Class 68 Progress, what's the latest?

[apk55]

Thursday 05/02/2014.

Marylebone had only one 68 in the time I was there 17:45-18:20.

68015 on the 17:50 departure to Banbury.

67014 on the 18:15 departure to as far as Banbury - note this service is not shown in the temporary timetable but did run.

Apparently the 18:50 is no longer a 68 and I believe only one 68 is South of the blockage (i.e. South of Banbury). The other 68s went back North via the WCML earlier this week apparently.

The sound of a 68 :- I had time to stand on the platform and watch it leave. By the time 68015 had gone past me and was heading towards the road over bridge it sounded like a class 47 on steroids !. That familiar chuckling/chattering sound of a 12LDA28C but with more force.

Drivers report the superior acceleration of a 68 and I did notice how ponderous 67014s departure from Marylebone was compared to 68015. Both had six MK3s on and a DVT iirc. Bring back the Westerns with up to 12 on :cry:.

A class 68 has more than twice the starting and low speed tractive effort of a class 67 (310Kn instead of 144Kn) so initial acceleration will be much better.

 

[Sunbird24]

A class 68 has more than twice the starting and low speed tractive effort of a class 67 (310Kn instead of 144Kn) so initial acceleration will be much better.

Ignoring prototypes the class 68, at +/-3,750HP depending where you read, has far more power available than anything but the Deltics, bearing in mind that it is configured as a mixed traffic loco. The pure passenger version can be configured for 200kmh, which would reduce its starting TE to 300kN from the nominal 317kN. Figures vary slightly depending where you look, I have the original Vossloh specs but not to hand.
Its slightly bigger cousins, the Euro 4000s, are now hauling single-handedly over the Spanish mountains trains which at times used 4 class 269 electrics.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Ignoring prototypes the class 68, at +/-3,750HP depending where you read, has far more power available than anything but the Deltics, bearing in mind that it is configured as a mixed traffic loco. The pure passenger version can be configured for 200kmh, which would reduce its starting TE to 300kN from the nominal 317kN. Figures vary slightly depending where you look, I have the original Vossloh specs but not to hand.
Its slightly bigger cousins, the Euro 4000s, are now hauling single-handedly over the Spanish mountains trains which at times used 4 class 269 electrics.

Cough cough cough. A veritable mini power station !. Wonder why they used two 68s (yesterday ?) vice a class 92 on a Daventry to Mossend service - must have been insurance ?.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Cough cough cough. A veritable mini power station !. Wonder why they used two 68s (yesterday ?) vice a class 92 on a Daventry to Mossend service - must have been insurance ?.

According to Wikipedia, a 68 has 3,800hp but a 92 has 6,760hp if running on 25kv AC. Does that explain it?

 

[Sunbird24]

According to Wikipedia, a 68 has 3,800hp but a 92 has 6,760hp if running on 25kv AC. Does that explain it?

Most writers (and anyone can write and modify Wiki articles) round up or round down, certainly very few double-check figures using prime source only. I got this from Caterpillar http://www.catpower.lt/upload/694/files/LEHR4835-03 C175-16.pdf They say 2800 bkW, 3755 bhp. Of course, these figures are nominal and design figures, no 2 engines from the same source are likely to be precisely identical. For those who work to the nearest 100, 3800 it is, those who work to the nearest 50 will use 3750, those who want to be pedantic will use 3755 and if anyone wants to do a precise calculation to 5 decimal places.....
When built the engine will likely have had a quality test run and data forms filled out with actual figures for the individual item. The same may apply to the locomotives themselves, and other individual parts which go to make up the whole, such as traction motors.
The end performance is not just from the engine but from the whole locomotive, and each one will be slightly different from the others.

Regarding the use of 2 locomotives, each line has loading limits as does each locomotive and also speeds have to be taken into consideration. If a particular train is scheduled to be class 92 hauled because it requires eg 4,000HP to run through a particular section due to its weight and speed combination, putting less than 4,000 may be asking for trouble so doubling up is the answer. Or maybe they wanted to see if a 68 could manage the load on its own and the second one was there only as a back-up. Or maybe they just wanted to save an expensive light loco movement.

