TRIVIA: How Far North Has A Unit With 3rd Rail Shoes Reached?

[Train Maniac]

325s have been hauled along the West Highland Line.

The hell were they doing up there??! Haha

 

[Dr Hoo]

Possibly worth an honourable mention for the Giant's Causeway Electric Tramway. This was the first third rail line 'up north' and practically on the same latitude as North Shields. (The Glasgow Subway was cable-hauled for many years and not in historical contention until the 1930s.)

 

[peterslade15@yah]

The hell were they doing up there??! Haha

Were they then? ... and when ?

 

[peterslade15@yah]

Were they then? ... and when ?
A 37 hauling a rake of doomed 313's into oblivion would be sad, but worth looking at. Bit gloomy though ..

 

[peterslade15@yah]

I was at Hornsey last week and glimpsed a pair of Colas 56 or 57's getting ready to exit
Ferme Park towing a rake of 313's on their final journey north ...

 

[peterslade15@yah]

If nobody wants to bother to reply to a posting (with exception - thanks- to "midnight Sun"|), I feel as a new communicant
that I will not be attempting to share my observations on our hobby with you all in future. You've obviously all far more
entrenched and cosily established.
I honestly thought that the fate of the 313's and my observations on the Blyth and Tyne possible regeneration might have
sparked some interesting discussion. Obviously not.
So thanks and goodnight. Enjoy our hobby.

 

[driver9000]

The hell were they doing up there??! Haha

13 February 2010 on a Driver training trip for GBRf before the Alcan tanks were taken over from DB Schenker. The units were used to give the Drivers a chance to haul a train over the route.

 

[AndrewE]

If nobody wants to bother to reply to a posting (with exception - thanks- to "midnight Sun"|), I feel as a new communicant that I will not be attempting to share my observations on our hobby with you all in future. You've obviously all far more
entrenched and cosily established.
I honestly thought that the fate of the 313's and my observations on the Blyth and Tyne possible regeneration might have sparked some interesting discussion. Obviously not.
So thanks and goodnight. Enjoy our hobby.

I don't know what has upset you, unless it is the almost obligatory joke about a 442! I thought all the replies were perfectly reasonable, especially as the thread title implies has ever reached. Some info new to most of us has come out about driver training, which makes it all the more inexplicable that TPE drivers haven't had much in the way of practice hauling stock yet.
Cheerio.

 

[haggishunter]

Doesn’t the Cairngorm Funicular (when it is working) have some sort of power pick-up for lighting and other auxiliaries?

Not on track, everything is powered by batteries which are charged by short overhead charging rigs that the cars dock with in both terminal stations. There is no charging rig at the mid-station due to it being uncovered and alternators were not allowed on the cars following the Kitzsteinhorn Gletscherbahn fire. Thus when the funicular is mid*-stopping in both the up and down direction the extra duration out of station requires a longer recharging period and limits the funicular to running at 15min frequency at most. Design capacity of 1200 persons per hour per direction requires a departure every 6 minutes with a 2.5minute journey and 3.5minute turn around (which in real life has never been close to being achieved because of the procedures in place and normal journey time is around 6-8 minutes).

* the 'mid' station is below, not at the passing loop as it was put in the same place as the former chairlift interchange and the upper White Lady Chairlift was longer.

 

[HSTEd]

I can remember GBRf's 73s going north before then, but thought they were 73/9s without shoes. There's a big risk that even if they're in gauge you'll lose them at some point to a high ballast shoulder.

I thought Class 73 shoes were retractable?

 

[Dr Hoo]

Not on track, everything is powered by batteries which are charged by short overhead charging rigs that the cars dock with in both terminal stations. There is no charging rig at the mid-station due to it being uncovered and alternators were not allowed on the cars following the Kitzsteinhorn Gletscherbahn fire. Thus when the funicular is mid*-stopping in both the up and down direction the extra duration out of station requires a longer recharging period and limits the funicular to running at 15min frequency at most. Design capacity of 1200 persons per hour per direction requires a departure every 6 minutes with a 2.5minute journey and 3.5minute turn around (which in real life has never been close to being achieved because of the procedures in place and normal journey time is around 6-8 minutes).

* the 'mid' station is below, not at the passing loop as it was put in the same place as the former chairlift interchange and the upper White Lady Chairlift was longer.

Thank you for very helpful reply. This Forum is a mine of enlightenment.

 

[Killingworth]

Just spotted reference to Tyneside electrics, third rail in revenue earning service from 1904 until 1967. The North Tyneside 1930s rolling stock had wonderful deep bucket seats and the doors slid. By the end they weren't sliding very well and it wasn't uncommon to see a train leave with a door half open, and not unknown almost fully open! I got my first car soon after, the reduced frequency of the diesel service a small factor.

The South Tyneside branch had only recently acquired Southern rolling stock when the decision was made not to upgrade the electricity sub-stations and go over to diesel. With compartments and no corridor I recall thinking they were much inferior units, but they did load quicker.

But furthest north regular 3rd rail operation must go to the Glasgow Subway.

