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Class 373

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61653 HTAFC

61653 HTAFC

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rdlover777 said:
i just saw a youtube video of a eurostar on trainz simulator and between cars 9 and 10 there is no shared bogie is this right?
Click to expand...

That's correct, each Eurostar set is formed of 2 373 'half-sets'. I think this is something to do with Channel Tunnel evacuation regulations:

Each set must be able to (I'm not sure if the regulations have been eased since the 373s were ordered) divide in the event of an incident. For example if a fire broke out in one of the power cars, the passengers in that half-set would be evacuated into the undamaged set which is then driven out of the tunnel.

Or something along those lines (no pun intended!;)) anyway.
 
rdlover777

rdlover777

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61653 HTAFC said:
That's correct, each Eurostar set is formed of 2 373 'half-sets'. I think this is something to do with Channel Tunnel evacuation regulations:

Each set must be able to (I'm not sure if the regulations have been eased since the 373s were ordered) divide in the event of an incident. For example if a fire broke out in one of the power cars, the passengers in that half-set would be evacuated into the undamaged set which is then driven out of the tunnel.

Or something along those lines (no pun intended!;)) anyway.
Click to expand...

ok then
 
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455driver

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61653 HTAFC said:
That's correct, each Eurostar set is formed of 2 373 'half-sets'. I think this is something to do with Channel Tunnel evacuation regulations:

Each set must be able to (I'm not sure if the regulations have been eased since the 373s were ordered) divide in the event of an incident. For example if a fire broke out in one of the power cars, the passengers in that half-set would be evacuated into the undamaged set which is then driven out of the tunnel.

Or something along those lines (no pun intended!;)) anyway.
Click to expand...

Thats about it, the problem with that is once the train stops in the tunnel, people have been evacuated into the other set, that set uncoupled and the set is ready to move etc the overhead wires would have burnt through so the train wont be able to move.

Nice idea in theory, doesnt work in practise.
 
Crossover

Crossover

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I believe the intention was that with allocated seats, in an emergency there would be room for all the occupants of one half set to be standees in the other half set
 
starrymarkb

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455driver said:
Thats about it, the problem with that is once the train stops in the tunnel, people have been evacuated into the other set, that set uncoupled and the set is ready to move etc the overhead wires would have burnt through so the train wont be able to move.

Nice idea in theory, doesnt work in practise.
Click to expand...

IIRC in a test evacuation it took 20 mins to transfer the passengers from one half to the other. After that it was pretty much abandoned with the preferred method being immediate evacuation to the service tunnel. They've now managed to convince the Fire Brigade to drop the requirement for the 374s.

IIRC the 374s are also 8 coach half sets, but will only be divided in the depot
 
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jopsuk

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The Velaro design, unlike the TGV design, doesn't have shared bogies anyway- though I guess they might still have an autocoupler in the middle rather than a fixed bar?
 
Alan1310

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374's have distributed traction so cant split within a set. Each class 373 power car is capable of hauling a full rake out of the tunnel by itself not just the half set
 
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cjmillsnun

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The requirements in the tunnel for fire are as follows:-

Eurostar

Keep going and get to emergency siding outside the tunnel. If a stop has to be made, then evacuate into service tunnel.

Car shuttle

As Eurostar

HGV Shuttle

Controlled stop and evacuate to service tunnel unless train has passed the last SVS (supplementary ventilation system) shaft in which case, get the train out of the tunnel.

Freight.

Keep going if possible.
 
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D7666

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Alan1310 said:
374's have distributed traction so cant split within a set. Each class 373 power car is capable of hauling a full rake out of the tunnel by itself not just the half set
Click to expand...


A Eurostar Velaro (Siemens Velaro E320) train is 16 car train.

A 374 is not. A 374 is an 8car half train.

In the same way a "complete train of 373s" can be split into two, a "complete train of 374s" can.

The numbering reflects this - 374001 is a half set formed, for now, with 374002, etc, from 4001+4002 to 4019+4020.

A E320 half can haul the entire train - and I should b*****y well hope so with 10500 hp continuous power in each half.

AIUI from Siemens technical blurb each half of a Velaro E320 has its own distributed traction group but there is no power bus or other traction link between the two groups , only control and auxiliary functions, which is analogous to two EMU coupled together, and they are splittable to allow halves to be mixed and matched for maintenance purposes. However, my German is less than perfect and I may have mis understood it, and I am not sure if they can un-couple the two 374s outside of a depot.

--
Nick
 
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IKBrunel

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cjmillsnun said:
The requirements in the tunnel for fire are as follows:-
HGV Shuttle
Controlled stop and evacuate to service tunnel unless train has passed the last SVS (supplementary ventilation system) shaft in which case, get the train out of the tunnel.
.
Click to expand...

Thats interesting, presumably due to the open nature of the hgv shuttles, presumably the thinking is that a burning truck would cause more damage/injury if it is moved than if it's left in situ, maybe also that the movement would increase air supply to the fire.

I believe it used to be the case with 373s that the train manager was also a trained driver so they could operate the 'rear' cab in the event of the need to make a split, not sure if that's still the case then.
 
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DownSouth

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IKBrunel said:
I believe it used to be the case with 373s that the train manager was also a trained driver so they could operate the 'rear' cab in the event of the need to make a split, not sure if that's still the case then.
Click to expand...
And also in the event of needing to reverse out for whatever reason they can get on with things promptly instead of waiting for the driver at the front to make their way from one end all the way to the other. To walk along a flat path as far as the length of a TGV-TMST would be 5-6 minutes, and far longer going through the aisle of a train.

I believe Eurostar crew schedules used to be arranged so each crew would do a return journey, one as the driver and one as the train manager with the roles swapping for the return trip. You do have to remember that the TGV-TMST trains are second-generation high speed trains without anything like the impressive electronic suites available on today's third-generation high speed trains, and therefore the advantage of having the train manager role performed by a fully trained driver is much greater than it would be with the new Velaro sets.
 
starrymarkb

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D7666 said:
A Eurostar Velaro (Siemens Velaro E320) train is 16 car train.

A 374 is not. A 374 is an 8car half train.

In the same way a "complete train of 373s" can be split into two, a "complete train of 374s" can.

The numbering reflects this - 374001 is a half set formed, for now, with 374002, etc, from 4001+4002 to 4019+4020.

A E320 half can haul the entire train - and I should b*****y well hope so with 10500 hp continuous power in each half.

AIUI from Siemens technical blurb each half of a Velaro E320 has its own distributed traction group but there is no power bus or other traction link between the two groups , only control and auxiliary functions, which is analogous to two EMU coupled together, and they are splittable to allow halves to be mixed and matched for maintenance purposes. However, my German is less than perfect and I may have mis understood it, and I am not sure if they can un-couple the two 374s outside of a depot.

--
Nick
Click to expand...

I suspect mechanically they are built as 2 Velaro Ds (DB Class 407) permanently coupled with the inner driving vehicles being replaced with non driving motors. Do they operate on AC with two pans raised? Also I'm assuming on Dutch Voltage (1.5kV DC) they'll have 4 pans up (as existing ICE3s must use 2 because of their current draw)
 
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rdlover777

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Alan1310 said:
374's have distributed traction so cant split within a set. Each class 373 power car is capable of hauling a full rake out of the tunnel by itself not just the half set
Click to expand...

same as the class 465's which cant be separated
 
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