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EMU tail traffic?


Mr chapman

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Ok, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this but did southern region EMU's ever carry any tail traffic? I've seen DMU's with a van on the back so wondered if this ever happened down south. I'm not including coaches used to bolster sets between units. Just odd vehicles attached to the back :)

 

Thanks.

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think it would've been unlikely, given most freight/parcels stock was vacuum braked and the EMUs air braked.

the advantage of the DMUs was that any stock could be fully braked, any restrictions were down to the power of the DMU and the topography of the line. 

 

that said, if it was an electric unit hauling a single van i don't know if it would be allowed for the van to be a 'swinger' i.e. unbraked

 

as dave said above, the MLVs had a vacuum brake so could be used to haul stock fitted

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think it would've been unlikely, given most freight/parcels stock was vacuum braked and the EMUs air braked.

the advantage of the DMUs was that any stock could be fully braked, any restrictions were down to the power of the DMU and the topography of the line. 

 

that said, if it was an electric unit hauling a single van i don't know if it would be allowed for the van to be a 'swinger' i.e. unbraked

 

as dave said above, the MLVs had a vacuum brake so could be used to haul stock fitted

think it would've been unlikely, given most freight/parcels stock was vacuum braked and the EMUs air braked.

the advantage of the DMUs was that any stock could be fully braked, any restrictions were down to the power of the DMU and the topography of the line. 

 

that said, if it was an electric unit hauling a single van i don't know if it would be allowed for the van to be a 'swinger' i.e. unbraked

 

as dave said above, the MLVs had a vacuum brake so could be used to haul stock fitted

think it would've been unlikely, given most freight/parcels stock was vacuum braked and the EMUs air braked.

the advantage of the DMUs was that any stock could be fully braked, any restrictions were down to the power of the DMU and the topography of the line. 

 

that said, if it was an electric unit hauling a single van i don't know if it would be allowed for the van to be a 'swinger' i.e. unbraked

 

as dave said above, the MLVs had a vacuum brake so could be used to haul stock fitted

DMU tail traffic had to be Vacuum braked, unfitted wagons weren't allowed.

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Don't know about the southern region but it never happened in Scotland with one exception. Early 1990s when 303048 was “preserved“ there was a driving trailer from 303063 kept to keep spare parts in. The problem was it was at shields road depot and we wanted it at Yoker depot.SO the extra trailer coach was coupled to 303048 and dragged to Yoker depot.

This was the first 4 coach class 303 movement in 30 years.

 

The previous time there was a 4 car 303 was in 1960 when the 303s had to be taken out of service for transformer faults. The motor cars were taken down to east didsbury for modifications then went on test runs. They were marshalled between two driver trailers one pantograph raised and a test run done then the other one raised and the first one dropped for a second test run. After that both were raised and a final run back to east didsbury yard. The run with both motor coaches was very lively apparently.

I have not seen any photos of these test runs but if anyone out there has any I would be very interested in seeing them

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IIRC, there were some BR standard GUVs through wired with MU and piped for use within EMU formations.

 

Cheers,

Mick

TLVs. I can't quote numbers, but there were a handful of BGs converted to run in boat train formations, conveying Registered Baggage. They were equipped with jumpers and through electrical connections. They only worked with MLVs, so never with an EMU on its own.

 

The only other occasions when odd vehicles might have been EMU-hauled would have been in the inter-depot workings on CM&EE trips, where unconventional lashups might be used to move a vehicle. I cannot recall anything other than EMU stock on these, however.

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IIRC, there were some BR standard GUVs through wired with MU and piped for use within EMU formations.

 

 

I knew there were a couple of BR Mk.1 catering vehicles through wired for EMU working, but never knew of any GUV vans.

.

There were several BG vans stripped, refurbished and wired for use with the MLVs - they were TLV's (Trailer Luggage Vans).

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The TLV's had an unhappy few years, allegedly being "blacked" by the unions, and were withdrawn and converted to departmental use e.g. BTU vans.

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http://www.bloodandcustard.com/tlv001.html

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Tha above link / webpage contains the following passage which may be of interest :-

 

".... The TLVs went into service from February 1968 and were used mainly (as intended) on Boat Trains. However, they did see limited other use on parcels and mail trains, principally in the Christmas periods when many extra mails services were run and the TLVs ran coupled to MLVs or 2 HAP units....."

 

There were two WR GUV vans ( W86174 and W86572 ) wired for DMU working circa 1969-1970 and allocated to Marsh Junction, Bristol - they ran between a pair of Cl.116 power cars DMBS W51137 & DMS W51150 (seats removed) on a nightly Temple Meads - Hayes and return working carrying parcels and mail to/from Heathrow Airport.

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The vans were branded "Railair Express Parcels".

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When the set was disbanded they gravitated to the London area where they ran with the DPU cars and other Cl.116 cars modified for parcels traffic.

.

By then the three letters "air" had been painted over, and the GUV vans read "Rail___ Express Parcels" 

.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50613

 

Brian R

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Except on postal/parcels workings (and the Southern Region frequently dumped mailsacks on passenger seats), hanging a van on an EMU rather negates the purpose of an electrified railway with EMUs, i.e. a rapid turnround at each terminating point.

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The North Eastern's Tyneside electric system had Motor Parcels Vans.  At peak periods they were used to 'top and tail' passenger trains made up of sets of ordinary coaches fitted with through control jumper cables.  I wondered whether they pulled parcels vans when being used in parcels service but can't find any reference to this, so presume they ran singly when being used for parcels traffic.

 

Edit:  Just found a picture of the LNER-built Motor Parcels Van No. 2424 towing an ex North Eastern six wheeled van (looks like a Passenger Brake Van) at Tynemouth in RCTS Locos of the LNER Vol 10B.

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Aside from the previously mentioned TLVs, which I think do count as a tail load, surely the TC sets also count as a 'tail load', even when being propelled. A 4 REP (or the odd-man-out 8VAB) could pull or propel one or two TC sets, which had driver's controls but were unpowered. Those may well be outside of Mr Chapman's parameters in his original post, though. :)

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Whilst not electric, the Southern attached the odd one or the wagons to local loco hauled services. Mainly vans, but I have seen a container in a medfit.

MLV plus BG for the mails from Ashford to Ramsgate via CU. MLV plus bogie GUV from Faversham to Dover. MLV plus TTA out of Dover.

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