!!
They definitely need to add a miniature Sir Topham Hatt to the model. For accuracy.
Or the more terrifying German version Herr Tophamm Hut
I was like: “building a model railway to train ppl… seems very German to me.” 😂
This made me think OMSI
I wouldn't let a trainee drive a real train. But maybe it's just the German in me speaking
Haha. "Train"
they prob made a model poland too
They don't like to be called "train people" I think...
As a German, i have to say. So many extremely interesting things i did not know about my country! What an amazing series! And as always - a marvelous video!
Hier in Mittelhessen haben wir auch noch teilweise das System. Die Schranken werden auch noch von Hand gekurbelt von unserem Werter. Wird immer wieder aufgewertet aber das vergnügen hatte er noch nicht mit einem Motor dafür :D
Stimme dir voll zu es gibt so viele beeindruckende Sachen hier, aber ich hab das Gefühl die Leute wollen nur schlechtes Wissen. Abgesehen davon das wir evolutionär auf negative Sachen fokussieren um diese eigentlich nicht zu wiederholen. Viel Gutes und noch mehr was es zu verbessern gilt hier. Also viel Arbeit :D
you should make a video about Devil’s Bridge in Ceredigion. it’s the only place in the world with three different bridges built on top of each other, theres a local legend around the building of the original bridge, theres a still-functional steam train line between the village and Aberystwyth, and theres waterfalls just along the river from the bridge. all in all, it seems a good fit for Amazing Places.
Without looking these places up, I'm guessing Wales?
@@derschwartzadder Yup. Wales. I've been to Devil's Bridge once. I recommend visiting there, as well as Llandudno and Llanberis.
Being a railway enthusiast living near Darmstadt, this video was really fascinating, because while I do know the different systems signal boxes are using, I didn't know that we have this amazing training facility in our region. Nice video Tom!
Then you may be interested to know that the Kranichstein train museum is currently rebuilding their signal training system and the public will be able to play around with that in 2023.
@@michaelcolin9887 That sounds great! Thank you for the info!
I work as a train dispatcher on a smaller Swedish railroad. We have a similar Interlocking system as seen in the beginning of the video and it is in use every day. Ours is even older and more simplified. But it still does some of the same saftey checks though, locking the levers and such.
Of course most of Swedens railway system is much more modern. But for the smaller railroads I think it is awesome to be a part of history and a more then 100 year old system that is still working.
I remember on the park bench when Tom said that Train Driver would be his potential line of work if creating video things didn't work out. This must have been an interesting experience for him.
Is "train driver" what British people call them?
@@kaldo_kaldo it's a person who drives a train......
Nobody could care less that they actually "operate" or "engineer" the train
@@Alucard-gt1zf "train driver" is more descriptive.
@@Alucard-gt1zf Except I'm asking about it? I care? You could be helpful instead of hateful.
@@Alucard-gt1zf but those who do think that, want to make sure the drivers get paid as much as possible! So I'm sure "train drivers" play along.
I once found a game where you do basicly the last point and its called "Rail Route". Its on steam and it can be great fun BUT it gets SO overwhelming since there are SO many staions and SO many train in some levels that its BATSHIT crazy.
Damn that actually seems quite cool especially for some random nerd like me xD
There also is Stellwerksim in the German area (some other areas in Europe too) which simulates a partly automatic system. It is really fun if you do try it, maybe consider starting on small sections instead of whole side railways.
@@NoZoDE That one was recomended to me as well and its great fun! Just need more time to figure out what is going on and not getting overwhelmed when you try out a new section
As someone who works on the railway in Ireland it’s great to see the similarities in Germany! Also looks like a great form of training!
This is where I learned the job and had my practical exam. Never thought it would pop up here but great to see familiar places and faces.
Hi Holger! Thanks again all your help 😊
If its one thing factorio has taught me its that train signals are a science on their own.
I love how trains are still so mechanical with physical locks and dials.
Was hoping someone would mention Factorio
Railway infrastructure is so critical that no country can close the system down to design and implement a new way of controlling trains across the whole network so all the new systems are designed to replace the old ones as seamlessly as possible. Therefore solutions designed in the 1800's are still the standard today.
