'good ones' and 'bad ones' in the same class

[fgwrich]

Great Western’s Turbo fleet are not immune to this - for many years 166201 had the nickname of Brian. Brian the snail (see the Magic Roundabout). It seems to be a little better these days, perhaps the removal of the carpets has hastened it a little!

 

[31160]

92006s career hasnt been exactly stellar

 

[Class15]

92006s career hasnt been exactly stellar

It’s not still not restricted to Empty Stock workings is it?!

 

[Thornaby 37]

37431 had a recurring electrical fault throughout the 1990s, believed to have been caused by having its ETS (Electric Train Supply) cable attached to a full rake of mk3s at Preston in the winter 1990 - 1991 following damage to the overhead wires. necessitating diesel haulage
Anyone familiar with ETS will know that the combined ETS index of a rake of coached must not exceed the ETS index of the locomotive. The combined ETS of a mk3 set (five x SO, 1 x RFM, 2 x FO, 1 x DVT) was 61, while the ETS index of a class 37/4 is 30

 

[43096]

37431 had a recurring electrical fault throughout the 1990s, believed to have been caused by having its ETS (Electric Train Supply) cable attached to a full rake of mk3s at Preston in the winter 1990 - 1991 following damage to the overhead wires. necessitating diesel haulage
Anyone familiar with ETS will know that the combined ETS index of a rake of coached must not exceed the ETS index of the locomotive. The combined ETS of a mk3 set (five x SO, 1 x RFM, 2 x FO, 1 x DVT) was 61, while the ETS index of a class 37/4 is 30

I was aware that 37431 had a recurring electrical issue for some time during the 1990s, that ultimately became terminal as it was one of the (if not the) first 37/4s taken out of service. Had never heard about what had caused it, though, until now!

 

[Harpo]

37431 had a recurring electrical fault throughout the 1990s, believed to have been caused by having its ETS (Electric Train Supply) cable attached to a full rake of mk3s at Preston in the winter 1990 - 1991 following damage to the overhead wires. necessitating diesel haulage
Anyone familiar with ETS will know that the combined ETS index of a rake of coached must not exceed the ETS index of the locomotive. The combined ETS of a mk3 set (five x SO, 1 x RFM, 2 x FO, 1 x DVT) was 61, while the ETS index of a class 37/4 is 30

Is there no overload trip/protection on an ETS circuit?

 

[Spartacus]

360101 & 222007 always seem to be my bogey units though an EMR 360 fault never seems very far away anyway.

I'd always thought the rumour with 47501 was that it somehow had avoided derating?

I bet with some, particularly older, stock the differences will often boil down to something seemingly very minor, down to human error during construction, something installed in a slightly different position for instance resulting in stifled airflow somewhere and a tendency to overheat because of it, or wired up using the incorrect gauge cable somewhere, or nicked resulting in intermittent shorts for no apparent reason.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I've been relutctant to post this one, since I don't wish to 'libel' a locomotive any more than a person, and I think I've only read this once on some forum or other after the onset of the internet, but anyway...

It concerns Bulleid pacific 34090 "Sir Eustace Missenden, Southern Railway".

Whether the issue was a long-term thing or merely a temporary problem (or merely a footplate joke) I don't know, but this loco supposedly was a poor runner, so much so that it supposedly earned the nickname "Useless Eustace".

Can anyone confirm? It is not underlined in my 1962-3 combined volume, so it appears I never saw the poor maligned machine, though that is likely an indication that it was an early withdrawal.

EDIT: This is incorrect - see post 43

If only a mean messroom myth, I beg forgiveness from Sir Eustace.

 

[Harpo]

Another joke surrounded prototype diesel 10800. It spent vast amounts of time under repair and was called ‘the wonder loco’, as in ‘I wonder if it will work today?’

 

[chuff chuff]

37431 had a recurring electrical fault throughout the 1990s, believed to have been caused by having its ETS (Electric Train Supply) cable attached to a full rake of mk3s at Preston in the winter 1990 - 1991 following damage to the overhead wires. necessitating diesel haulage
Anyone familiar with ETS will know that the combined ETS index of a rake of coached must not exceed the ETS index of the locomotive. The combined ETS of a mk3 set (five x SO, 1 x RFM, 2 x FO, 1 x DVT) was 61, while the ETS index of a class 37/4 is 30

From what I can remember and it has been a while but we never put more than four coaches on a 37/4 due to the low index of the ETH.

 

[Ianigsy]

The three 37s allocated to the Settle and Carlisle top and tail diagrams under Arriva were 405, 408 and 411. Of these, 408 and 411 were considered the first choice locos and 405 was the spare.

Fast forward to today and 405 is the only one still with us!

