Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 18:35 29 Apr 2024
- Depardieu in custody over sexual assault allegations
- Power cut causes disruption at Stansted Airport
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 22/05/24 - WWRUG / TransWilts update
02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Apr (1963)
Bristol Bus Boycott announced (*)

Train RunningCancelled
18:51 Evesham to Oxford
Short Run
17:20 Reading to Gatwick Airport
17:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
17:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
18:29 Gatwick Airport to Reading
18:59 Gatwick Airport to Reading
Delayed
14:03 London Paddington to Penzance
16:58 London Paddington to Great Malvern
17:28 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
18:23 Par to Newquay
PollsThere are no open or recent polls
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
April 29, 2024, 18:44:39 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[144] South Western Railways Waterloo - Bristol services axed
[100] Clan Line - by Clan Line !
[88] Visiting the pub on the way home.
[78] Saturdays: Rochdale / Manchester onto the Settle and Carlisle
[53] Disabled access at Cholsey: time for a campaign!
[30] Labour to nationalise railways within five years of coming to ...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
Author Topic: MTU Power Cars  (Read 8334 times)
smokey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1129


View Profile
« on: July 09, 2011, 10:52:39 »

Just a Question, I'd love SOMEONE to defend FGW (First Great Western) on this one.

It's claimed that the Re-engined HST (High Speed Train)'s (fitted with MTU (Motor Traction Unit) power units) are much much cleaner than the Older engines that have been replaced, indeed when Idleing I understsnd that the MTU go over to ONE Bank firing.

So why ARE FGW HST's still left outside the Train shed at Penzance?

FGW need permission from RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board) or someother body to send HST's to the blocks at PNZ?.

After all, all other trains go right up to the Blocks at PNZ.

I expect the answer is FGW HAVEN'T done there Homework and ASKED.
Logged
Ollie
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2302


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2011, 23:38:35 »

I'm no expert on the layout at Penzance, but what is signal sighting like there? Trains need to be at certain points so driver has a clear view of the either signal or a banner repeater. (This is a similar issue at Paddington - HST (High Speed Train)'s on Platform 8 for example don't come right to the blocks)
Logged
Louis94
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 446


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2011, 09:29:37 »

Could be because of the noise of which the power cars make, MTUs (Motor Traction Unit) idle much louder than the Paxman Valenta engine. My understanding is that people from the hotels above were complaining.
Logged
smokey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1129


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2011, 13:34:21 »

It's not a Signal sighting Issue, and as for noise, can't see Noise being an issue as the High Wall above Platform One deflects Noise away from the Hotels on the Road above.

Note: When HST (High Speed Train)'s use Platform Three they do work right up to the blocks.
Logged
6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2754



View Profile Email
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2011, 23:02:42 »

i hesitate to say this as it.... well its me thinking it .... but do hst's not fuel up at long rock?
Logged
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2011, 03:15:22 »

It's claimed that the Re-engined HST (High Speed Train)'s (fitted with MTU (Motor Traction Unit) power units) are much much cleaner than the Older engines that have been replaced, indeed when Idleing I understsnd that the MTU go over to ONE Bank firing.

I don't think there's any doubt at all that they are hugely cleaner...I well remember the smoke screens that the Valenta-powered HSTs could create when they pulled out of Temple Meads heading towards London after idling for a while in the platform.

I don't know PNZ station at all - how long is the trainshed? Is it possible that a single 2250 hp engine is still considered too large to have idling under the roof, whereas a few (much smaller) DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) engines aren't considered a problem?

MTUs idle much louder than the Paxman Valenta engine.

Really...? I have no idea of the numbers, but I'd be amazed if that was actually true - the MTUs have always sounded somewhat quieter at idle than the Valentas to me. The first time I caught an HST that had a re-engined powercar on the front it seemed so quiet as it coasted into the station I thought the engine in it was shut down for a moment or two until the penny dropped.
Logged
12hoursunday
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 267


View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2011, 23:19:57 »

e, MTUs (Motor Traction Unit) idle much louder than the Paxman Valenta engine

From a person who spends his working day sat in front of one of these engines I can confidently say NO WAY
Logged
Louis94
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 446


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2011, 00:10:25 »

e, MTUs (Motor Traction Unit) idle much louder than the Paxman Valenta engine

From a person who spends his working day sat in front of one of these engines I can confidently say NO WAY

Fair enough, would you say it could be something to do with the fact they seem to idle at a lower pitch compared to Valentas?
Logged
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2011, 15:18:41 »

Fair enough, would you say it could be something to do with the fact they seem to idle at a lower pitch compared to Valentas?