Similar deal with OpenTTD 😊
I want to vomit wondering how to work signals. I just make multiple tracks and trains and time their returns lmao
04:05 in fact thats not a electro mechanical signalbox, it is based on relais and is called " DrS " or " DrS2 "
- greetings from a german signaler 🙂
LOVE this longer format! This was a delight to watch. I also think Holger loved showing all this stuff to a fellow nerd.
Tom is the type of guy every human should strive to be
Inquisitive, polite, down to earth and knowledgeable regardless of whether or not what he’s interested in is seen as ‘cool’ or not.
Knowledge above all - my kind of dude.
SUCH a great channel as this MUST have other Hbomberguy-Fans,
right??
Right??
Keep dreaming.
@@donreed Why so hostile?
Some twenty-ish years ago they had the shebang in a different building. A few of the levers were actually connected with wires to real signals and points in the courtyard. Cue a strategically placed ballast stone in the pointswork to teach an unsuspecting visitor (myself) that other things than interlocking can stop you from fully pulling a lever - all in good humour of course.
I think there is a good point here. If the mechanical systems are still in use, then why not try to replicate the experience as accurately as possible. What would a frozen, or seized linkage actually feel like? What process would you follow to free it up?
@@mudmucks Agreed. (Not so) fun fact: the point motors are so powerful that a slight freeze or small stone isn´t really a problem anymore, but also if you step on a point while it´s switching direction, your foot will be amputated.
@@mudmucks I work a mechanical signal box. It's hard to explain but after you have pulled every lever thousands of times you have an almost innate ability to know if something is not quite right that is very hard to teach new signallers it just comes with time. I can tell if the temperature has just dipped below freezing in the middle of the night just by the way the lever feels when pulling it.
the old mechanical switch/signal boxes are just so charming, love watching vids with them.
I really love watching you geek out. It's like watching a kid discovering a new hobby every time. Your enthusiasm and joy of learning is amazing.
Seeing such large levels pulled for a model trains set is hilarious
I see Deutsche Bahn and Tom Scott and I get excited. Please more content from Germany, love it!
Er hat ja schon beim letzten Video gesagt, dass es nun eine ganze Reihe Videos aus Deutschland geben wird :-)
You see Deutsche Bahn and get excited? Whats wrong with you ;)
@@toledoseahawks3348 If I see DB I feel like I be late
@@toledoseahawks3348 ich mag Züge
@@toledoseahawks3348 bahaha
It cannot just be "OK" it has to be "VERARBEITEN!"
Nice :)
"Verarbeiten" literally translates to "work through it" or "to execute" - it's a very German button: "OK" would just be the Computer shrugging and saying "whatever dude, I'll write it down for later", while "Verarbeiten" is more like the computer shouting "howdy ho, to work we go!" while grabbing a large wrench and putting its safety hat on... ;-)
@@KonradTheWizzard My very rough translation was the Anglo-Irish expression "work away".
@@KonradTheWizzard "verarbeiten" = "process"
My Father had been a Train Guard on British Rail in England.
When We came to Australia, Railways South Australia recognising his knowledge and prior experience made him Yard Master in the biggest Rail Yard in the State.
As a german, this gives me a whole lot more appreciation for the compexity "behind the scenes" of Deutsche Bahn. It is always easy to get annyoed as a traveller when your train is (once again) significantly behind schedule, but contrary to my expectations, even in 2021 stuff like this still is done by humans, especially concidering that all this older technology is (much less suprisingly) still in use somewhere along the tracks.
It is not teally about the contol (I think). A major problem is, that with the "Bahn-Reform", some 25 years ago, a whole lot of rails (track) and track switches (the intersections) were scrapped. So now with each and every delay there is this giant knock-on effect on the whole system with the trains blocking rach other, because there aren't enough tracks.
@@jonathandilger1649 also, thousands of people were fired and the clocking of the trains became tighter, so in the end you have less track for emergencies and construction/maintenance, less trains, less time to catch up with delays and on top of that there are less/too few people operating all of it.
This was really cool! I liked the long-form "I did a thing" style. Also, seeing the progression from Mechanical -> Relay -> Computer was exceptional!
As a Signaller in London that still works at a mechanical lever frame box this gives me joy.
this was a very satisfying video. I loved learning about the different eras of switching technology and that no matter what upgrades it kept to the core purpose and methods that worked in the beginning so well.
