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GWML Electrification progress: Newbury-Reading B&H section

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LE Greys

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Can't see dual-voltage voyagers happening - apart from anything else going over 90mph on 3rd rail is problematic and over 100 extremely difficult (Unless you're a 4-REP running light, re recent posts)

Voyagers would lose the most useful 35mph of their speed capacity through running on 750v. Even without the problem that their traction motors need a higher voltage than that

I have to agree with you, although I'm not sure if they can do 125 on the South Western anyway.

As for starting up on the move, it's probably possible, but most likely not allowed despite the fact that Deltics would sometimes do it on an unofficial basis.
 
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HSTEd

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Can't see dual-voltage voyagers happening - apart from anything else going over 90mph on 3rd rail is problematic and over 100 extremely difficult (Unless you're a 4-REP running light, re recent posts)

Voyagers would lose the most useful 35mph of their speed capacity through running on 750v. Even without the problem that their traction motors need a higher voltage than that

I can't see the Voyagers running faster than 100mph south of Basingstoke anyway, so doing it under DC electric rather than diesel power would not be much of a loss.

However I think it doubtful that the Voyagers would be refitted to have useful third rail shoes (bus line along the train is at more than 750V) as they could only be put on one coach and would thus gap extremely easily, requiring the diesels to be idling anyway.

But once the Oxford-Birmingham section is electrified as it surely would bw if Basingstoke-Reading is done, the Voyagers could be withdrawn and replaced with purpose built dual voltage multiple units. (Perhaps a dual voltage designed Pendo derivative)
 

swt_passenger

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I can't see the Voyagers running faster than 100mph south of Basingstoke anyway, so doing it under DC electric rather than diesel power would not be much of a loss.

Correct AFAICS. The line's signalling is designed around short headways and a 90 or 100 mph max speed. Hence XC do not run at higher speeds than this south of Basingstoke. DC EMUs can run at these speeds, so no reason why a Voyager with shoegear couldn't - if it was possible to fit shoegear.

Before anyone suggests that lightweight bogies with internal frames cannot carry shoegear, there'll be a solution for Desiro City for Thameslink, so I wouldn't necessarily assume fitting shoegear to a Class 220 bogie is impossible...
 

Kentish Paul

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Don't forget that prior to HS1 Eurostars were only at 4000hp on DC as compered to 16000hp on AC. How does this compare with other dual voltage sets such as as 319/377 on Thameslink or Southern on Croydon to Milton Keynes.
 

Bald Rick

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Before anyone suggests that lightweight bogies with internal frames cannot carry shoegear, there'll be a solution for Desiro City for Thameslink, so I wouldn't necessarily assume fitting shoegear to a Class 220 bogie is impossible...

They won't need shoe gear if the wires go to Southampton or Bournemouth ;)
 

HSTEd

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Before anyone suggests that lightweight bogies with internal frames cannot carry shoegear, there'll be a solution for Desiro City for Thameslink, so I wouldn't necessarily assume fitting shoegear to a Class 220 bogie is impossible...

Well as only two bogies on each trainset need shoegear, and the sets will have 16 or 24 bogies, it would be simplest to simply have the two end bogies be conventional outside frame ones.

But I am pretty sure with enough money you could build an inside frame bogie that can mount shoegear.
 

C.J. Radford

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There has been much visible progress to the electrification program in the Reading area, with masts erected by the new depot and some gantries and single masts over the Reading New Junction.
Not sure if this is to do with the same job, but there seem to be NR workers up and down the Newbury - Reading stretch on a daily basis recently...

Also, I understand that there is pressure to extend the electrification west of Newbury towards Westbury & possible Merehead (to allow electric traction for the stone trains), but whether or not it'll go ahead is another question.
 

swt_passenger

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Best not get carried away with this though. According to the 'rail engineer' mag this Jan they may only be putting up the masts, because it is convenient to do so while the whole place is a building site. They might not put the actual wires up until 2015/16 isn...
 

fgwrich

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Best not get carried away with this though. According to the 'rail engineer' mag this Jan they may only be putting up the masts, because it is convenient to do so while the whole place is a building site. They might not put the actual wires up until 2015/16 isn...

Makes sense if there's nothing to run under them. I wonder which line will be started first though - Newbury's having most of it's bridges rebuilt for clearance, whilst our branch (Reading Bas) is already cleared for W10.
 

swt_passenger

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Makes sense if there's nothing to run under them. I wonder which line will be started first though - Newbury's having most of it's bridges rebuilt for clearance, whilst our branch (Reading Bas) is already cleared for W10.

There are details about the phasing of the main electrification (and other) work in the GW route business plan, an overall calendar is shown on page 62 of this, the blue bars are the relevant info:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse...ture plans/route plans/western route plan.pdf
 
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