Voyager hauling Pendolino / TMS set-up

[33117]

Cheers. Interesting that the pantograph was up, I guess just for hotel power.

From what I could tell the pendo wasn't powering but the voyager was having to work pretty hard to keep it moving.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In a situation like this, are the Pendolino's brakes effectively isolated?

I don't think so - both units have traditional 2 pipe air brakes, so they are just braked like LHCS would be.

 

[O L Leigh]

Interesting that the pantograph was up, I guess just for hotel power.

From what I could tell the pendo wasn't powering but the voyager was having to work pretty hard to keep it moving.

It would not have been under power due to the lack of any electrical connection between the units. Under the "rescue and recovery" procedure the electrical connector boxes remain retracted.

My suspicion is that the pan was left up so that the Pendo's own air compressors could run as normal to provide main air pressure. Voyagers only have two compressors per set and can take an age to inflate the train from flat, so adding the 9/11 cars of a Pendolino would potentially be a strain and it would take even longer to get main air pressure up.

One wonders if it was worth the bother, how many times has it ever come in useful?

It's happened a few times on XC where one Voyager has been to rescue another and this procedure was necessary. I guess platform lengths have a bearing on it's usefulness too, as the length of the combined train may not be accommodated.

In a situation like this, are the Pendolino's brakes effectively isolated?

I don't think so - both units have traditional 2 pipe air brakes, so they are just braked like LHCS would be.

Precisely that. As I said last night, a formation such as this is effectively a loco and stock from technical and operational points of view. The interminable tiffling about with isolation cocks is required to prepare the unit for this form of operation, but the brakes on a failed unit would still operate. Without an electrical connection between units there is no way the driver can control the brakes of the failed unit in the normal way using electrical signals sent along the brake wires.

 

[cheese]

I don't think so - both units have traditional 2 pipe air brakes, so they are just braked like LHCS would be.

Didn't know this - thought Voyagers were only fitted with some kind of EP air brake. Thanks!