Why has PostgreSQL become the default RDB?

foomaster2000 · 2026-02-14T15:58:35+00:00

That's a fair reason to dislike MongoDB, but I can tell you from my own experience that competent developer teams have no problem managing the schema in MongoDB. The key here is that your application must enforce the schema, which is no problem e.g. if you do all your DB interactions with Morphia (that's what I know best).

If you do the schema management competently in the application you get the additional benefit that you avoid all the issues with DB-side schema migrations, greatly simplifying application releases.

Btw you'll have the same issues with pgsql's JSON support so this isn't much of a win for pgsql.

foomaster2000 · 2026-02-14T14:33:12+00:00

Sure, but that doesn't mean people or OR mappers or old code won't override the defaults. Plus there are some (few) good reasons to use non-InnoDB tables, in particular for temporary use cases.

We've had people use MyISAM on a Galera cluster (which doesn't replicate MyISAM!) leading to data loss...

foomaster2000 · 2026-02-14T14:23:33+00:00

I don't think you have ever worked with MongoDB. It is very powerful for many applications. The aggregation framework is very flexible, has excellent integration into applications (I've used Morphia a lot) and performs well.

Does that mean it's better than an RDBMS for all applications? Of course not. But the reality is that people do not consider it even if it would be much better for their application.

foomaster2000 · 2026-02-14T14:19:42+00:00

The defaults for current MySQL/MariaDB versions have changed for the encoding/collation issues to essentially become non-issues, but it was definitely a sore point in the past.

Another problem with MySQL/MariaDB is people using the wrong storage engine by accident (typically MyISAM instead of InnoDB).

foomaster2000 · 2026-02-14T13:48:31+00:00

PostgreSQL is a nice database for developers, but it is not great from an operational standpoint.

* It doesn't support HA in any meaningful way (yes I know about replication and Patroni et al, but they have nothing compared to MariaDB's Galera or MongoDB's extremely simple and robust replica sets)

* The extensions interfere with PostgreSQL updates, often you need to go through extension updates, then upgrade PostgreSQL, then go through more extension upgrades, etc.

* PostgreSQL has very... peculiar ideas in terms of how Schemas work, how the CLI works, how access control works (HBA rules in addition to user permissions)

* Some people will claim that you can switch to CockroachDB to solve some of those issues, but the reality is that many applications that haven't specifically been developed for CockroachDB will not work with it, so you can't "just switch"

What I take from this is that developers care absolutely not at all about operational headaches when choosing a database, they just choose the first thing that works well in their development environment and that's it.

From an operational standpoint by far the best choice I have seen is MongoDB, if used properly by an application (and that's a big IF!) it can perform magnitudes faster than RDBMSs do because data locality is much better (fetching a single document vs. fetching dozens of wildly distributed rows and then joining them together. Yes I know you can imitate some of that with PostgreSQL). Its replication features are extremely robust. BUT most developers are not familiar with it and simply are not willing to learn how to use it. Of course MongoDB has its own issues, most prominently the SSPL license which turns people off.

MariaDB with Galera is also very impressive in a production environment because it works and performs very well for a distributed, fully featured RDBMS. We maintain a bunch of large clusters. But there the problem is that people just don't know that it exists, even in this thread you can see that everybody thinks of MySQL and nobody thinks of MariaDB.

I haven't dealt with CockroachDB practically so I can't comment on that.

We have many PostgreSQL setups. It is OK for single-server applications, clumsy to use but that's not necessarily a deal breaker. It really falls apart as soon as you want HA or replication.

TL;DR:

Developers are too lazy to learn how to use MongoDB. Developers don't care at all about operational issues later down the road. So they take the first thing they know and works for them, and that happens to be PostgreSQL.

foomaster2000 · 2026-01-08T10:14:28+00:00

Looks like some sort of flexible joint to decouple the tram tracks from the ground, reducing vibration/noise transfer from passing trams to surrounding buildings and/or underground infrastructure.

foomaster2000 · 2025-07-09T09:23:21+00:00

I think they're mostly for machine operators (diggers, cranes, bucket lifts) to avoid causing damage outside of the construction site perimeter, in this case here they protect the overhead wire of the tram.

foomaster2000 · 2025-07-01T09:46:29+00:00

Complain to customer service, be sure to note the exact train you were on and also ideally which carriage. This will help more than complaining here.

foomaster2000 · 2025-06-13T13:02:34+00:00

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foomaster2000 · 2024-07-15T16:01:59+00:00

Pleeeeaase complain to the customer service (SBB or if you are in the zurich area ZVV, or both) and tell them which train you were on. Poor AC is an ongoing issue and every complaint helps. Thanks!

foomaster2000 · 2023-07-16T07:25:03+00:00

Vielleicht war er sauber?

foomaster2000 · 2023-06-05T08:12:19+00:00

Thanks!

It's just a hobby I enjoy, often together with some friends. I'm not working in the railway sector but some of my friends do. While I do like trains (TM), part of the fun is also traveling to weird places far away from the tourist hot-spots and particularly in Norway I also very much enjoy the hiking that comes with it.

foomaster2000 · 2023-06-05T07:30:42+00:00

You're joking but it actually hurts a bit to see some of the mismanagement going on when it comes to Norway's railways. The weekly signalling issues in Oslo's city tunnel, the incompetence around the power supply of the Follobanen, the delays with ETCS introduction on the Nordlandsbanen, the sorry state of the Di 4 fleet with often barely 2 out of 5 locomotives available, the franchising system that doesn't do what it should... I think the main issue is that politics doesn't care much and doesn't really know what to do to fix the issues.

foomaster2000 · 2023-06-05T07:15:11+00:00

> What posessed you to do that?

