What should/will happen to the ex Chiltern Mk3s now?

[Bletchleyite]

I reckon they would be perfect for railtours since they have plug doors, modern PRM toilets and (IMO) pretty smart looking interiors.

Paint them maroon, change the door window shape a bit so it looks a bit old, convert the DVTs into generator vans so they can be hauled by anything, give them old sounding names and put them on the Jacobite. They would solve the door locking issue, the Royal Train Mk3s look suitably old so you could make other Mk3s look old too, and they have big picture windows from which to look at the scenery and appropriate low density seating (indeed maybe just adjust the layout to 64 seats fully window aligned per vehicle).

Maybe even fit opening windows. It should be structurally possible as the Irish Mk3s had them.

I fear they'll just end up scrapped though. But if they do survive it'll be rail tours of some kind, I'm sure.

 

[SynthD]

In these options, who is keeping them warm and alive? It sounds like the major issue with keeping modern stock for an unknown future is that they begin to fail when left unused. The Jacobite may have an uptick in demand once the tv show comes out, once that dies down they’ll be out again.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In these options, who is keeping them warm and alive? It sounds like the major issue with keeping modern stock for an unknown future is that they begin to fail when left unused. The Jacobite may have an uptick in demand once the tv show comes out, once that dies down they’ll be out again.

I'd probably suggest that if West Coast Railways want them they will probably purchase them quite quickly.

 

[adc82140]

Which locos have the ability to control the doors? Is it just he 68s?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Which locos have the ability to control the doors? Is it just he 68s?

They are guard controlled, are they not? Or is it driver release? I suppose it'd be easy enough to convert to full guard operation.

They have certainly never worked DOO in passenger service, and nor will the Mk5s.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Which locos have the ability to control the doors? Is it just he 68s?

That's a key question. Would it be possible to have the doors controlled from the DVT, rendering the type of loco on the other end irrelevant?

By all accounts the coaches themselves are worn out and will need heavy (read: expensive) overhauls to remain in use.

 

[FrontSideBus]

"convert the DVTs into generator vans so they can be hauled by anything"

I thought the Chiltern DVT's already had GUE's installed hence the big vents in the side?

 

[Meole]

320 Mark 3 already scrapped, plenty of previous opportunity to buy old stock

 

[Bletchleyite]

320 Mark 3 already scrapped, plenty of previous opportunity to buy old stock

Chiltern's LH Mk3s are the only ones with power doors, are they not? All the other power door Mk3s (bar the Irish ones) were HST trailers?

 

[adc82140]

They are guard controlled, are they not? Or is it driver release? I suppose it'd be easy enough to convert to full guard operation.

They have certainly never worked DOO in passenger service, and nor will the Mk5s.

Fair point, but surely there has to be some sort of interlock in place, no matter who is controlling the doors.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fair point, but surely there has to be some sort of interlock in place, no matter who is controlling the doors.

I don't know if there has to be with old LHCS due to grandfather rights. The classic central door locking certainly didn't have traction interlock, I don't think there was even brake interlock which could be done within the coaches without involving the loco.

 

[FrontSideBus]

I'm sure you could pick the best vehicles and form a nice 9+2 formation.

 

[Muzer]

I know that charter rake Mk 2s and Mk 3s still have Motor Alternators (MAs) to power their auxiliaries - for those unaware, this is how they converted DC to AC back in the day before modern solid state power electronics, by spinning a DC motor mechanically attached to an alternator (ie an AC equivalent to a generator). It is also responsible for the "whine" of a Mk 2 or non-HST Mk 3 (HSTs supplied 3 phase power which was already AC so no need for a MA). These are unreliable and maintenance heavy (remember you have a brushed DC motor in there that's spinning for the whole time the coach is being powered).

I also know that the Chiltern Mk 3s have had their MAs replaced by solid state equivalents which are bound to be much more reliable (modulo ability to accept dodgy ETS voltages put out by certain locomotives).

My obvious question is... can this equipment be recovered and fitted to charter rakes to reduce maintenance costs and increase reliability? Or does no charter stock company have the money even for buying kit that would surely otherwise be scrapped?

 

[FrontSideBus]

Do Mk4's have a MA? They do have a distinctive whine and was never sure if it was a transformer or motor-alternator?

 

[43096]

Do Mk4's have a MA? They do have a distinctive whine and was never sure if it was a transformer or motor-alternator?

Mark 4s use inverters rather than MA sets. I think they may have been upgraded with new IGBT inverters?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Do Mk4's have a MA? They do have a distinctive whine and was never sure if it was a transformer or motor-alternator?

The whine tells the train that the DVT, loco and carriages are all in sync and working together.

 

[HSTEd]

Do Mk4's have a MA? They do have a distinctive whine and was never sure if it was a transformer or motor-alternator?

I believe they have a static converter in place of the Mark 3's motor-alternator setup. The whine is probably magnetostriction in the converter.