Creation of class 230 DEMUs from ex-LU D78s by Vivarail

[Class172]

How about dynamically sizing bogies to adjust for different gauges?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

One thing that this Vivarail Class 230 project has achieved so far is over 5,000 postings on this thread.

 

[Nym]

OK then, might as well go in, include some 3kV DC OHL, 15kV/16.7Hz and maybe a hydrogen fuel cell.

Difference being all the systems I used are in use in the UK...

For a Hydrogen Fuel Cell to work, it would need to be huge. Just look at what's happened with,

A) They Ballard powered hydrogen fuel cell powered buses in London

B) Every single attempt at Fuel Cells in small scale for rail, at the IMechE Railway Challenge

2014 - Birmingham - Used so many converters it ceased to realistically be a fuel cell, and couldn't operate over any range or time, also, melted one of their motors out onto the track.
2015 - Birmingham - Blew up one of their motor drives, used the remaining for both, blew that one too, had no spares.
2016 - Birmingham - Worked, but very, very slow, again I believe they had converter issues.
2016 - Warwick - Never moved out of the station

Every winner in the last five years has used a 4 stroke petrol generator. With differing drive systems of course...

 

[northwichcat]

It's my experience in life that more and more people are more environmentally aware and probably would prefer something greener than a full blown diesel train especially with the health warnings that are about now due to air quality.

I know I would, the same with more greener buses too.

If you're waiting for a train at a big station then running low emission trains is obviously an advantage for passengers. However, if mid-journey you're on a D-Train with the windows open when it's stopped at a station and there's a Turbostar on the adjacent platform you'll be breathing in more pollution than the passengers on the Turbostar.

With buses the risk of people breathing in pollution is much higher. There are also some routes where the bus never goes above 30mph so it's easy to acquire a green bus which can perform just as well as a diesel one.

 

[Emblematic]

Difference being all the systems I used are in use in the UK...

For a Hydrogen Fuel Cell to work, it would need to be huge. Just look at what's happened with,

A) They Ballard powered hydrogen fuel cell powered buses in London

What point are you making? I use these buses regularly, they are really rather good. Which isn't to say that I think that fuel cells for rail applications, or the 'hydrogen economy' in general, are the ways forward, but this particular pilot seems to be going well, and indeed was recently extended.

 

[Goldfish62]

What point are you making? I use these buses regularly, they are really rather good. Which isn't to say that I think that fuel cells for rail applications, or the 'hydrogen economy' in general, are the ways forward, but this particular pilot seems to be going well, and indeed was recently extended.

Yes, there are three fuel cell Van Hool buses on order. It's not the technology that's the issue, but the cost. However, this has reduced considerably over recent years.

 

[Clip]

So they have now got a demonstrator of their battery powered concept too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nJ2l-UMSZs

 

[Clip]

Oops forgot the bit of blurb from their website too

We have now begun testing our brand new battery powered demonstrator vehicle at the Quinton Rail Technology Centre, and are gathering the data needed to analyse range and performance. Development of the train, powered by two battery modules, has taken place in conjunction with our trusted colleagues at Strukton and Valence, and we are all delighted with the results so far. Work only began at the beginning of the year but these first successful runs show, once again, our initiative and the team’s continuing drive to innovate.

http://vivarail.co.uk/first-sight-vivarails-brand-new-battery-powered-test-train/

 

[chrissawer]

Vivarail have posted a short video of the battery-powered train (single carriage):

http://vivarail.co.uk/first-sight-vivarails-brand-new-battery-powered-test-train/

There is also a new video of the repaired 3 coach class 230:

http://vivarail.co.uk/513-2/

 

[Z12XE]

First sight of Vivarail’s brand new battery powered test train

brand new?

 

[dgl]

brand new?

New*



(*trains are refurbished customer returns to an as new condition using a mixture of new and recycled parts, does not come in original box and some of the original accessories (I.e. current collection equipment) may be missing )

 

[Domh245]

New*



(*trains are refurbished customer returns to an as new condition using a mixture of new and recycled parts, does not come in original box and some of the original accessories (I.e. current collection equipment) may be missing )

Buyer must collect in person from Long Marston?

