Longest HST & HST sleeper trains

[455driver]

I guess that's the greatest challenge for an HST in daily service - in fact, if you can get over Dainton Bank and then down to Totnes, you'd probably feel that you'd passed the greatest challenge.

And then the smile drops when you realise that Rattery bank is waiting for you!
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So was there a time when a rake of coaches could be top and tailed by a 43 and a 91 with both providing power at the same time? Wasnt that essentially the concept for the original bi-mode IEP design?

Yes, a HST mark rake had the powercar removed from the TGS end, the other PC and TGS were fitted with buffers and some additional jumper cables and off it went.

Performance was 'brisk' especially if the train had been delayed en route so the drivers were using the full capacity when leaving stations.

 

[FOH]

And then the smile drops when you realise that Rattery bank is waiting for you!
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Yes, a HST mark rake had the powercar removed from the TGS end, the other PC and TGS were fitted with buffers and some additional jumper cables and off it went.

Performance was 'brisk' especially if the train had been delayed en route so the drivers were using the full capacity when leaving stations.

IIRC the 43 PC was intended to provide hotel power only but after going into service the Valenta really didn't like just ticking over all day so was put into full master slave power mode.

 

[cf111]

Indeed, it's not permitted.
But of course that leaves us with the question of how to deal with a set whose fault became apparent after having departed northwards from, say, Perth.

Page 33 of the Sectional Appendix may shed some light on what may happen: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse documents/sectional appendix/scotland sectional appendix.pdf

I once had a miserable southbound journey on the Chieftain. Power car was dead from Inverness, we were about 2 hours late into Edinburgh and we were all crammed onto an IC225 set which was standing room only before we got to it. Not fun!

 

[91104]

Would braking performance be reduced with no rear power car? Or is that negated by the reduced mass of the train, not having to haul the 'dead' weight?

Would there also be an imposed speed limit with no rear power car attached, lower than could be achieved by a full set running on one engine? I believe a single engine hauling 2+8 can still get past 110mph and possibly hit 125mph. Takes a fair old while to get there though, falling gradient will help, and requires thrashing at full power to maintain.

If there's no rear power car attached to max speed (if you can reach it) is 110mph on account of having no rear E70 brake control unit so the brakes will only apply from the front rather than from both ends.

 

[sprinterguy]

Shut down on arrival Northallerton going north. Going south normally Northallerton, but i've known them go to Thirsk before firing up.

That seems strange. I'm sure that the rear power car can be heard idling at the very least on every Grand Central ECS I've seen at and north of Sunderland, which is quite a few.

 

[CC 72100]

Going back to Totnes again, I've just come off the 06;00 Leeds - Plymouth which seems to have a dead rear power car. It's still showing as stopping at Totnes - I know FGWs 2+8 HSTs would therefore not stop, I'm guessing that the 2+7 XC one is therefore just about light enough to get away with it?

 

[455driver]

Going back to Totnes again, I've just come off the 06;00 Leeds - Plymouth which seems to have a dead rear power car. It's still showing as stopping at Totnes - I know FGWs 2+8 HSTs would therefore not stop, I'm guessing that the 2+7 XC one is therefore just about light enough to get away with it?

This time of year yes but in a couple of months?

 

[CC 72100]

This time of year yes but in a couple of months?

I wouldn't want to be the driver charged with the responsibility either way!

Incidentally, I hear that the same power car (43285) was rather under the weather yesterday too.

Today it lost time on the way back and was just over 10 down by the time at arrived at Bristol Parkway where it was terminated with a train fault. :roll:

 

[Martin_1981]

I wouldn't want to be the driver charged with the responsibility either way!

Incidentally, I hear that the same power car (43285) was rather under the weather yesterday too.

Today it lost time on the way back and was just over 10 down by the time at arrived at Bristol Parkway where it was terminated with a train fault. :roll:

Yes, 43285 was shut down at Birmingham New Street whilst working the 0632 Dundee-Plymouth on Friday, leaving 43321 to struggle on alone. The train was terminated at Newton Abbot, around 40 mins late. The return working, 1725 Plymouth-Leeds started from Newton Abbot at 1803, again running on one power car, with the result that the train was 40 minutes late by Birmingham.

 

[Jonny]

That seems strange. I'm sure that the rear power car can be heard idling at the very least on every Grand Central ECS I've seen at and north of Sunderland, which is quite a few.

I thought it was that way round as well, with the reason being to avoid filling Sunderland Station with exhaust smoke (and any fuel saving is secondary).