Bi-mode Trains

[jopsuk]

I love the blasé assumption that it would be pretty easy to produce a british loading-guage compliant, lightweight, version of the bi-mode AGC. It is on an average axle load of 17 tonnes. The modern "go anywhere, can use Sprinter speed differentials" Class 170 comes in at just over 11.2 tonnes axle load- and that's heavy, a class 158 is under 10 tonnes per axle, the heavier car of a 156 is 9 tonnes/axle.

 

[Nym]

You proberbly could, if you took something like the Class 350 and slapped a pair of largish diesel generators in the unpowered trailer car, you might need to have these invade into the passenger saloon though, but loading gauge wise you'd be fine.

You could also proberbly lob out the unpowered carriage and slot two ~700hp generators into each motor car (lighter than the tranny one) inside the passenger space near the cab.

 

[LE Greys]

You proberbly could, if you took something like the Class 350 and slapped a pair of largish diesel generators in the unpowered trailer car, you might need to have these invade into the passenger saloon though, but loading gauge wise you'd be fine.

You could also proberbly lob out the unpowered carriage and slot two ~700hp generators into each motor car (lighter than the tranny one) inside the passenger space near the cab.

That sounds oddly like the Class 210, but with a pantograph. BR rejected the idea because it was too complicated and the power units took up passenger space. However, that was 1970s technology. Lightening it somewhat might just make it work, so with modern technology, I reckon it's possible. Whether it's cost-effective remains to be seen.

 

[Nym]

The big jump in rail tech came with the power electronics and synchornous drives that came online in the 90s. You'd be looking at the drive gear from the Class 222 tuned down to 110 or 100mph and having 1 panto/tranny carriage per two gennie carriages. Each contributing to the DC Busbar with VSD invertors driving each traction package.

Since we know you can fit all this equipment (gennie, DC busbar kit, VSD and motors) in one 23m carriage fit for 125mph, and we know that you can fit the tranny and DC rectifier for the busbar into a 20/23m carriage. There's nothing technically stopping a 3 car DEMU for 110mph on leccy and 100 or 90mph on Diesel being knocked up.

You only really face the issue of ongoing Diesel supplies for the next 30 years, but there isn't any other kit mature enough for rail use, and without much effort, one could knock this kit together today.

Unlike the LDPE Diesel requirement that will likely be dead in 20 years with ongoing electrification, and can be provided for by hauling EMUs away from wires for their service patterns. EDMU Inter-Reigonal units will almost always be needed, and will likely de-marginalise additional infill for electrification, and increase the performance of Diesel services under wires as they'll be on the juice running at 1500kW rather than 1000kW or less on the Diesel.

Thus increasing the capacity on mixed traction lines like into Manchester, and equalising performance to aid in implemented ATO or Close Loop regulation to remove unscheduled stops and conflicts from routes in the form of an addition to ERTMS and ETCS...

 

[jopsuk]

That sounds oddly like the Class 210, but with a pantograph. BR rejected the idea because it was too complicated and the power units took up passenger space.

the 210s though, like their emu sisters (317-322) only had one powered car yes? on that sort of you could probably have stayed within acceptable axle weights by combing a 210 power car with a 317 PMSO and one/two trailers. might even have been OK including the third rail kit from a 319.