Embarrasing electrification

[Nash]

Does it fail accross the whole of the snowy world or just here ?

 

[Geezertronic]

Does it fail accross the whole of the snowy world or just here ?

Are you referring to anything in particular?

 

[Nash]

Overhead and 3rd rail, but also the high tech electric trains themselves as they seem not to like cold weather.

 

[gordonthemoron]

DB have also been experiencing delays. Also, the s-bahn tunnel in munich seems to have problems in snowy weather

 

[LE Greys]

Why does it always seems to go around St Neots/Huntingdon?
Thank goodness that at least some trains can get through via Cambridge.

 

[moonrakerz]

DB have also been experiencing delays. Also, the s-bahn tunnel in munich seems to have problems in snowy weather

As have Eurotunnel trains in Northern France - but of course BBC/ITV viewers and Mail/Sun/NoW readers don't want to know that - do they ?

 

[Striker]

As have Eurotunnel trains in Northern France - but of course BBC/ITV viewers and Mail/Sun/NoW readers don't want to know that - do they ?

Eurotunnel or Eurostar?

 

[starrymarkb]

There was a Swiss Route that they used to dismantle the OHLE every Winter (mind you the route was also impassable for much of the winter) - they blasted a 10 mile Tunnel to bypass the problem section. It has now reopened as a Steam Railway during the summer

 

[AlterEgo]

Coventry to Birmingham is up the swannee today after OHLE failure somewhere between those parts. Hope it's fixed by tomorrow afternoon for me...

 

[moonrakerz]

Eurotunnel or Eurostar?

Who knows ? trains heading for the tunnel ! :roll:

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I though the difference was that Eurotunnel were the car-taking trains from Folkestone to Calais, and freight, whereas Eurostar was the 'TOC' from London and Ashford to Lille, Paris and Brussels?

 

[jopsuk]

There's a big difference:

Eurostar is the operator of high-speed passenger trains from London to Paris and Brussels through the tunnel

Eurotunnel is the company that manages and operates the tunnel itself, as well as the Shuttle vehicle-carrying services. Eurotunnel trains* do not (cannot due to massive loading gauge) leave the tunnel and terminals.

Based on this, the trains you were talking about were Eurostar- Eurotunnel are relatively unaffected by weather.


*they do have some trains that will be running in France, due to having several freight subsidiaries.

 

[MacCookie]

*they do have some trains that will be running in France, due to having several freight subsidiaries.

Eurotunnel also own GBRf.

Ewan

 

[jopsuk]

Yes, but that's irrelevant as GBRf don't run trains in Northern France

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Was the East Coast Electrification done on the cheap back in the day?

 

[Jordy]

Yes it was!

 

[fsmr]

Assuming enough snow falls to require ploughs on the ECML in Lincs tonight
I assume you cant run a plough under live OLE due to risk of creating a path to earth through the snow being pushed up (same thing happens under the 11kv lines across farm land with irigation sprays) ?

 

[Chris125]

I believe they use Beilhacks, ploughs converted from Class 40 bogies, under OHLE - http://merlinsphotos.fotopic.net/p24167042.html

 

[fsmr]

I believe they use Beilhacks, ploughs converted from Class 40 bogies, under OHLE - http://merlinsphotos.fotopic.net/p24167042.html

Thanks, seen them at Pbr yard
Just wondered the implications of throwing loads of powder snow up over the OLE lines and insulators while live though

 

[jopsuk]

Sure I've seen an "independent snow plough" at Peterborough before.

If the snow is dry (ie not thawing) there's no risk at all- solid H20 is an insulator, as the ions are immobilised.

 

[Multiple Unit]

Metrollink in Manchester seems to tun fine and that O/H Electric.

 

[Clip]

Need something like this

 

[Traindesign]

I was a type test/commissioning engineer on the 375/377 fleet and used to get loads of problems with LIM trips due to 3rd rail ice and line contacters opening due to the package overheating as the cooling ducts were choked with snow.

 

[43106]

Was the East Coast Electrification done on the cheap back in the day?

To put a bit of flesh on the succeeding response (the subject of which has been discussed on this forum several times)...
The ECML WAS done on the cheap, on the instruction of the Tory government of the day (it wouldn't surprise me if it was another dictat from Thatcher's Reichstag in Downing Street or Smith Square). The OHLE had to be as cheap as possible, which explains why it falls down with alarming regularity along its full length, not just between Hitchen and Peterborough. It's no-where near the standard of the WCML. Also (as a side issue) the "TOC" (for want of a suitable expression) wanted 34 x 91/82/Mk4 sets - they we given only 32 (the figures may be wrong, but they're not far out).

 

[LE Greys]

Also (as a side issue) the "TOC" (for want of a suitable expression) wanted 34 x 91/82/Mk4 sets - they we given only 32 (the figures may be wrong, but they're not far out).

There's a long history of that. They wanted 25 Deltics and got 22. They wanted 5 extra HSTs at one point and got 2. They also specified the 91 for hauling twelve coaches plus DVT, and ended up with nine. There's certainly room for ten at King's Cross.

 

[TheBigD]

There's a long history of that. They wanted 25 Deltics and got 22. They wanted 5 extra HSTs at one point and got 2. They also specified the 91 for hauling twelve coaches plus DVT, and ended up with nine. There's certainly room for ten at King's Cross.

The MK4 sets were ordered as 8 car rakes originally, the 9th added shortly after.

 

[LE Greys]

The MK4 sets were ordered as 8 car rakes originally, the 9th added shortly after.

Curious that the specs suggested that the 91s could haul twelve, was that just the engineers making sure there was plenty of power in reserve? Or is my memory letting me down?

 

[The Barlow Boy]

There's a long history of that. They wanted 25 Deltics and got 22. They wanted 5 extra HSTs at one point and got 2. They also specified the 91 for hauling twelve coaches plus DVT, and ended up with nine. There's certainly room for ten at King's Cross.

I think you'll find that - according to Gerard Fiennes in his book, ("I tried to run a railway") - the original order for the Deltics was 23 but got cut down to 22. I suspect that's where the extra Deltic bodyshell that was used for the DP2 locomotive came from.

 

[paul1609]

Yes it was!

I think that is tbh hindsight engineering. The design at the time was regarded as being state of the art that allowed a business case to be made for the electrification.

The East Coast Main line has for historical reasons always been a priority for investment when both population distribution and wealth generation mean that post WW2 it should very much be a secondary priority (being serious for once )

 

[tbtc]

There's a long history of that. They wanted 25 Deltics and got 22. They wanted 5 extra HSTs at one point and got 2. They also specified the 91 for hauling twelve coaches plus DVT, and ended up with nine. There's certainly room for ten at King's Cross.

Twelve coach 225 rakes?

Surprising that nobody has suggested building another 90 coaches to extend them to that length (or at least some rakes - presumably not all stations could accomodate anything longer?)...