HST Driving techniques

[BestWestern]

I think the word you are looking for is "gnome".

A decent HST driver will start the train in notch 3, get it into notch 4 once the wheels are turning, then let the amps build for a few seconds, then full power. Certainly none of this fannying around so beloved of Great Western.

Presumably at the behest of MTU though! GWR are in a somewhat unique position on that, as the use of their sets on high quantites of frequent stop-start work knackers the lumps rather more quickly than where they spend their days cruising at full tilt!

 

[43096]

Presumably at the behest of MTU though! GWR are in a somewhat unique position on that, as the use of their sets on high quantites of frequent stop-start work knackers the lumps rather more quickly than where they spend their days cruising at full tilt!

Nothing to do with MTU. They knew the duty cycle when they supplied the engines.

It pre-dates re-engining and is all to do with Great Western driver management, particularly at Bristol.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

There is a video on youtube of a HST cab ride:

 

[PudseyBearHST]

This driver certainly wasn't!!!

Nor was this driver:

 

[Mintona]

I think the word you are looking for is "gnome".

A decent HST driver will start the train in notch 3, get it into notch 4 once the wheels are turning, then let the amps build for a few seconds, then full power. Certainly none of this fannying around so beloved of Great Western.

Gnome?

Are you also implying that I’m not a “decent” driver because I don’t like to deafen passengers on the platform?

 

[43096]

Gnome?

Are you also implying that I’m not a “decent” driver because I don’t like to deafen passengers on the platform?

Deafen people? With an MTU?!

Do you also slow down to 30mph at stations where you're not booked to stop in case someone is offended by the slipstream generated by the train?

 

[HOOVER29]

Was at Leicester this morning & during Christmas shopping I popped to the station for a few hrs. I noticed a few hst power cars clagging a lot more than usual. 43060 on a Nottingham bound service was a right beast until way past the old EWS depot. Have Neville cut back on maintenance or was this a power car due a service? The smoke was jet black. Seemed to go like a rat up a drain pipe though.

 

[Mintona]

Deafen people? With an MTU?!

Do you also slow down to 30mph at stations where you're not booked to stop in case someone is offended by the slipstream generated by the train?

They aren’t as noisy as valentas but they’re not exactly silent. There’s no need to rag the thing to keep to the timetable, and it’s better for fuel economy too.

And no, of course not. Obvious troll comment is obvious.

 

[robbeech]

Was at Leicester this morning & during Christmas shopping I popped to the station for a few hrs. I noticed a few hst power cars clagging a lot more than usual. 43060 on a Nottingham bound service was a right beast until way past the old EWS depot. Have Neville cut back on maintenance or was this a power car due a service? The smoke was jet black. Seemed to go like a rat up a drain pipe though.

They tend to reserve the ones running like a bag of spanners for VTEC it seems. You can see them at Nottingham all day and they're fairly clean (in relative terms), pop up to Leeds and catch the set hired by VTEC (multiple different power cars over time) and they make your eyes stream as you walk past them ticking over and there is noticeable haze all over the platform. It can't just be coincidence surely.