MK3 Bogie Differences

[XCTurbostar]

Hi all,

I'm just looking into the differences which MK3 bogies have had over the years.

If the following have technical names / differences, please share them with me

1. Short Swing Link - Mk3a Loco Bogie with no boxes or wires
2. Short Swing Link - Mk3 HST Bogie with Orange Box and connections - WSP?
3. Short Swing Link - Mk3 HST Bogie with two boxes and different wheel covers - G shape?

I couldn't find any pictures online of a Long Swing Link bogie - are there many of these and can you see the long swings from looking at the bogie?

If there are any I've forgotten feel free to let me know!

Thanks,
Ross

 

[Emblematic]

Ok, in order then:

1. Wrong side! WSP detection kit is fitted to one side of the BT10, the side where the traction rod is to the left of the spring plank. As traction rods are always on the inboard side, the WSP is on the right-hand end bogie when looking at the side of a Mk3 carriage
2. Earlier Girling WSP detection, fitted to Mk3a LHCS and some HSTs
3. Later BR pattern WSP fitted to Mk3b and most HSTs

As to short and long swing links, we've referred to this external post previously as a good reference. It's hard to tell in your photos as you need to see whether anything is protruding below the spring plank, and there's too much shadow. However this photo (not mine) shows the protruding bits on a LSL bogie very clearly.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Ok, in order then:

1. Wrong side! WSP detection kit is fitted to one side of the BT10, the side where the traction rod is to the left of the spring plank. As traction rods are always on the inboard side, the WSP is on the right-hand end bogie when looking at the side of a Mk3 carriage
2. Earlier Girling WSP detection, fitted to Mk3a LHCS and some HSTs
3. Later BR pattern WSP fitted to Mk3b and most HSTs

As to short and long swing links, we've referred to this external post previously as a good reference. It's hard to tell in your photos as you need to see whether anything is protruding below the spring plank, and there's too much shadow. However this photo (not mine) shows the protruding bits on a LSL bogie very clearly.

Many thanks for the information! Very interesting.

 

[43096]

Ok, in order then:

1. Wrong side! WSP detection kit is fitted to one side of the BT10, the side where the traction rod is to the left of the spring plank. As traction rods are always on the inboard side, the WSP is on the right-hand end bogie when looking at the side of a Mk3 carriage
2. Earlier Girling WSP detection, fitted to Mk3a LHCS and some HSTs
3. Later BR pattern WSP fitted to Mk3b and most HSTs

Not quite...

No. 1 - correct
No. 2 - the Girling WSP is the third photo. This is actually the current/latest Knorr-Bremse system, which looks similar to the later BR type. The difference is subtle in visual terms, the cables from the orange box are thinner than the BR type.
No. 3 - the original Girling type

 

[Emblematic]

Ah yes, I've looked at the photos in the wrong order, 3 is indeed the older type! Oops!
I didn't know about the third variant, so thanks for the update.

 

[43096]

I didn't know about the third variant, so thanks for the update.

This photo shows the later BR type: https://www.flickr.com/photos/45726...EKn-tkugxr-F8AQx3-KLwKGB-tkucVg-FqYyuL-sg8Bf6

As you can see, they look very similar.

 

[co-tr-paul]

OK, just to confuse things, when fresh from works, different types have their springs painted different colours be it ted, yellow or green.. Pipework in orange and markings in white or yellow.

 

[richard1976]

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=15602.0

 

[t_star2001uk]

OK, just to confuse things, when fresh from works, different types have their springs painted different colours be it ted, yellow or green.. Pipework in orange and markings in white or yellow.

The yellow springs are found under most open coaches, the green ones are a stronger spring and are usually found under the kitchen end of buffet cars..

 

[hexagon789]

Then of course there are also the 5ft 3in BT22 bogies fitted to the Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail Mk3s (with the exception of the Push-pull Control Cars as built (they were later fitted with BT22s) and the ex-BREL Internationals which had those iffy T4 bogies). So I suppose that as they are BT22s rather than BT10s you could include them as another type of bogie altogether asides from the guage difference.

 

[Emblematic]

The yellow springs are found under most open coaches, the green ones are a stronger spring and are usually found under the kitchen end of buffet cars..

And green on sleepers...

Red ones? Not on Mk3s to my recollection. Stand to be corrected.