Switching from Electric to Diesel / or from Overhead to third Rail

[mawallace]

Having had a few train trips can someone help me with the following two questions:-

1. Services from London to Taunton. How far to these go on electric and do they switch to electric / diesel (or vice versa) when on the move? The reason I ask is that on a recent trip I notice that my phone charger tripped out for a second three times on the journey and I wondered if it was when the train switched over.

2. Also - thameslink services. When do they switch over from OHT to third rail. I thought is was at Farrigndon but I did not notice this when I was at the platform on the train

 

[swt_passenger]

If your train to Taunton used the direct route it would change before or at Newbury, they can change on the move.

Thameslink is different depending on direction of travel, northbound the changeover is at a City Thameslink, southbound is still at Farringdon. In each case they normally change at the first of two possible locations.

 

[mawallace]

If your train to Taunton used the direct route it would change before or at Newbury, they can change on the move.

and if it on the indirect route?

 

[swt_passenger]

and if it on the indirect route?

Not sure myself. Someone else will know...

 

[59CosG95]

Not sure myself. Someone else will know...

Coalpit Heath (between Westerleigh Junction & Bristol Parkway). This might change once wires to Cardiff enter revenue service, but I'm not entirely sure.

 

[Peter C]

GWR services change to electric at Didcot Parkway - that I can say for sure. Where they are coming from, I don't know.
These services tend to changeover during station stops. I barely notice because they're so quiet at doing it!

-Peter

 

[swt_passenger]

GWR services change to electric at Didcot Parkway - that I can say for sure. Where they are coming from, I don't know.
These services tend to changeover during station stops. I barely notice because they're so quiet at doing it!

-Peter

That’s now something of an oversimplification. You must not have seen in the main electrification thread that trains heading to or from the west, (rather than to or from the Oxford direction), can now stay on overhead power through Steventon Bridge, at 110 mph, so no longer change to diesel...

 

[JohnElliott]

2. Also - thameslink services. When do they switch over from OHT to third rail. I thought is was at Farrigndon but I did not notice this when I was at the platform on the train

On a 700 it's a fairly quick and simple operation and there's not much to notice. Same story when it was 319s, unless you happened to be sitting under the pantograph and heard the AC transformer stop humming. The stock where there was more to notice was the 377, when changing from AC to DC or vice versa needed the train to be rebooted, so all the displays went blank.

 

[Peter C]

That’s now something of an oversimplification. You must not have seen in the main electrification thread that trains heading to or from the west, (rather than to or from the Oxford direction), can now stay on overhead power through Steventon Bridge, at 110 mph, so no longer change to diesel...

Oh - sorry. I don't read the main electrification thread because I find it hard to understand with all of the jargon!
I meant, in my original post, that trains can go electric at DID. Or they "did" (haha) when I was there last.

-Peter

 

[221129]

GWR services change to electric at Didcot Parkway - that I can say for sure. Where they are coming from, I don't know.
These services tend to changeover during station stops. I barely notice because they're so quiet at doing it!

-Peter

Very little changes over at Parkway now, only if coming off the Oxford branch

 

[221129]

Coalpit Heath (between Westerleigh Junction & Bristol Parkway). This might change once wires to Cardiff enter revenue service, but I'm not entirely sure.

Or more likely between Wooton Basset Jcn and Chippenham.

 

[221129]

Having had a few train trips can someone help me with the following two questions:-

1. Services from London to Taunton. How far to these go on electric and do they switch to electric / diesel (or vice versa) when on the move? The reason I ask is that on a recent trip I notice that my phone charger tripped out for a second three times on the journey and I wondered if it was when the train switched over.

It's nothing to do with the switch over.

 

[Peter C]

Very little changes over at Parkway now, only if coming off the Oxford branch

Oh OK- must be a recent thing?

-Peter

 

[59CosG95]

Or more likely between Wooton Basset Jcn and Chippenham.

Ahh yes; that too.

 

[tomsy47]

The reason I ask is that on a recent trip I notice that my phone charger tripped out for a second three times on the journey and I wondered if it was when the train switched over.

Your phone charger may have also tripped off as the train went through any of the neutral sections. This certainly happens on the GWR Class 387s near Maidenhead.