 

[150249]

I've heard that 221144 is particularly disliked among drivers. Probably something to do with it's donor coaches from 142 and 143 but I believe the electrics often go haywire on this unit. An interesting example is coach 52776 from 158958. The unit is often formed as a 2 coach temporarily with 52776 locked up in Exeter TMD.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Can anyone confirm? It is not underlined in my 1962-3 combined volume, so it appears I never saw the poor maligned machine, though that is likely an indication that it was an early withdrawal.

Twenty-two of the 110-strong fleet of "Light Pacifics" made it through to the end of steam on the Southern in July 1967. 34090 was one of them.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Twenty-two of the 110-strong fleet of "Light Pacifics" made it through to the end of steam on the Southern in July 1967. 34090 was one of them.

Oooops. Apologies. I should have checked my 1964 combined volume - where it is underlined! (I knew that I'd seen all of them still in service at the end of steam.)

But in the meantime, I have a query about a possible good'un of the same class - 34037 Clovelly, which I read on this forum recently worked the last steam-hauled departure from Waterloo on the last Saturday of steam operations.

This loco, by chance, was also my first ever Bulleid (at least consciously spotted) on a Southern working to the north via Oxford. Indeed, as a Bournmouth loco, it seemed a favoured loco for use on the Pines once it was diverted to run via Reading West.

I have no idea if the Oxford workings were considered extra onerous for the crews or not, but wondered if Clovelly was considered a 'good'un', considering it lasted until the very end - or at least withing 24 hours of it?

 

[D6130]

When I was a guard at Brighton in the mid-1980s the majority of the Central Division EMUs were much of a muchness. However two units - 4-CIG no. 7318 and 4-VEP no. 7787 - were absolute racehorses, with incredible acceleration and a distinctive loud whine from the traction motors when under power.

I only ever had the two of them in multiple once - on a short-notice control special boat train from Newhaven Marine to Victoria, connecting with a very late-running and storm-battered Dieppe ferry. We were lucky to get a good pathway and with the usual stops at Gatwick Airport and East Croydon, we managed to improve on the timings by about ten minutes. After the (approximately!) 20 mph crawl round the curve at Keymer Junction, I noticed - looking through one of the intermediate cab windows - that we were already doing 90 through Haywards Heath, less than three miles away.

But in the meantime, I have a query about a possible good'un of the same class - 34037 Clovelly, which I read on this forum recently worked the last steam-hauled departure from Waterloo on the last Saturday of steam operations.

I remember reading in one of the 'end of steam on the Southern' books (Sorry....can't remember which one!) that 34037 worked a Colne to Portsmouth Harbour excursion from Willesden to Portsmouth Harbour over the hilly Portsmouth Direct Line on Saturday 2nd July; and the return working on Saturday 9th. Apparently the Fratton crew on the return trip were aware that it would be their last steam job and gave it their all, with a very creditable performance.

 

[Magdalia]

Oooops. Apologies. I should have checked my 1964 combined volume - where it is underlined! (I knew that I'd seen all of them still in service at the end of steam.)

But in the meantime, I have a query about a possible good'un of the same class - 34037 Clovelly, which I read on this forum recently worked the last steam-hauled departure from Waterloo on the last Saturday of steam operations.

This loco, by chance, was also my first ever Bulleid (at least consciously spotted) on a Southern working to the north via Oxford. Indeed, as a Bournmouth loco, it seemed a favoured loco for use on the Pines once it was diverted to run via Reading West.

I have no idea if the Oxford workings were considered extra onerous for the crews or not, but wondered if Clovelly was considered a 'good'un', considering it lasted until the very end - or at least withing 24 hours of it?

The Pines Express ran via Bath until September 1962. Coincidentally that was the month that 34037 was reallocated from Bournemouth to Eastleigh.

There is quite a lot of data on Southern Region locos working to/from Oxford in the early 1960s. On summer Saturdays there would be 4 or 5 turns, some with Bournemouth locos (usually diagrams in the 398-401 range) and some from Eastleigh (usually diagrams 250 and/or 251).

For 1962 there is an excellent BackTrack article (10/95 issue) with details for 4 summer Saturdays. 34037 worked the Bournemouth-Birkenhead on 11/08/62, and also the Poole-Sheffield on 25/07/62, though the latter changed locos at Basingstoke.

As an Eastleigh loco, 34037 worked the Bradford north on 14/08/65, returning on the Newcastle, but that's the only record I have of it reaching Oxford on a summer Saturday in 1964 or 1965. In those years more common locos reaching Oxford on summer Saturdays included 34040, 34044 and 34046. These are all Bournemouth locos, which were more common than Eastleigh locos because they had more turns.

