Eurostar Sets

[ukrob]

Do carriages nine and ten (where the sets can split) have any form of shunting controls at ends where they meet, for example, where a toilet could be?

I have never thought to look at where the sets split - and having 25 seats as opposed to the 39 of other first class carriages seems a substantial loss (albeit the carriage has a disabled toilet instead of a regular one). I believe nine and ten have a (very) large luggage area too?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'm not sure about controls, but they do also contain the (in)famous "secure cell", which is basically just a staff compartment that can be locked and which has a fitting within to which handcuffs can be attached!

 

[oliverj8]

has a fitting within to which handcuffs can be attached!

Would that be for people who have got through security without a passport or ticket?
Thanks

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes, that is the primary intention behind that space, but no doubt if anyone were to, say, get seriously drunk on board and start causing problems then he or she would find themselves being dragged off into there as well...

 

[LE Greys]

Just dug out Channel Tunnel Trains by Peter Semmens (who used to write Practice and Performance in the Railway Magazine). No mention of extra controls, but the book doesn't give much information (except for the fail-safes - which didn't work at Christmas :roll: ). Still, I have never seen any evidence of a control cab, although it would have been a very sensible thing to put in. Shunting something that long from the front cab must be a nightmare.

The only units I can remember that had a full-width cab and a corridor cab were the Swindon Inter-City DMUs that ran in Scotland. I often wonder if they ever ended up nose-to-tail for any reason.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Shunting would just be done by radio. It's the same as forming up a set of wagons or coaches, although hand signals would be common there.

As for the Swindon Intercity DMUs (Class 126 I think) they did sometimes run nose to tail or nose to nose. Oviously that meant there was no access between units. I presume corridor cab on those was similar to the cabs on corridored 2nd generation DMUs and corridored EMUs.

 

[Crossforth]

How often are the Eurostar sets split?

And how often is the "cell" used for?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

As far as I know they have never been split in service, but were often split at North Pole - I think Temple Mills was designed to avoid splitting as much as possible but I'm sure it still happens.

Likewise, the cell - it must have been used on occasion, but no idea about when or how often.

 

[TGV]

There are no controls in the 9th carriage. Larger toilet and a couple of "special" compartments take up the space.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

How often are the Eurostar sets split?

And how often is the "cell" used for?

It's not used at all. There is a space in the 9th carriage used for oversize luggage sometimes.

How often are they split - only for maintenance in reality. It has been known in service for unusual circumstances. Also when the trains were moved from NPI to TMI, there were a couple of sets split and taken as half-sets.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

^^^^^

Are you sure they've never used the cell? At least two staff I've spoken to on board ( on different occasions ) have told me they have used them once or twice.

 

[ukrob]

It is a rather extreme sweeping generalisation that for 15 years they have 'never' been used - it is also untrue as it has been reported by the news that they have been used on at least one occasion (many many years ago though).

 

[Dreadnought]

How often are they split - only for maintenance in reality. It has been known in service for unusual circumstances. Also when the trains were moved from NPI to TMI, there were a couple of sets split and taken as half-sets.

Seem to recall reading that 3307 ran through the tunnel to Le Landy as a half set. Is this the only time a Eurostar has run as a half set through the tunnel?

I know 3308 is still at Temple Mills without its power car which is at Brush Loughborough.

 

[LE Greys]

Seem to recall reading that 3307 ran through the tunnel to Le Landy as a half set. Is this the only time a Eurostar has run as a half set through the tunnel?

I know 3308 is still at Temple Mills without its power car which is at Brush Loughborough.

That's interesting, and a bit strange, because they would end up with odd numbers of sets on either side of the Channel. Did they ever sort it out later? I've seen pictures of sets being dragged with a barrier van on the inner end. That probably has something to do with the length of a full set, which would not fit into some loops.

 

[jon0844]

I would have thought that the cells were used back when you had passports checked on the train (remember that?).

