Barrier Coaches

[AlterEgo]

Hi there - yesterday I saw a Southeastern Networker unit being dragged to Wolverton Works, as one usually is every Monday.

However this time I noticed that the barrier coach at the rear of the formation had a thick black hose leading into the driver's side door window on the Networker.

Any idea what this is? Is it some sort of hose, or a thick wire? It was at least three inches thick.

 

[DarloRich]

I have noticed that when they have gone through MKC whe ni have been waiting for a train.

A through pipe foe the brake perhaps? (I doubt it as that is a guess!)

 

[fgwrich]

A through pipe for the brake perhaps? (I doubt it as that is a guess!)

Should be for the brakes, connecting one barrier van to the other via one or two pretty heavy brake pipes...

You can just about see the pipe in the middle of this photo.

 

[DarloRich]

that looks like the chap!

 

[AlterEgo]

Should be for the brakes, connecting one barrier van to the other via one or two pretty heavy brake pipes...

You can just about see the pipe in the middle of this photo.

Cheers, I suspected that might have been the case - was that picture taken at Wolverton Works?

 

[fgwrich]

Cheers, I suspected that might have been the case - was that picture taken at Wolverton Works?

Nope, taken with permission of course! on a 508

 

[western Champion]

Hi there - yesterday I saw a Southeastern Networker unit being dragged to Wolverton Works, as one usually is every Monday.

However this time I noticed that the barrier coach at the rear of the formation had a thick black hose leading into the driver's side door window on the Networker.

Any idea what this is? Is it some sort of hose, or a thick wire? It was at least three inches thick.

I saw that stabled at Wembley. The unit must be a "swinger" and explains why there were quite a few wagons with it for brake force.

 

[33056]

Here is a picture of the Wembley to Wolverton move . The unit is totally unbraked, hence the requirement for the two open wagons either side of the barrier vehicle.

The brake pipe comes off the barrier van, across to the 465, is secured to the handrail and inserted through the cab window; then, as depicted in the photo posted by fgwrich, it runs the length of the unit and out the cab window at the other end and back to the rear barrier van. I see these moves fairly regularly and keep meaning to photograph the brake pipe arrangement - must try harder!

 

[deltic1989]

wasn't there an arrangement like this when a group of br locos went to germany for some kind of show?

 

[ainsworth74]

wasn't there an arrangement like this when a group of br locos went to germany for some kind of show?

There was indeed, you can read about it here.

 

[deltic1989]

There was indeed, you can read about it here.

Thanks for the link. Thinking about it I have a hornby networker with a burned out motor I thought it would be useless but seeing this I may have a crack at modeling these movements if I can find some good photographs to work from, or take a trip to take photos myself seems like a fun project.

 

[Hydro]

A few of our CTRL runs run as three coaches top and tailed with MPVs. These need a fat old cable run through the end doors, through the stock and out the other end to enable multi working of the MPVs.

 

[AlterEgo]

Here is a picture of the Wembley to Wolverton move . The unit is totally unbraked, hence the requirement for the two open wagons either side of the barrier vehicle.

The brake pipe comes off the barrier van, across to the 465, is secured to the handrail and inserted through the cab window; then, as depicted in the photo posted by fgwrich, it runs the length of the unit and out the cab window at the other end and back to the rear barrier van. I see these moves fairly regularly and keep meaning to photograph the brake pipe arrangement - must try harder!

That's really interesting - thanks for the info.

I did suspect it was something either to do with braking or the electrics. I see the move weekly and I'm surprised I've never noticed it before!

 

[Crossover]

This brings about a question which is probably suited to the thread.

Are barrier coaches always used for brakeforce or may may they sometimes be unbraked?

I am thinking about (amongst many others) 390054 being hauled into and across the country. It had a barrier coach at either end. In this case was the Pendo braked at all and did the back barrier coach do anything? Do barrier coaches get put on the back for sometimes just for ease of running a loco to the other end and reattaching or do they serve other purposes (other than brakeforce, especially if unbraked)

 

[Dreadnought]

I know that the S stock moves have all been as unbraked vehicles. I believe when it is top and tailed with 4x20s (2 each end) they don't need any extra wagons for brake force but if it is only 1 each end then 4 extra wagons are added into the consist.

Also, presumably the 380s were moved unbraked as they normally had a number of wagons added at each end of the units as well.

 

[driver9000]

The barrier vans are also there to overcome the problem of coupling a vehicle with an autocoupler to a drawhook fitted locomotive. At one time Translater vans could be used to convert the air brake feed of a locomotive into the EP signal needed to operate the MU brakes remotely, I don't think these see much if any use these days.

 

[western Champion]

This brings about a question which is probably suited to the thread.

Are barrier coaches always used for brakeforce or may may they sometimes be unbraked?

I am thinking about (amongst many others) 390054 being hauled into and across the country. It had a barrier coach at either end. In this case was the Pendo braked at all and did the back barrier coach do anything? Do barrier coaches get put on the back for sometimes just for ease of running a loco to the other end and reattaching or do they serve other purposes (other than brakeforce, especially if unbraked)

Pendolino's have a brake pipe mode so yes the Pendo would be braked, the barrier vehicles are only provided so any loco can couple to and haul the train. A VT 57 could do it without the barrier vehicles because of the Delner coupling.