 

[delt1c]

Delt1c 55013 Black Watch was always ( in later years) seen as best performer, some reputed recorders saying it was giving 4000hp. Rumour has it this was down to a rewire during a works visit.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

An interesting example is coach 52776 from 158958. The unit is often formed as a 2 coach temporarily with 52776 locked up in Exeter TMD.

Out of interest, is that the "donor" vehicle in the hybrid set, or one half of the unit that received an extra coach?

 

[D365]

Delt1c 55013 Black Watch was always ( in later years) seen as best performer, some reputed recorders saying it was giving 4000hp. Rumour has it this was down to a rewire during a works visit.

I’m not sure how a rewire could lead to any meaningful increase in traction "at the road".

 

[JonathanH]

Out of interest, is that the "donor" vehicle in the hybrid set, or one half of the unit that received an extra coach?

158958 is the two vehicles from 158776 and vehicle 57746 from 158746. So, if it loses 52776 it would be running without a universal toilet.

 

[MickeyN]

I’m not sure how a rewire could lead to any meaningful increase in traction "at the road".

55012 was renowned for flash overs & nicknamed flashover Joe by Depot staff.Some thing to do with going over points at speed.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I've heard that 221144 is particularly disliked among drivers. Probably something to do with it's donor coaches from 142 and 143 but I believe the electrics often go haywire on this unit.

Strangely I seem to remember when Virgin ran a few 4-car 221s, iirc 142/143, around a decade ago, I got the distinct impression that they seemed to accelerate notably faster than a 5 car 221 for some reason. (The tilt still worked)

 

[D1537]

In the 70s, 47525 was known as "Deltic 23"; whether York had actually tinkered with it is somewhere between truth and urban myth. In the 80s, 47423, 47452 (after it re-emerged from a long stint in Crewe works after the Morpeth accident) and 47657 were regarded by a number of staff to be significantly better than their classmates. 47657 is still with us in the guise of WCRC's 47812.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Delt1c 55013 Black Watch was always ( in later years) seen as best performer, some reputed recorders saying it was giving 4000hp. Rumour has it this was down to a rewire during a works visit.

Nimbus was apparently Finsbury Park's favourite, in the early days. in "The Deltics, a Symposium" (published by Ian Allen in 1972) Roger Ford wrote of his time as one of the the English Electric reps embedded at Kings Cross in the early 1960s
"There were two (EE) men stationed at Kings Cross, meeting all the Deltics as they arrived [to debrief their drivers]. .....The two men at Kings Cross also kept track of the fleet movements, which revealed that No 9020 seemed to accumulate more mileage [than its stablemates] After a few days it became clear that one of the EE reps had adopted this unit and was putting it forward for any spare duties that came aloing, hence the higher than avareg mileage, the non-standrad colour of the buffer beams and its selection for the experimental fitting of external hooters"

Was Nimbus chosen because of some slighty better performance (it was, after all the last Deltic based at 34G to have been built, and so likely to have incorporated the experience gained in building earlier examples (qv Mallard being one of the last batch of A4s)? Or maybe the rep had backed its equine namesake when he won the 1949 Derby at 7 to 1 .

EDIT - In checking which race Nimbus won, I discovered a random fact that Alycidon and Meld were father and daughter! - neither won the Derby, although both had a long string of other wins.

 

[RUK]

I wonder which is the best Class 390, and if it will be specially selected for the re-attempt for the journey time record for Rail 200 celebrations this year? The unit re-numbered 390 200 was apparently a last-minute substitution for the unit which was originally intended to be re-numbered.

 

[D365]

I wonder which is the best Class 390, and if it will be specially selected for the re-attempt for the journey time record for Rail 200 celebrations this year? The unit re-numbered 390 200 was apparently a last-minute substitution for the unit which was originally intended to be re-numbered.

It’s already been confirmed that 016 (200) is the unit to be used.

 

[12LDA28C]

I'd always thought the rumour with 47501 was that it somehow had avoided derating?

Avoiding derating would not cause the kind of issues that 501 suffered. I believe the root of the problem was the overhaul it was given by DRS and how the power unit / generator were set up at the time.

 

[Juniper Driver]

Wessex 442413 was known to be sluggish for years before they found a fault in one of the motors AFAIK.

 

[Scotrail84]

I think 170 401 has been problematic for ScotRail recently suffering from door arming issues.

 

[150249]

I wonder which is the best Class 390, and if it will be specially selected for the re-attempt for the journey time record for Rail 200 celebrations this year? The unit re-numbered 390 200 was apparently a last-minute substitution for the unit which was originally intended to be re-numbered.

I believe 390044 was chosen for the Euston to Glasgow record run because it was the best performer.