Class 92 on B/Stoke to Weymouth line

[yummy125]

As the whole stretch of this line is 3rd rail, can someone tell me why Class 92's don't venture down to B/Stoke, Eastleigh / Southampton or Weymouth..?

Is the loco's RA rating a 7 which makes them difficult to go on certain lines, why did the loco's not be made a RA rating of 5 so they can go anywhere on the South East 3rd rail network.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

As the whole stretch of this line is 3rd rail, can someone tell me why Class 92's don't venture down to B/Stoke, Eastleigh / Southampton or Weymouth..?

Is the loco's RA rating a 7 which makes them difficult to go on certain lines, why did not be made a RA rating of 5 so they can go anywhere on the South East 3rd rail network.

I would guess it's the signalling/track circuits, which would need upgrading for the traction equipment on class 92.
They had to massively upgrade the track circuits in Kent/South London to cope with class 92 and Eurostar before the Channel Tunnel opened.
Only the main tunnel routes were cleared (not Clapham Jn-Redhill-Tonbridge for instance, which was electrified for the purpose but its signalling was not upgraded).

 

[Whistler40145]

Also, would a Class 92 be power hungry & cause problems with other trains?

 

[jopsuk]

As the whole stretch of this line is 3rd rail, can someone tell me why Class 92's don't venture down to B/Stoke, Eastleigh / Southampton or Weymouth..?

Is the loco's RA rating a 7 which makes them difficult to go on certain lines, why did the loco's not be made a RA rating of 5 so they can go anywhere on the South East 3rd rail network.

Why did they not make them to RA5? Because they wanted a big powerful loco that could shift huge freight trains and the massive Nightstar formations with ease. A smaller lighter locomotive would not have achieved that

 

[David10]

Most freight south of Basingstoke goes to Southampton where I believe none of the yards are electrified.

 

[DXMachina]

trying to include high power AC & DC kit probably didnt help the weight either

 

[starrymarkb]

Plus all the redundancy required for tunnel operation (a lot of stuff is duplicated to the point they are two locomotives in one bodyshell)

 

[Eagle]

Most freight south of Basingstoke goes to Southampton where I believe none of the yards are electrified.

Yet. They're in the DfT's recent electrificationgasm and will be electrified in the next eight or ten years (but they'll likely end up being OHLE).

 

[jopsuk]

They'll still need to have non-electrified sidings for loading and unloading of containers! 3rd rail is a poor choice for freight depots as you often have people walking around the tracks and need a lot of vehilce access acoss tracks, but it's a bit tricky to pick up containers when there's cables in the way! I wonder if electrification to Southampton, possibly Felixstowe as well, will see a mini-renaisance of dedicated shunting locos in this country, or whether they'll just use surplus mainline locos?

 

[The Ham]

Yet. They're in the DfT's recent electrificationgasm and will be electrified in the next eight or ten years (but they'll likely end up being OHLE).

OHLE and lifting containers onto the trucks would work that well, as such what is likely to be used within the loading yards?

 

[kjhskj75]

They'll still need to have non-electrified sidings for loading and unloading of containers! 3rd rail is a poor choice for freight depots as you often have people walking around the tracks and need a lot of vehilce access acoss tracks, but it's a bit tricky to pick up containers when there's cables in the way! I wonder if electrification to Southampton, possibly Felixstowe as well, will see a mini-renaisance of dedicated shunting locos in this country, or whether they'll just use surplus mainline locos?

They seem to manage OK at Trafford Park and Mossend.

 

[Wath Yard]

I expect 92s could work to So'ton if there was any freight for them to haul. Mr Farrow recently ran a 92 hauled tour from either Woking or Basingstoke.

The reason they don't work to Weymouth is the same reason 66s don't work to Kirkby. There hasn't been any freight for decades.

 

[Drsatan]

I expect 92s could work to So'ton if there was any freight for them to haul. Mr Farrow recently ran a 92 hauled tour from either Woking or Basingstoke.

The reason they don't work to Weymouth is the same reason 66s don't work to Kirkby. There hasn't been any freight for decades.

True, but a 92 could never make it as far as Weymouth, even if it was hauling a charter train. This is because electrification of Bournemouth to Weymouth was done in such a way which meant only five car trains could operate west of Wareham, or a single eight car train (a pair of 450s) if there wasn't one heading in the opposite direction. If a 92 traveled to Weymouth no other EMUs would be able to operate.

 

[fgwrich]

I expect 92s could work to So'ton if there was any freight for them to haul. Mr Farrow recently ran a 92 hauled tour from either Woking or Basingstoke.

The reason they don't work to Weymouth is the same reason 66s don't work to Kirkby. There hasn't been any freight for decades.

Really? I live near Basingstoke and have never seen or heard a 92 appear on the South Western. The tour which i think your on about is the Hawich Hook railtour which ran from Hook on the 6th September 2009, with a 59 From Hook to Dollands Moor, and a 92 from there onwards, with a 59/66 returning back to the South Western.

Whether or not 92s are suitable is a case though, with their main problem being how power thirsty they remain combined with the Track Circuit issue. Hopefully the power issue would have been a little less of an issue now with the power upgrades for Desiros, but....

 

[MCR247]

Hook?!

 

[fgwrich]

Yep, Hook. Just east of Basingstoke. Railtour was Ukrailtours Hawich Hook railtour, which started off from Hook with 59203 Leading down to Dollands Moor, Where 92026 took the tour up to Hawich, before 59203 lead the tour back to Hook. 92 Detached somewhere in the london area i think.

 

[Eagle]

Did they do that railtour specifically so people could go from Hook to the Hook? :P

 

[MCR247]

Did they do that railtour specifically so people could go from Hook to the Hook? :P

Ah! That seems like the only reason to me

Yep, Hook. Just east of Basingstoke.

Ahaha yeah I know where it is, I was just a bit surprised that a railtour started there hock:

 

[Wath Yard]

Really? I live near Basingstoke and have never seen or heard a 92 appear on the South Western. The tour which i think your on about is the Hawich Hook railtour which ran from Hook on the 6th September 2009, with a 59 From Hook to Dollands Moor, and a 92 from there onwards, with a 59/66 returning back to the South Western.

Whether or not 92s are suitable is a case though, with their main problem being how power thirsty they remain combined with the Track Circuit issue. Hopefully the power issue would have been a little less of an issue now with the power upgrades for Desiros, but....

Ah yeah - I knew there was a 92 involved somewhere.

I would certainly hope the £2 billion, or whatever the final figure was, spent on the power upgrade would permit 92s to So'ton.

 

[yummy125]

The tour which i think your on about is the Hawich Hook railtour which ran from Hook on the 6th September 2009, with a 59 From Hook to Dollands Moor, and a 92 from there onwards, with a 59/66 returning back to the South Western. QUOTE]

I live in Hook & went on the Hook to Harwich tour:

59 at Hook Station:

59 at Harwich:

92 at Harwich:

 

[robertbishop]

I live in Hook, and this was the greatest day in our railway history. The joke by the way was Hook (Hampshire) to Harwich, instead of Hook of Holland to Harwich. No 92 from there unfortunately, it was attached at Dollands as Rich said.

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Yummy125, I am surprised to see someone from Hook. Do you ever go to Hook station for specials etc? I may have seen you. (in a non-creepy way)

Anyway, I do hope when they electrify the route doing from Reading we'll get some more exotic traction. Would be 90/92s if nothing new has come in by then. Anything new planned for Freightliner of the electric side of things?