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TfW class 398 Stadler Citylink tram trains
- Thread starter Bob Price
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RailUK Forums
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Regarding Pantograph wear. All it would need is a random (but short) time length delay after passing the balise (or whatever) that triggers the pantograph to raise. Then the contact wire would be in a different position relative to the pantographs contact strip each time.
Yeah I know - Heath Robinson. But I suppose in the higher speed applications there is a chance the train concerned has not yet reached the speed limit so speed might be more variable by accident.
Perhaps it is more random in the applications you mention and/or on TfW the unit speed is far more precise. So varying the unit speed would be useful. Perhaps a variable speed limit sign that varied by time all day long.
Yeah I know - Heath Robinson. But I suppose in the higher speed applications there is a chance the train concerned has not yet reached the speed limit so speed might be more variable by accident.
Chris125
Established Member
If this was true and those working on the project know the proposed 4tph service is impossible... why are we only reading this from a single individual in a railway forum and not in the mainstream media? If you were so confident this was all 100% true I don't understand why you, or many others who presumably have the same knowledge, haven't been talking to journalists.
It doesn't add up.
Daniel Boone
Member
Is it not possible that the current ability of the infrastructure is deliberately limited because of cost savings? I've heard that TFWs cash flow isn't particularly good, so I'd assume that the necessary OLE provision for 4tph has been delayed until actually required, along with Queen Street track layout reconfiguration and 398 introduction. This is purely speculative.
Chris125
Established Member
398s are a fraction of the weight and power draw of the 756s, so either everyone else working for TfW is being astonishingly tight lipped... or there isn't actually a major issue here, and significantly lighter/less powerful tram trains will compensate for the increase in frequency.
56xx
Member
View attachment 202903
398 019 + 398 030 at Pontypridd today. Test runs to Treherbert & Aberdare.
398 019 + 398 030 at Pontypridd today. Test runs to Treherbert & Aberdare.
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Peter Sarf
Established Member
A pair !.
VR494
Member
Cash flow is supposedly linked directly to the budget for transportation, set by the WA. Money is desperately needed elsewhere too!
Speaking to a former senior colleague, the ethos at the moment is they know openly these units are not fit for the needs of the CVL. Most of the management have distanced themselves from the operational aspects due to their openness and opinions. Higher up are pushing the idea and are more focused on the dream, so that’s what they want, let them have it. When it goes wrong later this year, it’s not going to be their problem as they were just told to do the job.
Leave it up to the next parliament to decide what to do. Honestly the whole thing is a political stunt. Only 4 of the units even work apparently, so the training is on and off as well.
chargesmith
Member
I saw some running to Treherbert a few weeks ago in multiple formation too.
Also at Westenhanger on HS1at 300kph!
norbitonflyer
Established Member
raising a pantograph at Westenhanger? What's the Eurostar running on before that? *Mind you, it did happen (at lower speed) when the 373s were still using the original Boat Train Route.
TransportHub
Member
It's discussed here with footage of the pan moving
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
As I understand it, Eurostar needs an extra long pantograph in the Channel Tunnel because of the extreme height of the catenary (designed for the Le Shuttle trains).
So there is still a pantograph change at speed to/from Eurotunnel infrastructure, even though it's all under 25kV.
BillStampy
Established Member
Yep! Testing is getting along nicely. The aim, as has already been said in this thread, is for a June run in service with a unit on the Bay to Pontypridd run.
It will be a good day when the 398's enter service as the other rolling stock can be cascaded to their intended diagrams. It's a pity there has been so many continuing technical issues on the 398's as all the other new stock even the 67 s have settled down and performing well , bar for the odd in service failures which can be expected.
Here's one of the test runs from a distance - this is just north of Taffs Well. I hope this will be a common sight soon.
View attachment 203100
View attachment 203100
tfw756rider
On Moderation
The requested page could not be found.
tfw756rider
On Moderation
Shows now, but at very small resolution (just 296x185). If you click/tap "Attach files" and select the photo, it should just attach at full resolution.
That is full resolution! I only had 3x optical zoom at my disposal and I wasn't very close...
The Eurostar pantographs are lowered and then raised at Westenhanger when changing between HS1 and ET catenary configurations. The ET catenary is considerably higher than that on HS1 for obvious reasons.
chargesmith
Member
At least one more test run today. Just seen two units out and about in formation.
Appears to be multiple runs planned today according to RTT and they've all been on time so far which hopefully means they were successful.
Does anyone know how many miles of fault free running are needed?
Appears to be multiple runs planned today according to RTT and they've all been on time so far which hopefully means they were successful.
Does anyone know how many miles of fault free running are needed?
Any I/D's of the units on test today please?3Q00 and 3Q10 appear to be the initial reporting numbers
chargesmith
Member
3Q10 was the one I saw - didn't manage to see the unit numbers.
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Just saw 3Q24 as well - unit numbers were 019 and 030
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VR494
Member
It’s 1,500 per unit, however the WA have supposedly reduced this under a dispensation agreement to allow the units get out quicker.
They went to the test track to have this done, but I think funding has been an issue again. So they came back early.
The current units out are fault free runs to accumulate this, and drivers are currently training, 4 days classroom and 12 hours handling.
Due to unit unavailability, drivers are currently having issues getting the hours in to pass out competent. So there’s already a backlog on those completing the classroom phase and into handling. They cannot simply do a short conversation course because of the nature of the units.
Stadler are saying that the majority of the issues are software related, but before they go out there’s a load of modifications they need to have, such as extending tables to be removed due to issues with health and safety concerns around hand entrapment.
The door mechanism is also visible, and yellow stickers need to be installed around these too.
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iamraymond
Member
Scraping the barrel here, I'd hardly call a 10 second job of "installing" a yellow sticker a "modification"
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Most of the delay would be in ordering and producing the stickers. That would take rather more than 10 seconds.
It all adds up: 10 seconds x two leaves x 3 doors x two sides x 36 units, plus the time to walk between doors and between units.
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Just a quick chat?
tfw756rider
On Moderation
Conversion course, I'm guessing.