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Class 390 Pendolino Question

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Ash Bridge

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Is it possible for a Pendolino to be in service with 3 Panto cars?
Today at 14:40ish I was sat in the car at The B&Q car park at Heaton Norris which is located alongside the mainline between Stockport and Manchester Picc. An 11 car unit passed bound for Manchester and I was certain there were three cars with pantograph wells in the set, am I seeing things?
 
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455driver

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No, all 11coach sets have 3 coaches with pantograph wells, only the 2 pantographs though.
I think it's because they needed an extra transformer or something which is mounted on the PW coach, I think it is F which has it, if not then it's U! ;)

How is that for covering the bases? :lol:
 
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starrymarkb

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Yes, it was easier to use the existing panto/transformer coach design insead of designing something new but instead of the pan there is just a connection to the 25kV cable that runs along the roof (and a Circuit Breaker)
 

najaB

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I think it's because they needed an extra transformer or something which is mounted on the PW coach...
Ah, okay. I thought I remembered reading somewhere it was future proofing in that they were buying extra carriages anyway, so it made sense for some to have the pantograph well 'just in case' any pantograph cars need to be replaced at a later date. That answer had never quite made sense to me.
 

Ash Bridge

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No, all 11coach sets have 3 coaches with pantograph wells, only the 2 pantographs though.
I think it's because they needed an extra transformer or something which is mounted on the PW coach, I think it is F which has it, if not then it's U! ;)

How is that for covering the bases? :lol:

Can't believe I've never noticed it before, especially close up at the station, many thanks for the explanation:) etc;)
 
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WatcherZero

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Wernt they at one point thinking of adding a third pan for redundancy in case one was broken? Since they already had connections and well.
 

cjmillsnun

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Wernt they at one point thinking of adding a third pan for redundancy in case one was broken? Since they already had connections and well.

I doubt it as they normally only run with one pan up (the pan to the rear of direction of travel), so already have redundancy.
 
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