Advantages of Stadler engine in the middle approach

Adrian1980uk said:

You have to remember the driving motors are under the floor as they're basically EMUs with a generator car in the middle providing the electric power, with the low floors I don't suppose there's room underneath for electric motor and engines.
Big advantages if GA decided to change it out for battery or there was an electrification program you could 'easily' swap or remove the power unit.

Click to expand...

They were also designed to easily become 3rd rail EMUs at any time as convert between between AC/DC.

ainsworth74 said:

If I were specifying new trains then level boarding would be a cast iron requirement and if a manufacture whinges they can't do it I'd invite them to come for a ride on Merseyside, Tyne & Wear or East Anglia...

Click to expand...

One thing that bugs me is when I get told that the UK loading gauge doesn't allow level boarding because the platform gets in the way of freight trains and similar. Freight doesn't call or pass through platforms 0-7, 10, 13, 14 or 17 at Leeds...

On topically, I hope Stadler are looked at for the new Northern call for units. Their designs clearly works in the UK (unless there's something special about Anglia). If all three of the new classes came from the same manufacturer then it would make life easier for drivers and passengers alike.

YorksLad12 said:

One thing that bugs me is when I get told that the UK loading gauge doesn't allow level boarding because the platform gets in the way of freight trains and similar. Freight doesn't call or pass through platforms 0-7, 10, 13, 14 or 17 at Leeds...

On topically, I hope Stadler are looked at for the new Northern call for units. Their designs clearly works in the UK (unless there's something special about Anglia). If all three of the new classes came from the same manufacturer then it would make life easier for drivers and passengers alike.

Click to expand...

Nothing special in East Anglia.

Goldfish62 said:

Modern trains don't use platform monitors/mirrors. They use in-cab CCTV.

Click to expand...

They do still on the GEML.

ainsworth74 said:

If I were specifying new trains then level boarding would be a cast iron requirement and if a manufacture whinges they can't do it I'd invite them to come for a ride on Merseyside, Tyne & Wear or East Anglia...

Click to expand...

I agree and it would also give Stadler a big advantage if bidding for a mandatory low floor design. Hitachi, Alstom etc would have to redesign completely their UK offerings to do it.

RailWonderer said:

They do still on the GEML.

Click to expand...

Where?

dk1 said:

Nothing special in East Anglia.

Click to expand...

...except the folk - allegedly!

PG said:

...except the folk - allegedly!

Click to expand...

Very special indeed.

Newag have copied the power pack approach for PKP's new hybrid Impuls'es. It's rather hard to find a good photo of the whole train, but there's a photo of the pack in here: https://railmarket.com/news/rolling-stock/51088-pkp-intercity-presents-first-of-35-newag-made-demus

Older hybrid or diesel Impuls'es have a diesel engine under the floor behind the cabs - but that setup probably wouldn't provide enough power for the longer PKP IC version, and they probably didn't want to put additional underfloor engines in mid-train because it could make it impassable for refreshment trolleys.

It wouldn't surprise me if all future level-boarding DMUs that are more than 2 full (or 3 articulated) carriages long in the UK copy the same pattern.