Probably you tend to feel rather than hear an MTU (Motor Traction Unit) when in the Manor and one stops on Platform 2 at Slough.
Logged
devon_metro
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5175



View Profile
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2011, 15:20:59 »

e, MTUs (Motor Traction Unit) idle much louder than the Paxman Valenta engine

From a person who spends his working day sat in front of one of these engines I can confidently say NO WAY

MTUs are far better sound proofed, particularly in the cab. I understand that originally there was too much soundproofing and drivers were complaining that they couldn't hear the engine!

Logged
12hoursunday
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 267


View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2011, 19:12:31 »

Nothing has been done on the soundproofing of the cab.

except

The fitting of new outer cab doors and door seals in an attempt to eliminate wind noise.

The engines are quieter end of!
Logged
dog box
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 653


View Profile
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2011, 10:35:09 »

There are a number of instructions relating to Penzance Station and the positioning of HSTs (High Speed Train) there , these are contained in The Network Rail Western Region Sectional Appendix and are quite detailed and appear to be in place with regards to noise abatement
Logged

All postings reflect my own personal views and opinions and are not intended to be, nor should be taken as official statements of first great western or first group policy
The SprinterMeister
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 665


Trundling round the SW

Chris64ex4@hotmail.com
View Profile Email
« Reply #12 on: July 21, 2011, 20:34:46 »

There are a number of instructions relating to Penzance Station and the positioning of HSTs (High Speed Train) there , these are contained in The Network Rail Western Region Sectional Appendix and are quite detailed and appear to be in place with regards to noise abatement
The roof cladding at Penzance was replaced some time ago, around 1991 I think. For a few years the roof cladding was missing with only the framework remaining in place. When Regional Railways replaced the roof the vents in the top of it were made somewhat smaller than before. Therefore the fumes from loco's / Valenta engined HST's couldn't escape through the vents as readily as before. The current instructions were based on this and haven't been updated as a result of MTU (Motor Traction Unit) engines although simply because there less visible clag that doesn't mean that there aren't nasties in the air that need to be dissipated.

The requirement to leave Penzance in notch one, take notch two somewhere around Slopers and then notch up normally approching Long Rock has been removed from the instructions though.
Logged

Trundling gently round the SW
smokey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1129


View Profile
« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2011, 20:54:55 »

And yet XC (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) HST (High Speed Train)'s are worked to the blocks at Penzance, well the last one I saw at Penzance was at the blocks.

I'll agree with dog box about Penzance station Roof but when it was rebuilt (1991 would be about right) some IDIOT sealed one side of the roof vortex the WHOLE length of the roof, hence there is NO Vortex, a very simple and easy way to ensure Natural ventilation.

The Vortex works thus: Air Passing over the Roof is at a lower pressure than air within the train shed so having BOTH sides of the High level top box OPEN causes the Air passing through to act as a Vacuum cleaner, keeping the train shed ventilated.

Sealed one side NO VORTEX:
Logged
Sprog
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 109


View Profile Email
« Reply #14 on: July 22, 2011, 06:41:21 »

Just a Question, I'd love SOMEONE to defend FGW (First Great Western) on this one.

It's claimed that the Re-engined HST (High Speed Train)'s (fitted with MTU (Motor Traction Unit) power units) are much much cleaner than the Older engines that have been replaced, indeed when Idleing I understsnd that the MTU go over to ONE Bank firing.

Just another point, the MTU engines actually go into a 'split bank' mode when idling or on Train Supply, where by two halves of each bank ie. 6 and 6 fire only and it changes over every 10mins or so, making a sound like the engine 'coughs' briefly!
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1] 2
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page