 

[TGV]

3307/3308 hasn't run under it's own power for about 6 or 7 years. It was abandoned at North Pole and stripped of so many parts to feed other sets, it was a stand-alone spares store! Ironically, it holds the record for being the Eurostar that's been furthest north - it has visited Glasgow Central a few times and stayed there for a short time way back when they were talking about international services from there.

Additional: I didn't say the compartment had NEVER been used. Read the text - I said, it's NOT used. May have been many years ago in isolated occasions, but now, it's not. Neither are the gun cabinets that were installed.

 

[A60K]

3307/3308 hasn't run under it's own power for about 6 or 7 years. It was abandoned at North Pole and stripped of so many parts to feed other sets, it was a stand-alone spares store!

At least you'll know exactly where to find the part you need, rather than sifting through shelves and crates

 

[Peter Mugridge]

3307 is officially a spare half set from the SNCF NoL units.

3308 is officially at Temple Mills for staff training purposes, though I do wonder now with the power car away at Brush whether:

a) It will be sent to Le Landy to make up a complete set again for SNCF.

or

b) The power car is intended to replace 3015 / relieve 3999 so that they once again have a floating spare.

Must ask my contacts about that, but I think I'll wait until they are less busy than they are at the present time!

 

[Dreadnought]

b) The power car is intended to replace 3015 / relieve 3999 so that they once again have a floating spare.

3015 has been repaired by Brush at Loughborough, here is the link from the Brush website http://www.brushtraction.com/Eurostar-Power-Car-3015.asp?exp=0&nid=215&pid=62 explaining about it.

The article states that it had been delivered to Eurostar, presumably Temple Mills, and since 3999 was still running with 3016 on Sat 10 April I wonder if this has now become the spare power car.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Thanks; I'll see if I can find out ( one more thing on that list of questions for when they get a moment! ).

 

[TheInsider]

3015 has been repaired by Brush at Loughborough, here is the link from the Brush website http://www.brushtraction.com/Eurostar-Power-Car-3015.asp?exp=0&nid=215&pid=62 explaining about it.

The article states that it had been delivered to Eurostar, presumably Temple Mills, and since 3999 was still running with 3016 on Sat 10 April I wonder if this has now become the spare power car.

I can confirm that 3015 was officially handed over to Eurostar on the 7th December 2009, it has been sitting at TMI ever since due to the amount of post repair testing required and the lack of spare resources at the moment. It will eventually return to service with 3016 and 3999 will again become the spare power car.

 

[captainbigun]

It's not the only one that Brush have looked at, another has visited since.

 

[TGVDUDE]

photo taken by my friend of the Half NoL Set heading for Le Landy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVSo0Kg8LNo

 

[TheInsider]

3308 power car has been at Brush since about March 2009 to help with the rebuild of 3015, not ideal for the job as its a NoL unit and is now being used for development purposes.

3104 power car is also at Brush and is being used for the development of a closed air circulation system within the electronic racks. This is due for testing within the next few weeks.

 

[TGV]

3308 power car has been at Brush since about March 2009 to help with the rebuild of 3015, not ideal for the job as its a NoL unit and is now being used for development purposes.

3104 power car is also at Brush and is being used for the development of a closed air circulation system within the electronic racks. This is due for testing within the next few weeks.

Isn't 3104 "Christine"?!

 

[A60K]

How much difference is there between the NoL and standard Three Capitals power cars - presumably some tweaks to allow running on conventional UK 25kv OHE?

 

[TGV]

25kV pantographs are different. The NoL's have different carbon strips, the whole pan-head on the NoL is larger and has beefier dampers. NoL's have overheight protection on the pans and the aero fins adjust to the different heights and angles.

Inside the power car, the circuit breaker control is different, it has a different thyristor arrangement to a 3 capitals set. NoL's will continue to work down to lower line voltages than an international set, they are also limited to 7MW (per power car) when running on BR OLE.

They have APC receivers fitted too.

 

[jopsuk]

Do the NoL sets running as TGVs in France still have "UK" panographs, or do they have "standard" ones?