 

[northwichcat]

Buyer must collect in person from Long Marston?

Seller will not refund if the train catches fire between taking the product and putting it in to revenue earning service.

 

[Z12XE]

Although to be fair to Steptoe and Son Railways, 230001 is the ultimate definition of the 16th century meaning of Brand New

fresh from the fire

 

[MatthewRead]

Just seen the videos hope they are successful this time!

 

[HLE]

The best thing they can do is get it back up and out on the mainline as soon as possible.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just seen the videos hope they are successful this time!

I am sure that the customers who Vivarail have claimed have already placed orders with them will be sharing your hopes.

 

[TheDavibob]

A short article on the Vivarail website about the battery train:

http://vivarail.co.uk/batteries-hybrids-and-more/

...

However they also allow us to use a variety of power sources without any change to the base design.

We recently unveiled our battery train, where the batteries are housed in exactly the same framework as the gensets on our DMU. By working to this identical design we can keep costs low and build-time fast – each different type of train can be assembled to much the same process so our technicians are able to speedily build a variety of trains for different customers.

Of course it also means we can build EMUs and hybrids with ease – and looking to the future there is no reason why fuel cells couldn’t be used. Indeed a train running on batteries now could swap over to fuel cells as the technology develops. After all the D-Train has a forecast life of 25+ years so it makes sense to future-proof its design!
We have had some sleepless nights getting this far, but what’s life without a challenge? Personally I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Essentially arguing that the modular system they have makes the train power-source agnostic. They seem to be getting a little bit optimistic again, which is always nice to see.

Pictures of a new look, too:

http://vivarail.co.uk/class-230-new-look-spring-2017/

which essentially seems to be a stripping back of the branding. Not sure if it's a new train, or the test train has been repainted.

 

[jimm]

Pictures of a new look, too:

http://vivarail.co.uk/class-230-new-look-spring-2017/

which essentially seems to be a stripping back of the branding. Not sure if it's a new train, or the test train has been repainted.

It is the test train. The combination of the engine fire and spray-paint wielding vandals at Coventry damaged a lot of the vinyls, so looks like they have just stripped those off, got out the white paint for the bodywork, a darker green for the doors and added a green stripe along the bottom of the bodies.

 

[Domh245]

The doors look grey to me, although I can't really see anything on that tiny picture!

edit: their twitter has got some larger photos. Definitely Grey.

 

[jimm]

The doors look grey to me, although I can't really see anything on that tiny picture!

edit: their twitter has got some larger photos. Definitely Grey.

If you're sure. Just that it looks like a very dark GWR-type green to me (and there is definitely a supply of that at Long Marston for the 153s) - maybe it's just my fast-ageing eyes.

 

[xc170]

If you're sure. Just that it looks like a very dark GWR-type green to me (and there is definitely a supply of that at Long Marston for the 153s) - maybe it's just my fast-ageing eyes.

It's grey.

 

[Mordac]

This is going to be that dress allover again.

 

[The Ham]

It's grey.

I can see why it may look dark green in the small images, but on the Twitter pictures when they are enlarged the does are grey.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I can see why it may look dark green in the small images, but on the Twitter pictures when they are enlarged the does are grey.

What has female deer got to do with this discussion?.....

 

[route:oxford]

I can see why it may look dark green in the small images, but on the Twitter pictures when they are enlarged the does are grey.

Max Size from the metadata:-

 

[Domh245]

Max Size from the metadata:-

Not quite the maximum size, if you append ": orig" to the end of the URL it'll give you the photo as originally uploaded (2656x1494), like so:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8BYkhxWkAAtVci.jpg: orig
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8BYmJwW0AABFeN.jpg: orig

*there shouldn't be a space between the colon and the o, but the forum software is just spamming smileys otherwise!

 

[chorleyjeff]

What has female deer got to do with this discussion?.....

Ha ha ha

 

[The Ham]

What has female deer got to do with this discussion?.....

Well I'm glad something on the thread about the 230's has made you happy

 

[Chris125]

The new livery looks way better IMO