Interesting picture, Lynsay. I would be inclined to describe this not as "double-deck" but "deck-and-a-half", if you excuse the cumbersome terminology. The upper layer compartments are interlaced with the lower ones by stealing headroom from the lower level and using it for seating volume for the other levels. I imagine this would increase seating capacity by around 50% compared with a regular single-deck carriage.
Thanks, Andy, for your interesting links. Overall I cannot see this as having been a popular layout.
Double-deck trains are popular in many other countries, but the problem in the UK is limited height to clear bridges. Nevertheless I understand that designs that would just about work with this limitation have been produced. The saloon heights would need to be reduced compared with regular trains, as they are for tube trains. The lower deck would be below platform height, so a step down to board the train. This lower height could not be applied over the bogeys so the ends of the carriages would be mainly stairways to the upper level. I doubt whether these arrangements would offer much more than 50% increase in seating capacity. There would be additional delays at stations, where upper deck passengers would funnel towards the stairs at carriage ends only. These delays would tend to offset the increase in seating capacity.
Overall it would be difficult to get double-deck trains to work well here, but I expect this possibility will be revisited from time to time. In fact here are some proposals.
I'd be interested to see what the interiors might look like. Would the upper deck have bench seats for four abreast, served by a sunken footwell at one side, like on those old-style low-height double-deck buses? They were not popular with passengers or conductors.
Interesting picture, Lynsay. I would be inclined to describe this not as "double-deck" but "deck-and-a-half", if you excuse the cumbersome terminology. The upper layer compartments are interlaced with the lower ones by stealing headroom from the lower level and using it for seating volume for the other levels. I imagine this would increase seating capacity by around 50% compared with a regular single-deck carriage.
Thanks, Andy, for your interesting links. Overall I cannot see this as having been a popular layout.
Double-deck trains are popular in many other countries, but the problem in the UK is limited height to clear bridges. Nevertheless I understand that designs that would just about work with this limitation have been produced. The saloon heights would need to be reduced compared with regular trains, as they are for tube trains. The lower deck would be below platform height, so a step down to board the train. This lower height could not be applied over the bogeys so the ends of the carriages would be mainly stairways to the upper level. I doubt whether these arrangements would offer much more than 50% increase in seating capacity. There would be additional delays at stations, where upper deck passengers would funnel towards the stairs at carriage ends only. These delays would tend to offset the increase in seating capacity.
Overall it would be difficult to get double-deck trains to work well here, but I expect this possibility will be revisited from time to time. In fact here are some proposals.
I'd be interested to see what the interiors might look like. Would the upper deck have bench seats for four abreast, served by a sunken footwell at one side, like on those old-style low-height double-deck buses? They were not popular with passengers or conductors.
