HOBC Train what is it?

[221129]

Hi all as the title says what is the HOBC Train and what does it do?

 

[6Gman]

Hi all as the title says what is the HOBC Train and what does it do?

Isn't it the High Output Ballast Cleaner?

Which cleans ballast ...

... at a high level of output!

 

[Geeves]

I cant seem to find any videos of it at work (generally at night), But here it is in the day in transit to its next work site

http://youtu.be/kFLB6Gj27-I

 

[yorkie]

I have no idea and had never heard of it.

So I searched for HOBC and found it stands for High Output Ballast Cleaner, and then searched for that term, and thena lot of helpful information is available, such as:

http://www.plasser.co.uk/en/machines/rm900rt.htm

High output ballast cleaning system HOBCS for Network Rail

Two newly designed high output ballast cleaning systems (HOBCS) were ordered by Network Rail to meet the requirements of the track renewal strategy. The first of these systems has now arrived completely in the U.K., the second system will be delivered in the course of next year.

The HOBCS high output ballast cleaning system consists of an RM 900 RT ballast cleaning machine with supply of new ballast, two power wagons as traction vehicles and 44 material conveyor and hopper units, 36 of which are MFS-D for through-loading and the remaining 8 are MFS-SB with slewing unloading conveyor belt. The entire system is designed for a cleaning output of up to 900 m3 per hour or 400 metres of track per hour.

 

[Paul.S]

I guess it's fair to say that's a long rake!!!!

 

[Chester025]

Over a mile long I believe?


70003 Chorlton by Chester025, on Flickr

 

[DarloRich]

some pictures for you:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/6238214217/ (VM80 Vacuum excavator)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/6238214961/ (MFS D Wagons)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/6238739794/in/photostream/ (MFS D Wagons)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/6238215645/ (Power wagon)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/6238216503/ (Power Wagon)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
what would you like to know about it?

 

[HSTEd]

So is it hauled at all times or is it merely hauled to the work site?
That information posted above seems to imply it is self powered while working?

 

[DarloRich]

hauled to site and can work independently on site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darlo2009/6238216503/ shows the power wagons

 

[WSW]

Hi all as the title says what is the HOBC Train and what does it do?

If you want to know where [some of] the spent ballast ends up, have a look at these pics showing a HOBC (or rather half of one) delivering to the WSR's Norton Triangles site:

http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/galleri.cgi?h=Picture+Search&q=hobc

The spent ballast at the WSR's Norton Triangles site is cleaned and graded and resold. Some of it has been used to form the new embankments that make up the East and West Chords of the Triangles; whilst some has been used for the WSR main line re-lays and other track maintenance work.

At the time of writing a HOBC arrives at Norton most weekdays.

Recently the WSR Plc announced (unbeknown to the WSR Association who, with a contractor, set up and manage the Norton operation) the spent ballast would be diverted to Bishops Lydeard to be used for foundation work in connection with the Museum project at Station Farm. Everyone wants the spent ballast it seems!

Steve

 

[Rugd1022]

Over a mile long I believe?


70003 Chorlton by Chester025, on Flickr

Not quite Chester... I've been working it quite a bit lately on the WCML (it's stabled in the old Freightliner Terminal at Willesden) and on the Cov - Leamington line, it's 99 SLU's in length, 1x SLU = 21ft...

 

[Chester025]

Not quite Chester... I've been working it quite a bit lately on the WCML (it's stabled in the old Freightliner Terminal at Willesden) and on the Cov - Leamington line, it's 99 SLU's in length, 1x SLU = 21ft...

Yes, on second thoughts a mile is a wee bit too long!

 

[DarloRich]

shall we just agree it is canny long at 2079 feet (give or take as it depends on the consist)

 

[Ploughman]

passing York
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTZMBR28z8

 

[trainplan1]

I have had the "joy" of timing the HOBC and it certainly creates a lot of headaches.

The longest i've had the HOBC was 122 SLU's long which is just under half a mile. Trying to fit in with 125mph traffic is not fun at all!
Very few loops can accomodate the train and that's before you take into account the slowing down and speeding up required.

 

[The Planner]

You are trying to loop it ? the only place it normally sits on the West Coast is at Northampton. It sat at Bescot when it was doing Cov Leamington.

 

[jopsuk]

the pictures/video appear to show it with the cabs in the middle- does it operate this way, or does it get split and the cabs put at the ends? If so, why does it travel this way?

 

[trainplan1]

You are trying to loop it ? the only place it normally sits on the West Coast is at Northampton. It sat at Bescot when it was doing Cov Leamington.

That was the key word,

@ jopsuk- I may be wrong but I think it does often split up when on site but I've yet to know it to transit to/from site in 2 parts.

 

[221129]

Thankyou Everyone that answers my original question.

So Am I right in thinking that it removes and replaces the ballast? If so how does it do that with out the sleepers getting in the way?

 

[DarloRich]

it moves them - it is a very clever system

 

[221129]

Ahhh I see how does it do that?

 

[Rugd1022]

You are trying to loop it ? the only place it normally sits on the West Coast is at Northampton. It sat at Bescot when it was doing Cov Leamington.

It only just fits in clear at Bescot too - I took it there from Kenilworth a few weeks ago, into the Down Side Yard, we came to a stand when the shunter said we were in clear at the back and the lead loco was sat by the points that lead into the TMD... the whole train straddles the reception and north end sidings in one go... !

 

[Ploughman]

When the set is on site, the wagons at the front form the spoil handling system taking all the ballast not suitable for re use. This is excavated by the Ballast cleaner which will be the central machine. All the spoil being taken forward by the conveyor system. The 3rd machine is the Ballast distribution system (BDS) which tops up with new ballast. This is fed forward into the Ballast Cleaner by the conveyor at roof top level. The Cleaner then deposits the new ballast into the area behind the cutting blade below the sleepers where the excavated old ballast has been removed. The BDS is generally connected by flexible control cable and an overlapping conveyor otherwise there is about a 3 - 4 metre gap between the BDS and the Cleaner. (Or the version I worked with a number of times did.)
The BDS can also work totally independant of the cleaner if required.

 

[ainsworth74]

This is probably going to be a very silly question, but why is it important to keep the ballast clean?

 

[sprinterguy]

This is probably going to be a very silly question, but why is it important to keep the ballast clean?

To ensure good drainage through the trackbed. The HOBC is used to recycle old ballast as much as possible during possessions where the ballast is due for renewal, reducing the quantity of new stones that are required.