Those levers look and sound extremely satisfying to pull.
Seems like a new theme for ASMR videos. :-)
To be fair to the German language, which can be unnecessarily verbose, "verarbeiten" means "to process," not just "ok."
Love the final handshack.
Thank you
I've always loved these miniature train railways, even the miniature airport. It's just so fascinating seeing everything function as it should, and I always love looking at the mini things and imagining myself inside - great fun.
The Swedish state railway school in Ängeholm has basicly the same thing (though at a smaller scale). It was probably the most entertaining part of the training. Good times.
I was just wondering if we had a similar system somewhere. Tack för tipset!
So N or Z scale rather than HO?
(j/k, I know what you mean)
Just gonna say this, I love model trains.
Too bad they're so f'in expensive :(
same
I love lamp!
I’d have *never* guessed after looking at your Profile Picture /s
@@designtechdk Ikr.
Well this would have made my time at signalling school so much more interesting! Good to see that it's not just us that still use lever frame and other old systems
I know it’s late, but congratulations on 1B views. That’s a lot of people that left knowing something they probably didn’t know before. To educate and enlighten so many people is no small feat. Tom, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say “thank you for enriching my mind”. Cheers!
The switches that they use in the turnouts, to return the state of the system, are the same basic part for over a century, but have been updated and modernised, and are incredibly reliable, rated for 10 million operations. Yet they cost under 20 Euro each, just because of the sheer volume of them in use world wide. they also find use all over in industrial use as a very reliable very long life switch.
I had to order some for a machine, and ordered a full spare set, which worked out rather expensive. The original ones had done at least 5 million cycles, since I started working on the machine, and had done untold others, before it was sold as used, in use 24/7/365, since about 1971 with the previous owner. Likely 100 million cycles of operation on those switches, and the lot in the machine were all still mostly original parts, or at least similar in vintage. The ones I bought were new stock in 2006. They physically wore out, nothing electrical was wrong with them at all.
You mind sharing that switch part code? Sick of my "5 million cycle rating" micro switches lasting 500k at best.
@@nogravitas7585 Sorry, long rolled out of my emails, but it is a large item, try looking for cam follower switches and you will see them in there in a translucent light green plastic package. Two sets of contacts, double breaking, with one being NC and the other NO, and definitely break before make, as the contacts separate by 4mm.
Did look in image search, S800e is the part, and it is by no means a microswitch form factor
@@SeanBZA S800 and light translucent green were enough to find it but the cheapest supply in this country is $45 a pop sheesh, thanks anyway.
@@nogravitas7585 Yes, I was getting them around 15 years ago, and the 20 Euro was the price they cost when ordered by the company, probably around 2000. Buying in singles likely is a lot more expensive, I took the entire stock they had at 19 Euro equivalent each, 15 units, and thought that was a good price, compared to alternatives, which would have involved getting absolute shaft encoders and a PLC in, to replace just the one switch. So I ordered enough to replace the lot, though only used around 2 of the 12 in the end, the rest were still well within spec.
they really did a good job train-ing people there
Love that he’s always just like “try it” for everything
This is extremely cool, such a great way of training people! And your point about being to see the model trains moving is dead on, makes a world of difference
Aren't all model railroads used for *train*ing?
I'll see myself out.
You obviously need to...
Blow off some steam.
This is a obscene joke 😅.
No, you may not recommend the veal.
Booom Tish
Please stay
Holger seems like a great instructor. I liked how for many of Tom's questions, his response was to try it. I appreciate the learn by doing method. Great job!
I had the privilege of spending a whole day there and can confirm that Holger is a great instructor even when a group of know-nothings gets to push all those buttons and levers.
That's the great joy of a model system, I guess. You can really try things and "play" in a way that you can't with a simulator or through simply learning the principles.
This is the most cool model railroad I've seen. I've always been more into operations than scenery.
I could have fun running around this and fiddling in the yards for years.
Thanks for the show.
Be well and have fun.
British signal boxes also work on mechanical interlocking, but rather than being a separate lever to lock everything, it’s done automatically
When a certain route is set, only the signals giving access to that route can be set to green, all other signals won’t move, and it’s the same for points