Class 37 and Mk3: Conversion to Push/Pull?

[snakeeyes]

How many Mk3 coaches can a 37 pull at a reasonable speed?
would converting one coach to push pull make sense for cross county routes ?

 

[DarloRich]

no it would not make sense.

 

[driverlewis]

By the time we get to mk111 i think the 37's wont pull any, its taken over 20 years to get to mk5.

 

[route:oxford]

How many Mk111 coaches can a 37 pull at a reasonable speed?

None at all. The maximum speed of a Class 37 is just 90mph

Would converting one coach to push pull make sense for cross county routes ?

Only if they were being hauled by a 67 or 68.

 

[Townsend Hook]

would converting one coach to push pull make sense for cross county routes ?

What's wrong with a DVT?
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How many Mk111 coaches can a 37 pull at a reasonable speed?

There's really no point considering how many DBC 67s are stored at Toton through lack of work.

 

[Brian Aylott]

What's wrong with a DVT?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


There's really no point considering how many DBC 67s are stored at Toton through lack of work.

I have considered - max 3 - 67019/20/27
67001 is stopped at Toton likely for repair
Brian

 

[nottsnurse]

What's wrong with a DVT?

Causes swelling, pain and...err, can kill you?

 

[alexl92]

What's wrong with a DVT?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


There's really no point considering how many DBC 67s are stored at Toton through lack of work.

Don't the 37s have far better route availability?

 

[Rail Blues]

None of it would make a single scrap of sense. This is a vital piece of infrastructure, not an overgrown model railway or preserved line for enthusiasts to run their favourite stock on.

 

[43096]

Don't the 37s have far better route availability?

And way inferior reliability nowadays. We've seen from DRS' Cumbria efforts that the Class 37 is past it. Running passengers services with 50 year old locos is asking for trouble.

 

[jonty14]

None of it would make a single scrap of sense. This is a vital piece of infrastructure, not an overgrown model railway or preserved line for enthusiasts to run their favourite stock on.

Temper temper. Someone is in a bad mood. I thought the original question was interesting. Stop having a go at enthusiasts!

 

[grumblingalong]

Temper temper. Someone is in a bad mood. I thought the original question was interesting. Stop having a go at enthusiasts!

He does have a point, although 37s being proposed as a solution to anything on here is quite fun, have we offered them to NASA to drag their spaceships yet?

 

[CosherB]

How many Mk3 coaches can a 37 pull at a reasonable speed?
would converting one coach to push pull make sense for cross county routes ?

Another solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist I'm afraid.

A purely hypothetical scenario that will never happen in reality.

 

[FordFocus]

If there was a market and demand for more push/pull you can virtually guarantee it would be 67 or 68 doing the work these days.

The 37s are past it.

 

[DarloRich]

If there was a market and demand for more push/pull you can virtually guarantee it would be 67 or 68 doing the work these days.

The 37s are past it.

yet they manage to deliver fairly long infrastructure monitoring runs

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

yet they manage to deliver fairly long infrastructure monitoring runs

Yes they do, but generally in top and tail formation which reduces the likelihood of the train getting stuck. The passenger work on the Cumbrian Coast diagrams is stop-start in nature, the most arduous way of using a diesel. As for OP's suggestion of push-pull 37s working singly that might have been a goer 30 years ago. But zero chance today.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Had the pleasure of a 37/4 working a Crosscountry service from Stockport to Coventry some years back with seven mk2 e/f coaches and a dead 47/8 in tow, boy did it struggle losing time all the way, I don't think it got above 60 mph. at any point, (even between Crewe & Stafford) a crush loaded 142 would have left it for dead, thankfully a 47 replaced it at Birmingham New St.

 

[route:oxford]

have we offered them to NASA to drag their spaceships yet?

No...

But I could imagine them being used to move materials and aggregates to PISH or LISH (if the Morayshire Railway was re-opened from Elgin to service both passengers and freight).

 

[cjmillsnun]

What's wrong with a DVT?

It takes up space on a platform that could be used by a passenger carrying coach. A Mk3 DBSO type vehicle would solve this.

That said, the idea of using a tractor is laughable. Whilst they aren't "past it", they are too slow for use on XC.

 

[jopsuk]

The Mark 2 DBSOs started as BSOs. They are the "brake" vehicle in the carriage formation- a role played by mark 3 & Mark 4 DVTs. Indeed, that the Edinburgh-Glasgow sets used a Mark 2 for this on sets that were otherwise Mark 3 explains everything you need to know about the practicality of turning a non-brake Mark 3 TSO/TFO into a DBSO.

There were a grand total of three Mark 3 BSOs built for the GB network*. Two of them are in action every night between Penzance and Paddington, the other is spare for the Night Riviera fleet.

*the Irish fleet however had five DBSOs with underfloor generators and no air conditioning built for the push-pull sets, whilst the IC fleet had the generator vans as brake vehicles.

 

[najaB]

But I could imagine them being used to move materials and aggregates to PISH or LISH (if the Morayshire Railway was re-opened from Elgin to service both passengers and freight).

The meaning I know of PISH doesn't make any sense in this context.. Could you elaborate?

 

[47802]

None of it would make a single scrap of sense. This is a vital piece of infrastructure, not an overgrown model railway or preserved line for enthusiasts to run their favourite stock on.

Where's the like button

Strikes me 2020 would be a good opportunity to get rid of knackered old junk eg. 1st gen diesels off the mainline except maybe substancially rebuilt ones like the 57's and 73's along with the kettles and Mk1 and Mk2 stock. Exemptions could apply for such as branch lines like NYMR to Whitby.

 

[randyrippley]

So why not rebuild the 37's in a similar way to the 57's?
Put a modern 3000bhp engine into them, fit them with bagpipe connectors and use them to drive demotored class 442 push pull sets? Sort of update to 33/1+TC set.
You'd have to regear the 37 bogies to 100mph (or higher)
If you really wanted to get maximum traction, you could leave some of the 442 motors in place and put a power link to them from the rebuilt 37, giving you distributed power delivery through the set.
Now has anyone got any ideas for a lightweight 3000bhp diesel......anyone making Deltics nowadays?

 

[Marklund]

There were a grand total of three Mark 3 BSOs built for the GB network*. Two of them are in action every night between Penzance and Paddington, the other is spare for the Night Riviera fleet.

Ahem, BFO

 

[Whistler40145]

You've also got the problem with the low ETH Index of a 37/4.

 

[Townsend Hook]

I have considered - max 3 - 67019/20/27
67001 is stopped at Toton likely for repair
Brian

My mistake, I forgot about the seven others stored at Crewe Electric (04/11/12/17/25/26/28).

 

[Brian Aylott]

My mistake, I forgot about the seven others stored at Crewe Electric (04/11/12/17/25/26/28).

67012/28 are not stored but are for repair
Brian

 

[RichmondCommu]

How many Mk3 coaches can a 37 pull at a reasonable speed?
would converting one coach to push pull make sense for cross county routes ?

I can tell you what makes cents; the US Mint.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's really no point considering how many DBC 67s are stored at Toton through lack of work.

Yep, I'm in total agreement on that.

 

[Townsend Hook]

67012/28 are not stored but are for repair
Brian

So discounting those two and 01 at Toton still leaves eight stored, so still a fair few that could be used on passenger services if there was a customer.

 

[RichmondCommu]

This is a vital piece of infrastructure, not an overgrown model railway or preserved line for enthusiasts to run their favourite stock on.

Eh?? I've had it up to here with all these myths peddled on the forum.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So discounting those two and 01 at Toton still leaves eight stored, so still a fair few that could be used on passenger services if there was a customer.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here.