HSTEd
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2011
- Messages
- 16,734
Well, unlike many people on this forum I believe that the basic bodyshell design used on the Class 22x multiple units to be sound, and merely hamstrung by the poor interior design (with lots and lots of disabled toilets).
Unfortunately, despite recent plans to reopen the Voyager bodyshell production line, there can be no motor vehicles manufactured as the QSK-19 does not meet the new emissions requirements for new vehicle construction.
However, I have an alternative proposal.
Take the current Voyager/Meridian design, strip out its engine, generator and traction motors and replace them with an MTU 6H1800 R83 type engine, the same as the Class 172, and main generators and traction motors suitable for this new power output.
As the dry weight of a QSK-19 is in the vicinity of 1900kg compared to ~1100kg in the case of the R83, the vehicle should be lighter, possibly on order of 1.5t once the lighter traction motors and generators, and a downrated traction control pack, is taken into account.
Suspension and all above-sole bar parts would be exchangeable with the existing Voyager family, including eVoyager components.
As a 4-car Cl220 set has a weight of approximately 185.6t empty, we would be looking at an average vehicle weight of approximately, after the weight savings, of roughly ~45t.
The pantograph trailer design would be identical to that of typical eVoyagers, leaving that heavier than the remainder of the coach by the aforementioned 1500kg or so. It would however be able to support more coaches. (If we assume a standard eVoyager pantograph car can support 4 motor cars with 3000hp total, it would be able to support 6 of these downrated motor coaches, leaving us with a 7 coach train).
The seven coach formation thus mentioned would have a power output of 2910hp on diesel, and a total weight of ~316.5t.
This gives us a power to weight ratio of roughly 9.2hp/t.
9.2hp/t is superior to a 2+9 HST such as those used by East Coast.
(4500hp with approximately 140t of power car and 9 41.8t Mark 3s giving a power to weight ratio of 8.7hp/t) and is roughly comparable to a 2+8 HST formation (with roughly 9.4hp/t).
This means such a train would have high speed performance similar to a HST, low speed acceleration superior to it due to having half of its axles driven, and would be an electrodiesel.
It would also fit into the existing loading gauge.
Anyone have any thoughts on the idea?
NOTE: Due to its lower axle weight even than the Cl220 (thanks to its motor vehicles being lighter due to the lighter traction equipment) it can be expected that it would have track access charges lower even than the Class 220, and would thus be cheaper to operate than a HST, even at very long lengths. And apparently cheaper in track access terms than a Class 185 and a Class 175, to say nothing of the Class 180
Unfortunately, despite recent plans to reopen the Voyager bodyshell production line, there can be no motor vehicles manufactured as the QSK-19 does not meet the new emissions requirements for new vehicle construction.
However, I have an alternative proposal.
Take the current Voyager/Meridian design, strip out its engine, generator and traction motors and replace them with an MTU 6H1800 R83 type engine, the same as the Class 172, and main generators and traction motors suitable for this new power output.
As the dry weight of a QSK-19 is in the vicinity of 1900kg compared to ~1100kg in the case of the R83, the vehicle should be lighter, possibly on order of 1.5t once the lighter traction motors and generators, and a downrated traction control pack, is taken into account.
Suspension and all above-sole bar parts would be exchangeable with the existing Voyager family, including eVoyager components.
As a 4-car Cl220 set has a weight of approximately 185.6t empty, we would be looking at an average vehicle weight of approximately, after the weight savings, of roughly ~45t.
The pantograph trailer design would be identical to that of typical eVoyagers, leaving that heavier than the remainder of the coach by the aforementioned 1500kg or so. It would however be able to support more coaches. (If we assume a standard eVoyager pantograph car can support 4 motor cars with 3000hp total, it would be able to support 6 of these downrated motor coaches, leaving us with a 7 coach train).
The seven coach formation thus mentioned would have a power output of 2910hp on diesel, and a total weight of ~316.5t.
This gives us a power to weight ratio of roughly 9.2hp/t.
9.2hp/t is superior to a 2+9 HST such as those used by East Coast.
(4500hp with approximately 140t of power car and 9 41.8t Mark 3s giving a power to weight ratio of 8.7hp/t) and is roughly comparable to a 2+8 HST formation (with roughly 9.4hp/t).
This means such a train would have high speed performance similar to a HST, low speed acceleration superior to it due to having half of its axles driven, and would be an electrodiesel.
It would also fit into the existing loading gauge.
Anyone have any thoughts on the idea?
NOTE: Due to its lower axle weight even than the Cl220 (thanks to its motor vehicles being lighter due to the lighter traction equipment) it can be expected that it would have track access charges lower even than the Class 220, and would thus be cheaper to operate than a HST, even at very long lengths. And apparently cheaper in track access terms than a Class 185 and a Class 175, to say nothing of the Class 180
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