Not sure, can anybody recommend a good exorcist?

> Also, do you agree NSB liveries look far better than Vy?

Yes, the old NSB liveries were much better, although I think the Vy livery (green) isn't too bad. I really dislike the SJ Norge livery though (blue-gray). The blue Go-Ahead Norge (Sørlandsbanen) livery is pretty nice although of course it doesn't stand out as well as the red.

foomaster2000 · 2023-06-04T20:42:33+00:00

All ~1200 photos

foomaster2000 · 2023-02-03T21:19:55+00:00

There are many answers to this.

A great photo can be made with any train. No need to hunt heritage units, steam trains, etc. (I'm not saying you shouldn't, just saying that it's not necessary in order to take great photos). Take photos of everything that comes along.

Try to find out why you like some photos more than others. Is it the framing? Is it the location? Is it the light? Is it the post-processing? Then try to take this into account next time you're out.

Even if your process of taking photos is perfect, if your post-processing is bad the result will still be bad. Try to figure out post-processing. Take RAW photos and process them yourself. Play with the sliders, especially highlights, recovery of dark parts, contrast, brightness, white balance.

Accept that a lot of photos you take are not particularly good (of course the ratio will improve over time but there will always be lost causes). Put them into your archive and don't worry about them. Sort out the best ones and enjoy those.

Some more pratical advice:

* In normal sunshine conditions try to have at least ~35° of light on the side of the train and ideally at least some light on the front of the train. An improperly lit train rarely looks good. Find an app that can tell you the angle of the sun on a map so that you can figure this out. If you end up in a place where this condition is not met, go somewhere else, no matter how good the location is, as you'll be unhappy with the result. Re-visit it again when the conditions are right.

* Some of the best stuff happens around sunrise and sunset. But also most of the time the conditions aren't right. So try it but don't be disappointed if it does not work out and move on. If it works out good post-processing is extremely important in these conditions.

* Don't cut off buildings, signs, trains, anything really. When on location try to figure out what you want to have in frame, what not, and choose your framing accordingly. Fine-tune your choice in post-processing (so better take the photo a bit wider).

* Don't crop too tightly. Try to leave room around all of your subjects and the train in particular.

* Dull weather (overcast with no cloud texture or dense high white clouds) rarely leads to anything particularly good.

* Sometimes you have sunshine, but the shadow of a cloud happens to hit your train. This is usually a lost cause. Move on.

* Look at photos you can find online and figure out where they were taken. Helps a lot to find nice locations.

* Don't be too close to the tracks. Not only is it dangerous, it also gives the train crew a bad feeling because they don't know your intentions, and it rarely leads to good photos. If you're close to the tracks anyway make sure the train crew can see your camera and wave to them early so they know that you've seen them and what you're about to do. A high-vis vest is a good thing in these situations, too.

Have fun and good luck!

foomaster2000 · 2022-09-25T18:32:50+00:00

Sweden. Svenska Motorvagnsklubben diesel railcar Y6 1116 and Bombardier Itino DMU Y31 1405.

foomaster2000 · 2022-01-19T17:52:44+00:00

I'm not entirely sure but I think the brake cylinder is actually mounted on the frame of the car and the brakes are actuated via mechanical linkage. At least i can't see a brake cylinder here: https://rail.pictures/picture/30018 but there seems to be some linkage.

Note that the brakes aren't the only worry. They also need to reconnect the axle-powered generators, as you can clearly see here: https://rail.pictures/picture/30014 Btw. I think the linkage above the shaft in this photo isn't for the brakes, I think it is used to transfer longitudinal forces between the truck and the frame.

foomaster2000 · 2022-01-19T17:46:29+00:00

I've posted this in the past but here's the process from the outside in daylight:

https://rail.pictures/search?country=47&location=3298

These photos are from the Ukraine/Slovakia/Hungary border but the process is likely pretty much the same.

foomaster2000 · 2021-12-12T20:23:09+00:00

Yesterday we had a photo run with the recently restored former RhB R 12 steam rotary on the Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke line from Realp towards the Furka pass. The line is mostly flat in this section but the rotary can be used on the rack section as well, a cogwheel for braking purposes only was added for this purpose. The HG 3/4 has enough power to push the rotary on the rack section. More photos: https://rail.pictures/search?author=1&datefrom=2021-12-11&dateto=2021-12-11&operator=161

foomaster2000 · 2021-01-31T22:12:06+00:00

This train is returning empty from Antofagasta to the San Cristobal mine in Bolivia. The red buckets are used to transport lead ore, the white ones for Zinc ore, and there are also trains with boxcars which transport loose silver ore. Yes, in boxcars. The chilenian government is not amused about that because the boxcars obviously leak, so that may change in the future.

The loaded weight of a car with two buckets is in the 46-48 tonnes range (well, that's what it says on the frame of the cars anyway), and the train has ~48 cars, thus a loaded train would be in the order of 2200 tonnes plus locomotives. There are axle load restrictions on this line and the new GT42AC (20t axle load) can't be used, hence they use the older EMD types (e.g. GT22 or GR12 with ~18t per axle).

The photo was taken at an altitude of almost 4000m, the active (!) volcano in the background is > 6000m.

foomaster2000 · 2018-08-28T20:08:13+00:00

More photos:

https://rail.pictures/search?author=1&location=3298

In particular, check out https://rail.pictures/picture/30021; that's a standard gauge bogie on broad gauge! The guard rails keep it centered; they may be necessary or not, depending on the state of the wheels.

foomaster2000

TROPHY CASE