Great Western Coffee Shop

1Q18 0759 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Bristol Kingsland Road
UID U41282, identity 1Q18
TSC 52495117
STP schedule
14th June 2023 only
Test
Great Britain (Network Rail, TPS)
Starts as High Speed Train, changes en route
Starts planned at 125mph max
Runs as required
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U41282/2023-06-14/detailed

Anyone with further knowledge of this "test" please?
With thanks

Waaay off topic - grahame, when someone starts a new topic, would it be possible to auto enable replies?
New posts need to be enabled.

I think what GBM means is "could notifications of new replies be auto-enabled please?"

As you can see, I can reply....they don't need auto-enabling.

And, if I'm right, can I second this please?

Yes, apologies. Notify needs to be enabled when starting new topics.

This used to be a 37 with a DVT, but I believe it is now a pair of 43s

This shows more about what that train is doing

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/our-fleet-machines-and-vehicles/new-measurement-train-nmt/

Thank you, appreciated.

So grateful for your post GBM.  I had this down for next Wednesday and was planning to phot it between Dorchester and Weymouth. Thankfully, I picked this up in just enough time to get to Bincombe and thankfully, it was running late, so managed to get my pictures. Sadly, it was not the Colas HST power cars, but two 37s.

(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ww255/PhilWakely/1Q18-1.jpg)

(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ww255/PhilWakely/1Q18-2.jpg)

(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/ww255/PhilWakely/1Q18-3.jpg)

I believe Network Rail has several measurement trains.  The premier one is the "New Measurement Train" which was converted from a HST and has two class 43 power cars, and can run at 125 mph.  Another - the one in your photographs - is four coaches top-and-tailed by ordinary locomotives such as class 37s, and has a lower top speed; and there may be some other small ones.

See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_950 - based on a class 150

Network Rails' three original NMT powercars, 43013, 43014 and 43062 ('the yellow ones') are currently undergoing major overhaul following fitment of ETCS in-cab signalling equipment. Whilst this has been happening, NR acquired several other redundant powercars and has the ability to run up to three 5-car NMTs at any one time. As the originals return to operation, the intention is to release some powercars but also fit the remainder with ETCS (subject to DfT approval).

There are more types of measurement train - but (since this is the railway) the more detail you dig up the less sense it makes. Here's a description of several (https://www.rail-record.co.uk/guide-to-network-rail-test-trains/). It's a couple of years old, and there may have been some changes since.

That 1Q18 (there are others!) ran under TSC 52495117. This is one of a set of Colas infrastructure measurement train codes:

Colas Infrastructure    52495100    NDS Infrastructure
Colas Infrastructure    52495110    COLAS NSC T.R.U
Colas Infrastructure    52495111    COLAS NSC T.R.C
Colas Infrastructure    52495112    COLAS NSC U.T.U
Colas Infrastructure    52495113    COLAS NSC P.L.P.R
Colas Infrastructure    52495117    COLAS N.M.T

Then if you look in the national bit of the TPR, as well of loads of explanation about timetabling, it has a schedule of these trains. It does not give the TSC, and the names given to the trains don't match that list: these are LD75, UTU-R, UTU-T, HSMT, HST7-125, and (just once) HST8-125. This column is headed "model train", so it ought to be the timing model (i.e. timing load) alone. But I can't get it to match the WTT entry, which shows timing load with the usual types, any more than it does the measurement train type.

Also, the runs are shown per day and some are split into a number of train IDs ... but the model train listed can change between them, despite this being the run of a single train. And timing load can change within the same Train ID anyway - the 1Q18 example above starts as "HST", then becomes "Diesel locomotive, trailing load 245 tonnes at 90mph", then "HST" again, and finally "Diesel locomotive at 75mph".

Correct NR has several different measurement trains, most are track geometry measuring, there are specialist vehicles for OLE, third rail, GSMR and other radio systems