Class 57/3s for Network Rail

[Drimnagh Road]

The six ex Virgin locos currently in store I assume.

"to be used for snow clearing, thunderbird duties around the Southern network"...

 

[Hydro]

They're primarily for the new PLPR track inspection trains that are in the pipeline, in conjunction with Mk2's and Mk3 DVT's. As with everything, expect them on snow clearing, thunderbirds, other test trains; as per the 97's.

 

[12CSVT]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that the NR 31s are due to be withdrawn in 2012, I presume the 57s are to replace them ?

 

[Hydro]

The 31's are certainly getting past it. As much as I like them, they're seriously long in the tooth, and apparently spares are getting thin on the ground. There are rumours of more 73's if this re-engineering project is successful. I can certainly see the 57's becoming more widespread than the reasons I heard for their procurement.

 

[millemille]

The six ex Virgin locos currently in store I assume.

"to be used for snow clearing, thunderbird duties around the Southern network"...

What stock operating on the Southern or South Eastern, other than loco hauled, would a 57 be able to recover without translator/barrier vehicles?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

What stock operating on the Southern or South Eastern, other than loco hauled, would a 57 be able to recover without translator/barrier vehicles?

Are the ex-Virgin 57's not fitted with a Dellner coupler?

 

[Hydro]

A post on WNXX suggests that Brush are going to modify the Dellner heights and remove a few internal components to fit brake compatibility kit. If this is so, then we shall have to wait and see how the electrical connections are made, as the 57's have (IIRC) purely mechanical Dellner couplings; the Electrostars et al have mechanical and electrical.

 

[millemille]

A post on WNXX suggests that Brush are going to modify the Dellner heights and remove a few internal components to fit brake compatibility kit. If this is so, then we shall have to wait and see how the electrical connections are made, as the 57's have (IIRC) purely mechanical Dellner couplings; the Electrostars et al have mechanical and electrical.

Electrical connections are the easy bit if the loco has ETH - the translator equipment can be, and has been, made to fit in a box the size of a small suitcase.

The problem for coupling loco's to EMU's and, most importantly from an operating perspective, being able to run at line speed without a barrier or translator vehicle has always been the mechanical coupling.

DBS and WCR had developed a relatively lightweight coupling adaptor for tightlock equipped EMU's to loco's but it still couldn't be run at line speed.

The whole translator/barrier vehicle replacement situation was something myself and colleagues at Atkins had been working on a few years ago but it went into the "too difficult" category because of the mechanical coupling problems..

 

[Hydro]

The loco's have ETS, and of course have been proved hauling Pendolinos at linespeed for some years now.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Gone are the days when you could drop the buckeye and sling a screw coupling over, and join the brake pipes and 27-way.

 

[millemille]

The loco's have ETS, and of course have been proved hauling Pendolinos at linespeed for some years now.

Our aspiration had been - prompted by a "Blue sky" request from a TOC reeling after an OHL dewirement, that wasn't even caused by one of their trains, trapping several of their units full of passengers for many hours in a very hot summer a few years back - to create a set of equipment that would allow any ETH equipped loco to recover an EMU and maintain all safety systems and door and brake control so that passengers could remain on board.

The idea had been that this kit could be carried in the back of a small van - of the size typically used by TOC or NR on-call engineers - and could be assembled simply and quickly by 1 or 2 people so that you could almost flag down a passing loco and have it drag the failed EMU to a station stop without having to detrain the passengers (a degree of poetic license is implied there...)

 

[Hydro]

An ambitious plan, and one that sounds similar to what would be semi-permanently fitted to the 57's if this goes ahead. Of course, the 57/3 has an advantage in that it already has a bespoke fitted retractable Dellner coupling.

 

[DarloRich]

The six ex Virgin locos currently in store I assume.

"to be used for snow clearing, thunderbird duties around the Southern network"...

have you got a link for that?

 

[MCR247]

301/303/305/306/310/312

 

[western Champion]

A couple of years or so ago there was a story going round work that VT were looking into fitting the 57s with a form of TMS so that when dragging a live Pendo they could do away with the driver on the Pendo (who only monitors the train and enables a door release at stations) and that function be carried out by the 57 driver. Nothing ever came of it obviously.

 

[jopsuk]

Even better than that would have been to set up full Multiple controls (y'know, like the Southern managed long ago with EMUs and diesels) for shoving them back from Holyhead.

 

[Hydro]

Even better than that would have been to set up full Multiple controls (y'know, like the Southern managed long ago with EMUs and diesels) for shoving them back from Holyhead.

Don't be daft. That was a BR idea, and thus awful! Loco's and MU's working in multiple to create flexibility, you must be cracked in the head!

 

[swt_passenger]

have you got a link for that?

I think it is from wnxx's news page.

They don't have a source either...

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Are the ex-Virgin 57's not fitted with a Dellner coupler?

Southern themselves looked at the possibility of hiring surplus 57s before Arriva hired them for the WAG express. A single 57 visited Selhurst for tests, but it was immediately apparent that the coupling was too high and the loco was sent away very quickly.

 

[33056]

Well, I noticed that 57303 and 306 were standing outside the HRD shed at Stonebridge Park this morning. Unusual to see them there as they are normally locked up inside, maybe being prepared to be taken somewhere?

 

[GearJammer]

Sorry if i missed it but have Network rail brought them outright or leasing them, im trying to picture one painted yellow.

 

[Hydro]

Probably leasing them, like the NMT power cars.

 

[159220]

I have read on another forum (RMWeb) that a "Network Rail" 57/3 shall be visiting Eastleigh tomorrow (Saturday) for crew training and modifications?

I would imagine it might be showing on Carl's Railways Photos site at some point if down in Eastleigh? (http://carlswatson.com/trains.html)

 

[mbonwick]

Wonder if adjusting the height of the dellners is included in the mods, as has been rumoured.

 

[fgwrich]

Wonder if adjusting the height of the dellners is included in the mods, as has been rumoured.

Well, to make them work with the 377s then they'll have to! As reported previously, the coupling height of the electrostars is lower than that of a 57/3 / Pendo & 390 - Though a Desiro can couple up to a 377!...Though it'll be interesting to see a Desiro being hauled by a 57/3 (Not that its that likely compared to Bombardier reliability)

Though its not particually clear as to whether any Mods will be done in Eastleigh or Brush as reported...

 

[159220]

I saw 57308 in the EWS sidings at Eastleigh as i voomed past on 444023 at 19.40 tonight....