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Third-Rail EMU Photos


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On 22/01/2021 at 20:47, Nearholmer said:

If you believe the Hastings Line electrification was "gold plated", you are quite wide of the mark.

 

Anyway, it had (may still have) a very "thin" high voltage supply, with a tapped transformer mid-way to compensate for voltage drop in the event of the need to feed to whole line from one end, and the substation spacings are only just about on the 'OK' side of the fine line that separates a reliable service from a constant embarrassment. It was designed to tolerate the failure or planned outage of one HV feeder at a time, and I think (going from old memories here) could run the off-peak, but not the peak, service with any single rectifier out for maintenance. I could check details with the designer, because he is still providing consultancy services on a very part time basis with the firm that I work with, many years post-retirement, or the then Chief Electrical, who is still a bright spark well into his nineties.

 

If you recall the opening "free travel" day on the Grinstead Electrification, that nearly went horribly wrong because an "above design" service was put on, and breaker trippings started to occur early in the day. A colleague of mine was scrambled to site to "wind the protection up out of the way" (equivalent of putting a bigger fuse in the plug) to save the day, then to wind it back down at close of traffic - it was just about a safe thing to do, because the CR was not yet worn, whereas the design calculations assumed that it was worn to I think 75% of allowable.

I think similar breaker trippings on the Hastings-line day, with trains everywhere and fully loaded - truly F&S - are rather what might have been expected, hence my suspicion that some resilience was built-in. My assumption is that the design was done under Don Pearce, but by the time of commissioning Bob Care was in charge, 

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The design was largely the work Henry Puntis, who worked for each in turn, and is still working now. Bob Care I haven't seen for a very long time - he must have retired from BR in the early/mid 1990s , and he was certainly working as a consultant by the late 1990s, because in a weird inversion he came and covered my job for me for several months, long after I'd moved LU, while I was seconded into another role. It was Don Ball I was thinking of when I mentioned a bright spark. Don Pearse went from SR to become HoElectrification at Marylebone IIRC, I certainly remember him being in charge when I was there for a couple of years at the very end of the 1980s.

 

Some very good memories of that period - very enjoyable, and nearly all great people to work for and with.

 

 

Edited by Nearholmer
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On 22/01/2021 at 19:47, Nearholmer said:

If you recall the opening "free travel" day on the Grinstead Electrification,

 

 

I was living in East Grinstead at the time but I don't recall travel being free on that day. IIRC it was 50p for an all day 'rover, that was a special large souvenir ticket. All the stations were decorated with bunting and there was some rolling stock on display at various locations. At Oxted I had a cab ride in a class 33 and was allowed to drive (under supervision) class 08 'Ivor' up and down the siding from the bay platform.

 

 

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Here's a few at Strood, although perhaps they're more about the before-and-after on the station, where there's now a new building on the down side and a lift/footbridge in addition to the dank and smelly underpass. The CLASP-type shelter on the up platform remains in place.

From early 2020, Javelin for London and a rail replacement bus I think in the forecourt:

1703957327_StroodFeb2020a.jpg.01bad651176e93601ccb1ff56a169a5b.jpg

 

and a nearly-equivalent shot from 2011, Networker for Charing Cross, and another on the Maidstone West line shuttle:

364788233_Strood2011.jpg.f553558f9de771044dccb8e08ec5d889.jpg

 

Then down on platform 1, from early 2020, Thameslink to Rainham:

213310866_StroodFeb2020b.jpg.0f5065997c3dd808d306fb2f9f7d21ca.jpg

 

And the best I could do for an equivalent "before" shot, an honorary third-rail EMU on a railtour in the 1980s:

1093592963_N6_0020Strood1980s.jpg.002594cea97bfe249387a901a796dacd.jpg

 

Edited by eastwestdivide
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38 minutes ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

Waiting for the scrapman...

P1130094 (2).JPG

After all the effort it is a shame and a huge waste, but what use is a fleet when there is no work for it. I do wonder if the traction package will be recovered from them or the 455’s for that matter. Hey, at least we get to keep the FABULOUS and FANTASTIC 458’s, every cloud! I wonder if they will be returned to 100mph units, especially if they are being moved away from the Windsor’s. 

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2 minutes ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

 Unwanted Class 442s at Bournemouth this afternoon. Photo taken from a position of safety.

P1130175 (2).JPG

Fantastic shot, especially the effect of the "uneven" track!

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31 minutes ago, lmsforever said:

Free to preservation group  one well constructed unit.

Perfect for LSL to take on, 2 units for service and a spare.

 

indeed forget the HST this summer, remove the shoes from these and drag the S&C.

 

 

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