Formation Flying Engineering Trains

[scott118]

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...s-will-upgrade-the-railway-faster-and-cheaper

Pioneering approach to railway engineering could save £250,000 per week
Passengers benefit from faster trains and less disruption as the requirement for cautionary speed restrictions after engineering is eliminated
“Formation flying” engineering trains are a world first and the latest in a series of new techniques that have so far saved over £5m

.......

 

[The Planner]

Squadron tamping is new? Handing back at linespeed maybe, squadron no.

 

[Bald Rick]

It's not tandem tamping. It's using the Dynamic Track Stabiliser (DTS) and tamper in a single pass rather than separately. Not exactly revolutionary, but still a development as it does save time ( and therefore £).

The revolutionary development is doing this through S&C. Handing back S&C renewals at 125mph is a big win. I would have been rather nervous putting a DTS through S&C as it has the potential to shake the components to pieces. However the tests have been done, and it works. Good on them.

 

[Ploughman]

If that was a Network Rail First then what was this at Belford last year?
http://www.railengineer.uk/2016/11/09/125mph-sc-handback-a-uk-first/

Or was it because it was using 2 tampers and was a full crossover?

 

[QueensCurve]

Squadron tamping is new? Handing back at linespeed maybe, squadron no.

Handback at linespeed is being billed as something new, but I seem to recall BR boasting about something of the sort in Rail News about mid 1980s.

 

[Elecman]

In BR days it was to hand back at 80mph plain line not necessarily line speed. What's important about this announcement is this tandem tamping/DTS to S&C with a 125 mph hand back.

 

[telstarbox]

What is the extra involved in handing back at linespeed?

 

[AndrewE]

And for the younger users here who think that BR Management in the '70s and '80's were a "design fault," let's remind them that those people developed and introduced DTS, amongst lots of other things!
A

 

[Bald Rick]

What is the extra involved in handing back at linespeed?

Basically using the DTS, with tamping immediately after. Usually at least 3 times each.

New ballast requires consolidation to assure 'fixity' of the track system. Until the 80s consolidation was entirely by the passage of trains at slow speed over a couple of weeks. Then the DTS was invented, but has limited use and the first one wasn't particularly reliable. At around the same time wacker plates were introduced to consolidate bottom ballast, which helped raise the standard post track renewal sped restriction to 50mph rather than the usual 20.

Now, DTS machines are more reliable and can be used in more locations. Hence stories like this one.

 

[QueensCurve]

And for the younger users here who think that BR Management in the '70s and '80's were a "design fault," let's remind them that those people developed and introduced DTS, amongst lots of other things!
A

I have dug out the box of old Railnews to try to find the story about DTS but going thro' them is taking some time.

 

[Trog]

I can remember opening the line myself as a BR Senior Technical Officer at 110MPH following re-ballasting and relaying work in plain line. About the only new things to show for 20 years of progress are that it is now being done in S&C, and in shorter possessions.

 

[Ploughman]

We played it crafty.
About 3 of us in our office were passed upto 90 but if we had a higher speed then the boss had to be out as well and it was his signature on the paper.
We still had to do the legwork though.

 

[Ships]

I can remember opening the line myself as a BR Senior Technical Officer at 110MPH following re-ballasting and relaying work in plain line. About the only new things to show for 20 years of progress are that it is now being done in S&C, and in shorter possessions.

Which is a pretty big deal

 

[Trog]

Which is a pretty big deal

It is good stuff, but twenty years is half a working lifetime.

Bearing in mind that it took BR only about five years to go from opening at 20MPH with old 60'-0" plant rails, to opening at 110MPH with the CWR installed. As the technology of laser control and ballast compaction advanced, and methods were devised to make use of them.