 

[apk55]

At low speeds tractive effort limits the power output of a loco. ("Power output = TE X speed" for those who did O level physics). At speeds below about 40mph a class 68 can not deliver its rated power because of the TE limitation. With electric locomotive the speed at which a locomotive can deliver its maximum power can be much higher.

For a freight train maximum TE is very important and must be sufficient to haul the steepest gradient or else the train will stall.

 

[Sunbird24]

Thanks for that apk55, O level was a long time ago, when steam reigned supreme.
For the really pedantic:
2800 kwh = 3754.8618488 bhp
3755 bhp = 2800.1030194 kwh

For real calculations a lot more things need to be taken into account. It is the traction motors which supply the power at the rail. The engine supplies the power for the traction motors and other things such as train heating and a lot more. The limiting factor is the combined power rating of the traction motors, 4 x 600 kw, so 2400 kw, 3218 bhp more or less.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Just a bit of anecdotal evidence about the difference; but a 67 pulling a rake out of Marylebone will almost always reach 100mph just beyond Northolt Park station (the 100mph line speed starts at Wembley) while a 68 pulling the same rake will hit 100mph between the Sudbury stations, three or four miles and a couple of minutes earlier.

 

[SkinnyDave]

Would be interesting to know if there have been any time Improvements on DRS intermodal services between 68 & 66 runs..

 

[CosherB]

Would be interesting to know if there have been any time Improvements on DRS intermodal services between 68 & 66 runs..

i would hope so with nearly 8,000 hp from double-headed 100 mph-capable locos! lol

 

[Maxfly]

i would hope so with nearly 8,000 hp from double-headed 100 mph-capable locos! lol

I think he is more meaning the normal runs like those to Inverness and Aberdeen. An yes the can make a fair bit better time on the Highland mainline compared to 66's, especially when they have plenty sand.

 

[SkinnyDave]

I think he is more meaning the normal runs like those to Inverness and Aberdeen. An yes the can make a fair bit better time on the Highland mainline compared to 66's, especially when they have plenty sand.

Ta yep wanted to know if there were genuine time savings in real workings..

I believe they are being used more regularly on the Aberdeen and Inverness Intermodals

 

[Sunbird24]

i would hope so with nearly 8,000 hp from double-headed 100 mph-capable locos! lol

6,400 hp nominal (add 36.896 for a closer figure) actually, with 8x 800 hp (600kw) traction motors. BTW the true power rating of the engines is only 3755 hp (nearest whole number) so for 2 it would be 7510, a long way from nearly 8,000. Too much rounding up by too many people, leading to false information, especially in places like Wiki. The excess power not required for traction is used for train heating, air-conditioning, and other ancillaries.

 

[The 4th Rail]

A 67 was on the Banbury set today, does anyone know why? Can it be due to the landslip despite the 68 not going past Banbury currently

 

[CosherB]

6,400 hp nominal (add 36.896 for a closer figure) actually, with 8x 800 hp (600kw) traction motors. BTW the true power rating of the engines is only 3755 hp (nearest whole number) so for 2 it would be 7510, a long way from nearly 8,000. Too much rounding up by too many people, leading to false information, especially in places like Wiki. The excess power not required for traction is used for train heating, air-conditioning, and other ancillaries.

what's nearly 490 bhp between mates?!

 

[sprinterguy]

68011 was out on a silver set today, working what I presume to have been 1T07 08:25 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Snow Hill.

 

[87015]

68008 on 1750 Banbury tonight, must say seem impressive engines at a quick spin. Checked down outside Wycombe sadly as was flying.

 

[Freightmaster]

68011 was out on a silver set today, working what I presume to have been 1T07 08:25 Leamington Spa to Birmingham Snow Hill.

