Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

800001 came down from Old Dalby this morning, saw it at Reading, it could certainly do with a wash, looked very grubby

[Electric train]

Allegedly North Pole Depot OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") becomes energised this weekend

[eightf48544]

Technical question for ET.

Going up to London yesterday (Sat) I notice a number of drums hanging from the gantries. In one case the O/H line seemed to be attached to the drum.

What are they?

[broadgage]

Can not be certain without a photo, but I suspect that they may be weights that are connected to the overhead via insulators.
As the overhead changes in length due to changing temperatures, the weight which hangs vertically, moves up and down. Some types consist of a number of segmented disks of cast iron in order that each individual weight may be handled manually and the total weight be adjusted.

[stuving]

Technical question for ET.

Going up to London yesterday (Sat) I notice a number of drums hanging from the gantries. In one case the O/H line seemed to be attached to the drum.

What are they?

Did they look like this?

(Sorry it's so small).

They are Tensorex C+ spring tensioners - as generally used in Series One instead of hanging weights.

[eightf48544]

Thanks stuving exactly what they look like.

[Noggin]

Looks like the first 800's ran under GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) wires this weekend.

Video at https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/754958864693530624

[DidcotPunter]

Looks like the first 800's ran under GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) wires this weekend.

Video at https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/754958864693530624

Both IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) and the Network Rail test train made several runs between Reading and Wantage Road. While the test train (with test coach Mentor) stopped at Tilehurst and Didcot to raise and lower the pantograph, it appears from the RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) schedules that the IEPs ran non-stop between Reading and Wantage Road so presumably this was done on the move?

Link to Network Rail press release with above video at Moreton Cutting and vid of Network Rail test train leaving Tilehurst.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/first-all-electric-train-runs-on-great-western

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Technical question for ET.

Going up to London yesterday (Sat) I notice a number of drums hanging from the gantries. In one case the O/H line seemed to be attached to the drum.

What are they?

Did they look like this?

(Sorry it's so small).

They are Tensorex C+ spring tensioners - as generally used in Series One instead of hanging weights.

Temperatures forecast to rise to 30 deg C around here (Pangbourne) to-day.  This will be a good test for the tensioners.

[stuving]

Both IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) and the Network Rail test train made several runs between Reading and Wantage Road. While the test train (with test coach Mentor) stopped at Tilehurst and Didcot to raise and lower the pantograph, it appears from the RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) schedules that the IEPs ran non-stop between Reading and Wantage Road so presumably this was done on the move?

Since it's specified to do that, you would expect testing to include it. Of course what you don't know is whether it switched mode more often, while under the wires, so as to fully test this capability against the requirement:

TS1576 A Bi-mode IEP Unit must deliver Full Functionality in any of the following modes;
• Electric Mode; and
• Self Power Mode.
TS1964 A Bi-mode IEP Unit must allow the driver to select any of the modes identified in TS1576.
TS1577 A Bi-mode IEP Unit must be able to switch between any of the modes identified in TS1576 whilst at any speed from stationary up to the maximum speed of an IEP Train identified in TS261.

[stuving]

Temperatures forecast to rise to 30 deg C around here (Pangbourne) to-day.  This will be a good test for the tensioners.

It would be a serious gaffe if they didn't cope - presumably it would be down to installation and set-up, rather than selecting the tensioners. After all, this is the easy bit; tensioning the rails is a lot more difficult (it's so hard to get them to wrap round the drum).

[DidcotPunter]

Both IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) and the Network Rail test train made several runs between Reading and Wantage Road. While the test train (with test coach Mentor) stopped at Tilehurst and Didcot to raise and lower the pantograph, it appears from the RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) schedules that the IEPs ran non-stop between Reading and Wantage Road so presumably this was done on the move?

Since it's specified to do that, you would expect testing to include it. Of course what you don't know is whether it switched mode more often, while under the wires, so as to fully test this capability against the requirement:

TS1576 A Bi-mode IEP Unit must deliver Full Functionality in any of the following modes;
• Electric Mode; and
• Self Power Mode.
TS1964 A Bi-mode IEP Unit must allow the driver to select any of the modes identified in TS1576.
TS1577 A Bi-mode IEP Unit must be able to switch between any of the modes identified in TS1576 whilst at any speed from stationary up to the maximum speed of an IEP Train identified in TS261.

Yes, I was aware that this was in the spec, I was just a little surprised that they did this on the first run under the new OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE"). Hitachi would have tested the capability on the Old Dalby test track which is fitted with a length of F+F Series 1 OLE so they would know that changeover on the move works OK.

[Electric train]

Temperatures forecast to rise to 30 deg C around here (Pangbourne) to-day.  This will be a good test for the tensioners.

It would be a serious gaffe if they didn't cope - presumably it would be down to installation and set-up, rather than selecting the tensioners. After all, this is the easy bit; tensioning the rails is a lot more difficult (it's so hard to get them to wrap round the drum).

The tensorex type units have been used all over Europe for 20 years plus.  Probably more effective than the counter balance weights in that the counter balance weights have to tension both contact and catenary wire were as with these units there is one for the contact wire and one for the catenary

[onthecushions]

I returned from Oxford to Reading on the 2252 stopper last night (18/7) and counted 22 separate working electrification vehicles (platforms with telescopic arms etc) on the main lines with 6 trackside work areas.

Very impressive.

OTC

[Oxman]

Worth noting though that it is only the main lines that are complete. There are still sections of the contact wire missing on the relief lines, for example, at Goring and Cholsey.