What Will Work using those On-Train Sockets ?

[Mutant Lemming]

They say they are just for laptops or to charge mobiles but what if you oversleep and the missus had a strop on the night before and didn't do any ironing - would they work a steam iron or a Corby Trouser press ?

 

[Minilad]

Have seen a woman using hair straighteners on a Voyager without causing a problem.
Oh and by that I don't mean she was trying to straighten the Voyager before all you pedants chirp up !!

 

[Eagle]

I'm pretty sure you can run anything off them; so if you wanted you could get a TV and an Xbox running off it (but I'm not too sure the guard and passengers would be too enamoured with you if you did...)

 

[Yew]

I considered trying to take a little tv and playstation on a train once....

 

[davelew99]

Depends on the type of supply and ratings of any breakers put on the supply.

Type of supply depends how it's generated - it may be generated in AC and be a proper smooth sine wave in which case everything will be as happy on it as it is at home. Alternatively, it could be a modified sine wave (although unlikely) (common when coming from DC like the cheap car inverters you get) in which case some things get upset as this kind of supply isn't very good!

Breakers may either be low (like 3A/socket) or they are not breakered individually and may be 32/64A per coach.

Come to think of it, the cleaners will plug a hoover in somewhere so they can't be rated too low.

 

[FGWman]

Saw someone using a printer once.

 

[Zoe]

I read somewhere (maybe even here) that someone once wanted to use an arc welder.

 

[Liam]

Come to think of it, the cleaners will plug a hoover in somewhere so they can't be rated too low.

Usually there are plugs marked 'not for public use' at the end of coaches for this.

One night on the seated sleeper I was watching a movie on my laptop, when the guard came down he pointed me towards the first single seat and told me I could use the plug under the seat if I wanted to.

 

[brianthegiant]

Breakers may either be low (like 3A/socket) or they are not breakered individually and may be 32/64A per coach.

Come to think of it, the cleaners will plug a hoover in somewhere so they can't be rated too low.

Wouldn't be as high as 32A per coach, this isn't like building wiring where you have a virtually limitless supply of power. The 'hotel power' has to be shared with lighting etc, so the public sockets will be breakered relatively low, so any excessive load doesn't compromise other services like lighting etc.

I suspect the cleaners sockets are on a seperate breaker, so the train can still be cleaned if the public circuit has tripped

In addition to overcurrent protection, there will also be RCD protection at 30mA.

They do trip now & again if overloaded.

 

[SS4]

I believe you can plug pretty much anything in, even a toaster

Edit: As long as you don't trip the main fuse of course by causing an excessive load

 

[DarloRich]

I thought the ones marked "not for public use" or some such were not protected so if the train came out of neutral spot the surge might travel to your bit of kit and fry it!

Might just be bo**ocks!

 

[MCR247]

I know someone that that has happened to, luckily they only had a Nokia

 

[table38]

Usually there are plugs marked 'not for public use' at the end of coaches for this

On probing one of the boxes under the seat on a 323 with the end of my foot, it turned out to be a "13A" socket with a spring-loaded cover/flap.

At work, all of the sockets on the "domestic" supply are modified; the earth pin is a "T" shape. This prevents the cleaners from plugging their vacuum cleaners into the "clean" supply, although wikipedia suggests they are mostly used in buildings the other way around, ie. to stop people plugging their own stuff in.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

I have seen a group of lads walk past on the platform with a 26" TV and xbox all boxed up, and when I got to them doing tickets the TV was against the window and they were playing some game on the xbox!!
T'was on a Grand Central a couple of years ago, may even have been the same train that hit someone and we stood for 3 hours!!

 

[deltic1989]

I once saw a bloke on a voyager set up a microwave and do a rustlers quater pounder with cheese, and I can't remember where just at the moment but a fella had a small flatscreen tv and blu ray player.

 

[TUC]

I had the reverse problem on a Scotrail sleeper. I have Sleep Apnoea and use a CPAP machine to help me breathe overnight. I just assumed that sleepers, like most other long distance trains, would have power sockets. However they don't although-even more frustratingly-they do have shaver sockets so they must have power available.

 

[michael769]

I once saw a bloke on a voyager set up a microwave and do a rustlers quater pounder with cheese, and I can't remember where just at the moment but a fella had a small flatscreen tv and blu ray player.

Did that person also have proper crockery?

 

[Aictos]

I thought the ones marked "not for public use" or some such were not protected so if the train came out of neutral spot the surge might travel to your bit of kit and fry it!

Might just be bo**ocks!

No I believe you are right, I've been told numerous times that if a power surge was to happen on a EMU then it would fry whatever kit you had plugged in and there was no chance of your insurance paying out as it's clearly marked out "Not for Public Use" ie it's intended for cleaners and fitters to use while on depot.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Did that person also have proper crockery?

Don't be silly, microwaves are for modern plastic trays and the like - you'd be needing a proper bain marie for your crockery.

All the more reason to use cheap throwaway toasters, microwaves, hairdryers etc.

 

[michael769]

Don't be silly, microwaves are for modern plastic trays and the like - you'd be needing a proper bain marie for your crockery.

But I thought you liked to use proper crockery - I was not suggesting it went into the micro, just to eat off.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

But I thought you liked to use proper crockery - I was not suggesting it went into the micro, just to eat off.

Yes but proper plates deserve proper food and it just doesn't taste as nice done in the microwave. Back in Victorian times we could have utilised the carriage gas lighting to cook a proper dinner.

 

[whhistle]

I once saw a bloke on a voyager set up a microwave and do a rustlers quater pounder with cheese, and I can't remember where just at the moment but a fella had a small flatscreen tv and blu ray player.

Ha ha, I thought about sneeking a microwave on board once.

 

[WatcherZero]

They dont have a lot of juice (ive heard mention in the past that even the lowpower laptops and mobiles take longer to charge), as mentioned earlier the ones marked not for public use have a normal supply but they couldnt do the same for every socket on the train.

 

[Oswyntail]

Did that person also have proper crockery?

Surely the proper crockery with which to eat a hamburger comes ready attached at the ends of the hands.

 

[Scotrail84]

Ive used the sockets for an Ipod docking station and it worked no problem.

 

[Flamingo]

Usually there are plugs marked 'not for public use' at the end of coaches for this.

One night on the seated sleeper I was watching a movie on my laptop, when the guard came down he pointed me towards the first single seat and told me I could use the plug under the seat if I wanted to.

Be careful, the end of carriage plug may be 415V, not 220V.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I had the reverse problem on a Scotrail sleeper. I have Sleep Apnoea and use a CPAP machine to help me breathe overnight. I just assumed that sleepers, like most other long distance trains, would have power sockets. However they don't although-even more frustratingly-they do have shaver sockets so they must have power available.

Train systems (like shaver plugs) are 110V DC. The on-train power may be 450-550V AC

 

[A-driver]

You can pretty much plug anything in-the reason they say mobiles and laptops only is purely to stop people using hair dryers/microwaves(as said has happened!) and other rather anti social things.

 

[Whistler40145]

Has a socket ever tripped on a Pendolino if there has been a power surge from the 25kV OHLE?

If this occurred, would it simply trip all sockets or would the power to the whole train trip?

 

[mralexn]

Don't be silly, microwaves are for modern plastic trays and the like - you'd be needing a proper bain marie for your crockery.



All the more reason to use cheap throwaway toasters, microwaves, hairdryers etc.

so maybe we should get the george forman grill out and make our own restaurant service on a HST....

 

[es373]

I think most are 230v 13amp. Not sure though.