HSTs at St Pancras International

[Steddenm]

Do the HSTs run into / out of St Pancras Ingednational with the London-end power car switched off in order not to pollute the station with fumes?

I know the Meridians switch off engines as soon as they get there and don't reboot until they are about to leave as the on board PIS says something about power saving mode.

 

[ExRes]

Unless things have changed the London end power car is shut down on arrival leaving the country end power car providing electrical supply, a few minutes prior to departure the London end is restarted and electrical supply changed to that power car

 

[hexagon789]

Unless things have changed the London end power car is shut down on arrival leaving the country end power car providing electrical supply, a few minutes prior to departure the London end is restarted and electrical supply changed to that power car

Still normal practice I believe, the instruction was/is in the Sectional Appendix under local instructions

 

[Skymonster]

Do the HSTs run into / out of St Pancras Ingednational with the London-end power car switched off in order not to pollute the station with fumes?

No, they run into / out of St Pancras with both power cars running.

However, unless they are on a quick turnround, the London end power car is shut down shortly after arrival and restarted a few minutes before departure.

 

[hexagon789]

No, they run into / out of St Pancras with both power cars running.

However, unless they are on a quick turnround, the London end power car is shut down shortly after arrival and restarted a few minutes before departure.

Don't think you can start a power car remotely anyway nor on the move, so you'd be stuck on one until the first stop in such a situation

 

[43096]

Don't think you can start a power car remotely anyway nor on the move, so you'd be stuck on one until the first stop in such a situation

Engine start and engine stop will start/stop both power cars.

 

[hexagon789]

Engine start and engine stop will start/stop both power cars.

Can you run with one on and one off and then fire up the other PC while moving?

 

[43096]

Can you run with one on and one off and then fire up the other PC while moving?

Don’t know, to be honest. Suspect that even if technically possible that a driver doing that would be frowned upon as a distraction.

 

[WesternLancer]

Unless things have changed the London end power car is shut down on arrival leaving the country end power car providing electrical supply, a few minutes prior to departure the London end is restarted and electrical supply changed to that power car

Sounds correct - a few weeks ago I arrived up on the MML deck just as the london end power car was fired up. I thought to myself 'that's a nice sound to hear, I'm on my way home by HST for sure'

 

[43096]

Sounds correct - a few weeks ago I arrived up on the MML deck just as the london end power car was fired up. I thought to myself 'that's a nice sound to hear, I'm on my way home by HST for sure'

It tends to confuse the normals, who hear the power car start and start scurrying along the platform thinking the train is about to depart even though it is a) 5mins before departure time and b) the driver is in the blocks end cab starting it up and has to walk to the other end before it goes anywhere. Putting the back power car into ETS (which causes the power car to go into the equivalent of notch 2) just exacerbates the effect.

 

[Hairy Bear]

Can you run with one on and one off and then fire up the other PC while moving?

No you can't. Need to be at a stand to start them up.

 

[WesternLancer]

It tends to confuse the normals, who hear the power car start and start scurrying along the platform thinking the train is about to depart even though it is a) 5mins before departure time and b) the driver is in the blocks end cab starting it up and has to walk to the other end before it goes anywhere. Putting the back power car into ETS (which causes the power car to go into the equivalent of notch 2) just exacerbates the effect.

Yes, haha

 

[hexagon789]

No you can't. Need to be at a stand to start them up.

Thought that was the case

 

[hexagon789]

Don’t know, to be honest. Suspect that even if technically possible that a driver doing that would be frowned upon as a distraction.

Agreed, moot point anyway given its not practice to do so anyway

 

[Inthewest]

Agreed, moot point anyway given its not practice to do so anyway

That depends.
In the old days if a power car overheated, it was shut down but the service carried on using one power car. Then when it had cooled down enough, the over heated power car would be restarted.

Mighty strange hearing an HST slide into a station "off" only to be restarted as soon as it stops.

 

[hexagon789]

That depends.
In the old days if a power car overheated, it was shut down but the service carried on using one power car. Then when it had cooled down enough, the over heated power car would be restarted.

Mighty strange hearing an HST slide into a station "off" only to be restarted as soon as it stops.

I believe GWR still did that if control agreed to it but not commonly.

 

[43096]

That depends.
In the old days if a power car overheated, it was shut down but the service carried on using one power car. Then when it had cooled down enough, the over heated power car would be restarted.

The control system actually reverts the engine to idle when the water temperature relay trips.

 

[43066]

It tends to confuse the normals, who hear the power car start and start scurrying along the platform thinking the train is about to depart even though it is a) 5mins before departure time and b) the driver is in the blocks end cab starting it up and has to walk to the other end before it goes anywhere. Putting the back power car into ETS (which causes the power car to go into the equivalent of notch 2) just exacerbates the effect.

They tend to think the person starting it up is the guard! Understandable I suppose.

Don’t know, to be honest. Suspect that even if technically possible that a driver doing that would be frowned upon as a distraction.

It wouldn’t be seen as a distraction - there’d be no issue at all with attempting to restart a 222 on the move if one or more engines has shut down.

No you can't. Need to be at a stand to start them up.

Are you sure about that? I can’t see any reason not to shut off and attempt a restart on the go?

 

[ExRes]

Are you sure about that? I can’t see any reason not to shut off and attempt a restart on the go?

Hairy Bear speaks the truth, no restarts on the go, sadly that was the case with 170s as well, the ability for 222s to be started on the go was very welcome

 

[whoosh]

Hairy Bear speaks the truth, no restarts on the go, sadly that was the case with 170s as well, the ability for 222s to be started on the go was very welcome

222s:
Ha ha! Especially after 'Eco mode' was fitted and the Driver had set off forgetting about it. Allowed for the snail's pace 10mph linespeed departure from St Pancras, by which time the other engines were ready and fired up!


_________

With regard to HSTs, the engine start button in the leading power car will start both engines, but you can only switch on the ETS (Electrical Train Supply) in the power car you are in. It's put on in the rear one so that if the rear power car fails, you can switch it on on the leading one without needing to stop the train.

At St Pancras, starting the rear power car and switching on the ETS in the rear power car is also a great time to take off the parking brake which has also been applied on that power car!

 

[43096]

At St Pancras, starting the rear power car and switching on the ETS in the rear power car is also a great time to take off the parking brake which has also been applied on that power car!

Not doing the parking brake then can involve “the walk of shame” later if you try to leave...

 

[PudseyBearHST]

The control system actually reverts the engine to idle when the water temperature relay trips.

Depending on the water temperature, it may shut the engine down.

 

[ExRes]

Not doing the parking brake then can involve “the walk of shame” later if you try to leave...

Not to mention forgetting to remove your key

 

[hexagon789]

Hairy Bear speaks the truth, no restarts on the go, sadly that was the case with 170s as well, the ability for 222s to be started on the go was very welcome

Obviously no restarts allowed on the go, but is it also physically impossible out of curiosity?

 

[Hairy Bear]

Obviously no restarts allowed on the go, but is it also physically impossible out of curiosity?

Impossible to do on your own. But if you have a very knowledgeable fitter with you, then....................

 

[hexagon789]

Impossible to do on your own. But if you have a very knowledgeable fitter with you, then....................

Ah okay, that explains it nicely!

 

[whoosh]

Not doing the parking brake then can involve “the walk of shame” later if you try to leave...

Never did that one!

Not to mention forgetting to remove your key

I did that one!