DMUs running on one engine

[LowLevel]

They can manage on one engine but they're much slower. If it's hot you also risk the remaining engine overheating and conking out as well.

Our 156s and 158s now have remote supply switches so the vehicles can cross feed each other electricity, only powers essential systems in the cab and head and tail lights though. No saloon lighting or air conditioning, that only lasts as long as the batteries.

It's intended to get you home without losing all power and having to put an emergency head or tail light on.

I once had to work a 158 on one engine from Thetford to Nottingham with a flashing tail lamp on the back and it was a very tedious journey.

 

[9007pinza]

Last Sunday, whilst travelling on a TPE 3-coach 185 from York to Newcastle. I was surprised to hear the engine in my car close down just outside York. We seemed to be struggling with speed & acceleration from then on, but this might have been engineering works/speed restrictions. At the scheduled stop at Northallerton, the engine started up again, & sounded all well. The train performed very well for the rest of the trip, terminating at Newcastle. Is this normal,?, I was thinking mybe the engine was manually stopped, due to the upcoming speed restrictions. Would it have been restarted manually, or automatically at the Northallerton stop?

 

[dk1]

Last Sunday, whilst travelling on a TPE 3-coach 185 from York to Newcastle. I was surprised to hear the engine in my car close down just outside York. We seemed to be struggling with speed & acceleration from then on, but this might have been engineering works/speed restrictions. At the scheduled stop at Northallerton, the engine started up again, & sounded all well. The train performed very well for the rest of the trip, terminating at Newcastle. Is this normal,?, I was thinking mybe the engine was manually stopped, due to the upcoming speed restrictions. Would it have been restarted manually, or automatically at the Northallerton stop?

Don't the 185s normally automatically shut engines down depending on route/gradient?

 

[driver9000]

Don't the 185s normally automatically shut engines down depending on route/gradient?

Only when Eco mode or Speed set is active.

 

[driver9000]

Last Sunday, whilst travelling on a TPE 3-coach 185 from York to Newcastle. I was surprised to hear the engine in my car close down just outside York. We seemed to be struggling with speed & acceleration from then on, but this might have been engineering works/speed restrictions. At the scheduled stop at Northallerton, the engine started up again, & sounded all well. The train performed very well for the rest of the trip, terminating at Newcastle. Is this normal,?, I was thinking mybe the engine was manually stopped, due to the upcoming speed restrictions. Would it have been restarted manually, or automatically at the Northallerton stop?

That is either the Eco mode software or Speed set system and is perfectly normal. The engine is restarted by the Driver and should only be done when the unit is standing.

 

[9007pinza]

Thanks guys, Being old school, (pre TOPS)!!, I was not aware of this fuel saving mode. The engine did only restart when the train was stood still, Thanks for the info

 

[HLE]

They can manage on one engine but they're much slower. If it's hot you also risk the remaining engine overheating and conking out as well.

Our 156s and 158s now have remote supply switches so the vehicles can cross feed each other electricity, only powers essential systems in the cab and head and tail lights though. No saloon lighting or air conditioning, that only lasts as long as the batteries.

It's intended to get you home without losing all power and having to put an emergency head or tail light on.

I once had to work a 158 on one engine from Thetford to Nottingham with a flashing tail lamp on the back and it was a very tedious journey.

I bet. Hope the driver had a paper, that's a long way to go on one engine.

 

[vlad]

Watched an HST being pushed into the station once.
Front power car off, so it was very quiet coming in.
Rear one pushed it out again.
Not sure if they do that any more or just fail it wherever and recover at a later time?

I was on an XC HST last year where one of the power cars failed. They just threw us all off at the next station and left the train there for a few hours. I assume I've travelled on pretty much the only HST ever to have stopped at Bromsgrove....

 

[trebor79]

I was on an XC HST about 15 years ago that had a failed power car. We were banked up the Lickey (so the rear power car must have been one of those fitted with buffers) and in fact it then ran all the way through to Newcastle on one power car.
Must have been about the only HST ever to be be banked!

 

[GusB]

I was on an XC HST about 15 years ago that had a failed power car. We were banked up the Lickey (so the rear power car must have been one of those fitted with buffers) and in fact it then ran all the way through to Newcastle on one power car.
Must have been about the only HST ever to be be banked!

The power car wouldn't necessarily have to have buffers - they just use the emergency coupler bar thingywhatsit (I'm sure there's a technical term!). See:

 

[lord rathmore]

Happened to me a few weeks ago with a GA 156 on Lowestoft to Ipswich, one engine only from Saxmundham onwards. Think these units are getting towards life-expired & I'm looking forward to the new FLIRTs whenever they arrive.