Class 80x door frame height differences

[markie2506]

Hi,

I'm from the Netherlands and currently on holidays in the UK.

I've been reading up on UK trains for a while now. I'm quite interessed in the Class 80x sets, but I've noticed a difference between the height of the passenger doors on the leading cars and trailer cars.

The doors on the leading cars seem to be around 10 cm or so lower than those on the trailing cars.

Does anyone know the reason for this? Has this something to do with the roof mounted equipment? Or perhaps the coaches were built from a different production line or factory?

I've attached a picture which illustrates the height differences.

I hope someone can help me out on this question.

Regards,
Mark

 

[ainsworth74]

The leading vehicles never have engines under the floor so don't need the extra floor height to accommodate them. The some of the intermediate vehicles do have engines so do need extra floor height.

 

[markie2506]

The leading vehicles never have engines under the floor so don't need the extra floor height to accommodate them. The some of the intermediate vehicles do have engines so do need extra floor height.

Thanks for your reply. I actually meant the total door frame height, so the length of the door frame from bottom to top.

All the door frames are aligned on the same height at the bottom, but the frames on the intermediate coaches are taller than those on the leading coaches. You can also tell from the door window, those on the leading coaches have a shorter distance to the top frame.

 

[fgwrich]

Thanks for your reply. I actually meant the total door frame height, so the length of the door frame from bottom to top.

All the door frames are aligned on the same height at the bottom, but the frames on the intermediate coaches are taller than those on the leading coaches. You can also tell from the door window, those on the leading coaches have a shorter distance to the top frame.

The leading vehicles never have engines under the floor so don't need the extra floor height to accommodate them. The some of the intermediate vehicles do have engines so do need extra floor height.

This will be why though - the intermediate vehicles with their raised floor, require a step to board the coach and thus a slightly taller door frame. Whereas the electric only vehicles, or the driving vehicles, have a fairly flat floor from the door step into the coach, so require a lower or shallower door frame.

 

[markie2506]

This will be why though - the intermediate vehicles with their raised floor, require a step to board the coach and thus a slightly taller door frame. Whereas the electric only vehicles, or the driving vehicles, have a fairly flat floor from the door step into the coach, so require a lower or shallower door frame.

Ah great, thank you, that expains it. I haven't actually been on the Class 80x yet, so I couldn't check this for myself.

Best regards,
Mark

Best regards,
Mark

 

[northernbelle]

Hi,

I'm from the Netherlands and currently on holidays in the UK.

I've been reading up on UK trains for a while now. I'm quite interessed in the Class 80x sets, but I've noticed a difference between the height of the passenger doors on the leading cars and trailer cars.

The doors on the leading cars seem to be around 10 cm or so lower than those on the trailing cars.

Does anyone know the reason for this? Has this something to do with the roof mounted equipment? Or perhaps the coaches were built from a different production line or factory?

I've attached a picture which illustrates the height differences.

I hope someone can help me out on this question.

Regards,
Mark

It is not floor height that dictates the door size - rather how low the ceiling is within the saloon due to the roof mounted equipment at the inner end.

Relatively speaking, the bottom of all doors are at the same position regardless of floor height - it's the top of them that needs to be shorter on the DPT vehicles due to the pantograph well.

On the DPT vehicles, the pantograph and associated electrical equipment intrudes further into the ceiling and has 1950mm from floor to ceiling where the pan well is. The intermediate vehicles have 2020mm from floor to ceiling despite the higher floor.