5K18 08:30 Leamington to Kidderminster

 

[sprinterguy]

5K18 08:30 Leamington to Kidderminster

Oh, okay. Came through at a very similar time as 1T07 should have, and it was formed up with the coaching stock at Stourbridge on Thursday night so assumed that it had entered passenger service this week. I presume instead that the driver training is ongoing, then?

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Oh, okay. Came through at a very similar time as 1T07 should have, and it was formed up with the coaching stock at Stourbridge on Thursday night so assumed that it had entered passenger service this week. I presume instead that the driver training is ongoing, then?

It has been working the 0705 Kidderminster-Leamington passenger service then ecs back to Kidderminster as stated above, then 5J68 back to Stourbridge depot.

 

[168lover]

68012 is currently working the 07:41 Princes Risborough-London Marylebone plug door set along with 82305

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yesterday 26/02/2015 I saw 68008 + blue&grey coaches leave Marylebone on the 17:50 to Banbury.
Then at Wembley Stadium I saw 68012 on a silver set powering North on the 18:15 Marylebone to Banbury.

The 18:15 from Marylebone has until recently been a 67 in my experience.

I saw 68012 light engine pause Southbound at Wembley Stadium station on 20/02/2015 at about 13:45. It was crew training apparently. I have heard the brakes are good !.

I saw a set+67 park up in the siding next to platform 1 at Marylebone at about 19:35 on 19/02/2015. I have not been there to see if that is regular but I guess it must be a third rake of Mark3s working on the South side of Harbury cutting collapse - is that correct ?.

I have been wondering why 68008, a DRS blue 68, has been so regularly performing on the Chiltern services ?. Surely there are enough Silver 68s. Mind you my best chance of getting the DRS blue 68s is if they end up on Chiltern services so I cannot complain.

 

[Boothby97]

Yesterday 26/02/2015 I saw 68008 + blue&grey coaches leave Marylebone on the 17:50 to Banbury.
Then at Wembley Stadium I saw 68012 on a silver set powering North on the 18:15 Marylebone to Banbury.

The 18:15 from Marylebone has until recently been a 67 in my experience.

I saw 68012 light engine pause Southbound at Wembley Stadium station on 20/02/2015 at about 13:45. It was crew training apparently. I have heard the brakes are good !.

I saw a set+67 park up in the siding next to platform 1 at Marylebone at about 19:35 on 19/02/2015. I have not been there to see if that is regular but I guess it must be a third rake of Mark3s working on the South side of Harbury cutting collapse - is that correct ?.

I have been wondering why 68008, a DRS blue 68, has been so regularly performing on the Chiltern services ?. Surely there are enough Silver 68s. Mind you my best chance of getting the DRS blue 68s is if they end up on Chiltern services so I cannot complain.

68008/009 are the spare Chiltern 68s, they are fitted with equipment to work with the coaching stock but are in the pool with 68001-007 and carry DRS livery.

 

[BantamMenace]

Yesterday passing Lancaster University southbound i saw a DRS-liveried 68 hauling a northern belle liveried 47/57 and a set of network rail wagons. Any idea what this was and why it would have that haulage?

 

[ash39]

68001 is parked at York for the weekend - as far as I know this makes 001 the fourth to visit after 003, 009 and 011.

Pic https://flic.kr/p/qsjuKp

 

[matt]

68003 made it's passenger debut on the northbound leg of the Cumbrian Mountain Express today from Euston to Carnforth. It put in a good performance and for a new loco they sound pretty decent as well.

 

[saracen43]

Can anyone tell me which L/SPA to Moor ST services in the week at the mo are silver sets, and which ones are likely to be 68,s.

 

[ARoo21]

What's the latest on the Class 68 locomotives?
68 011 was on 1K57 London Marylebone - Kidderminster today.

 

[ARoo21]

Any update on the Class 68's for Chiltern (what services are they now hauling)?

 

[Freightmaster]

Any update on the Class 68's for Chiltern (what services are they now hauling)?

Normally just the Banbury commuter train and
1K57 Marylebone to Kidderminster/ 1H26 return.

MARK