 

[RLBH]

Thus when the funicular is mid*-stopping in both the up and down direction the extra duration out of station requires a longer recharging period and limits the funicular to running at 15min frequency at most. Design capacity of 1200 persons per hour per direction requires a departure every 6 minutes with a 2.5minute journey and 3.5minute turn around (which in real life has never been close to being achieved because of the procedures in place and normal journey time is around 6-8 minutes).

Which incidentally equates to 480 uplifts per hour with mid stops. Or 960 per hour if everyone gets off at the mid station and another full trainload get on, but then all the extra loading and unloading would bugger the journey time.

So far as the passing loop goes, some of the early concepts featured a new Sheiling complex that would have located the station at the passing loop. I'm not sure if that would have involved a higher Sheiling or lowering the loop by extending the line downhill another 140 metres; this would put the bottom station in the lower car park, which has its' merits as an idea.

 

[swt_passenger]

Was that what was called "The TyneRider" ? i remember those - we had Geordie relations in those days

Getting well away from the subject, but from what I remember the “TyneRider” marketing and fares stuff was an attempt to increase ridership in the early 70s well after the EMUs had finished.

 

[jopsuk]

In that case Class 365s to Dunblane?

Only 365501-516 ever had 3rd rail shoes, and they were all removed when the pantographs were fitted on transfer from South Eastern Trains to WAGN.

 

[brad465]

325s have been hauled along the West Highland Line.

The hell were they doing up there??! Haha

How often do 325s actually operate on 3rd rail? I've never seen them on any of the SE, Southern or SW networks, albeit I've been on the former an awful lot more than the latter.

 

[Dr Hoo]

How often do 325s actually operate on 3rd rail? I've never seen them on any of the SE, Southern or SW networks, albeit I've been on the former an awful lot more than the latter.

They used to run to the purpose-built terminal at Tonbridge. That stopped many years ago.

 

[Train Maniac]

Are you sure?

(Picture not mine) Its was the 419 MLV units that used to run to Tonbridge. The 325's have always been based on the WCML

 

[DarloRich]

Are you sure?

(Picture not mine) Its was the 419 MLV units that used to run to Tonbridge. The 325's have always been based on the WCML

No they haven't!

 

[Mag_seven]

They used to run to the purpose-built terminal at Tonbridge. That stopped may years ago.

Indeed - Here is a photo (not mine) of a class 325 on third rail at Kenny O on a Tonbridge working:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136510631@N08/25875452891

 

[Train Maniac]

Huh, learn something new every day

 

[Mag_seven]

So in that case, I believe a pair of 73/9s made it to Kyle last year on a SRPS tour, so unless one has gone north of Dingwall towards Wick the furthest north is around the Gorstan/Garve area.

I think Elgin is slightly further north on the map than Gortsan so I offer up Elgin when the Inverness sleeper is diverted via Aberdeen.

 

[Kite159]

I think Elgin is slightly further north on the map than Gortsan so I offer up Elgin when the Inverness sleeper is diverted via Aberdeen.

Has a 73 gone via Elgin or has it been 67s?

 

[Mag_seven]

Has a 73 gone via Elgin or has it been 67s?

It was on the back of my mind that the Inverness portion has been in the hands of 67s lately but I'm sure someone reported being on an Inverness - Aberdeen sleeper diversion and that a 73 was involved even if only hauled dead behind the 67.

 

[Kite159]

It was on the back of my mind that the Inverness portion has been in the hands of 67s lately but I'm sure someone reported being on an Inverness - Aberdeen sleeper diversion and that a 73 was involved even if only hauled dead behind the 67.

Maybe in the "ED & Shed" months when the Inverness part was a 66 with the 73 for train supply

 

[Belperpete]

If nobody wants to bother to reply .... I will not be attempting to share my observations on our hobby with you all in future. ...... I honestly thought that the fate of the 313's and my observations on the Blyth and Tyne possible regeneration might have sparked some interesting discussion. Obviously not. So thanks and goodnight.

Having looked back at his string of postings, the first two are almost unintelligible, and in others he just seems to be agreeing with what others have already said. I cannot see any observations on possible B&T regeneration, and anyway I am not sure what that or the fate of the 313s has to do with the topic under discussion. I am not exactly surprised that nobody replied.

 

[33021]

Indeed - Here is a photo (not mine) of a class 325 on third rail at Kenny O on a Tonbridge working:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136510631@N08/25875452891

325 units were DC tested and commissioned, some workings out of Chart Leacon

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

When I recently did the Inverness sleeper that was diverted via Aberdeen, it was a 67 IIRC.

 

[Cowley]

Having looked back at his string of postings, the first two are almost unintelligible, and in others he just seems to be agreeing with what others have already said. I cannot see any observations on possible B&T regeneration, and anyway I am not sure what that or the fate of the 313s has to do with the topic under discussion. I am not exactly surprised that nobody replied.

Quite unusual to be a member of the forum for 11 years but not post anything until last Wednesday, then posting 10 times in two and a half hours in the middle of the night before deciding we’re all gits and disappearing again.
Welcome to the forum Peter.

 

[dubscottie]

A 507 or 508 made it to Rosyth Dockyard. Not sure if the shoes were removed though. There is a picture of it sitting in Inverkeithing yard somewhere.