Class 43 Photos HST 🇬🇧, XPT 🇦🇺 & HST 🇲🇽

[25kV]

A handful of photos from today, returning from Glasgow to Aberdeen...

43012 at Queen St, with 43132 on the rear.

43012+43132 on the left after arrival at Aberdeen, with 43026+43134 on platform 4, and 43034+43183 on platform 5. 

 

The same sets from the other end...

 

 

Plus a bonus pair in the carriage sidings: 43175+43137 on the left and 43141+43144 on the right.

Edited March 9 by 25kV
Typographical Errors

[birdseyecircus]

43055 with 43049 on the rear pass under Larpool Viaduct at Whitby with the 05.18 Barrow in Furness - Whitby Midland Pullman charter on 9th March 2024. 

 

Paul

[Davexoc]

The short freight version came through MK today, light loco(s)...

 

 

So how come Rail Adventure appears on RTT as operator SO?

 

[Busmansholiday]

43013

 

and 43062

 

on the NMT pass through Newtown Abbot on 8th March 2024 on 1Q18, Reading Triangle Sidings to Paignton.

[41516]

43062 & 43013 again, passing through Burton-on-Trent in the morning sunshine. 1Q22 0644 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Stockport

 

 

Edited March 28 by 41516
added 2nd photo

[TT100 Diesels]

Picking up from page 332 of the Prototype for everything corner, which has a lot of ECML 43 / 91 passenger service posts, probably more unusual was the use of the original pair of buffered 43's, 43014 and 43123. But I figured that perhaps it better to add them here on the class 43 thread as it is a small side chapter in the 43 history.

 

These power cars were modified with hauled stock MA sets installed in the ex guards van area together with the TDM mu control system cabinet. The MA set powered the cab air cond plus the 110v DC battery charging / driving controls / TDM and was supplied via the normal single phase loco ETS system, with additional jumper fitted to the power cars for thus purpose. The Valenta power units were isolated (from memory they were probably requiring some repairs as well). These 43's were configured with buffers at the front and loco ETS at both ends to facilitate the 86 running round and attaching to the 43 to self rescue in the event of the TDM going down and staying failed.

 

43014 and 43123 worked with the two pioneer TDM fitted 86's, 86228 and 86240, on the Euston Birmingham Wolverhampton circuits to in service evaluate the TDM mu system. Data loggers were plugged into the system to gather real time data.

 

 

Oxley CS, 43014 heads 5A14 ECS to Wolverhampton to form 1A14 to Euston. 04/02/88. The single phase loco ETS jumper and socket visible on the buffer beam. My photo.

 

 

Down the back end was 86228 "Vulcan Heritage" one of the two pioneer TDM fitted 86's. Funny looking power car ! My photo.

 

 

And later in the day, after arrival on 1A14, 43014 seen on the blocks at Euston, waiting to work back on 1G29. 86430 looks on and wonders what on earth is THAT ! My photo.

 

 

After this spell on the WCML of highly unusual 43 operations, these two power cars went on to the 91 project, both used as MA set operated "DVT's" on the 91 type testing jobs and other early evaluation work such as endurance running and evaluation with MKIII sleepers and a 91.

 

On this work the two MA set 43's did a lot of 140 mph running on the 5 aspect signalling between Peterborough and Grantham. 

 

As the other buffered 43's were  drafted in onto the "surrogate (IC225) sets" i.e. 91 / modified hst trailer rake / TDM fitted buffer 43, 43014 and 43123 eventually got reconfigured back to match the other pool of buffer 43's to run on power in multi with the 91's on the surrogate by sets.

 

 

18/04/88 Bounds Green. 43014 on class 91 type test duty. My photo.

 

 

And at the other end of the test train rake of MKIII  sleepers and DM&EE test cars wired up into 91001. My photo.

 

 

And down in Palace Gates sidings, the other MA set buffer 43, 43123 sits alongside brand new 91002 which was the initial driver training loco. My photo.

 

 

There are a lot more technical details and nuances but the above is a from memory zoomed out summary, so happy to be corrected.

 

But I hope this provides a small peek into an interesting and perhaps less well known sub set of the history of use of the buffered 43's.

 

Cheers

TT100 Diesels

[big jim]

36 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

The Valenta power units were isolated (from memory they were probably requiring some repairs as well).

So they were genuine DVTs no engine running, all electrics supplied from the 86 and gubbins in the guards compartment? 

 

36 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

And later in the day, after arrival on 1A14, 43014 seen on the blocks at Euston, waiting to work back on 1G29

I find it fascinating that the testing was carried out on service trains with passengers on board! 
 

loving the scotrail intercity 47 lurking on the palace gates pic! 
 

 

Edited March 31 by big jim

[TT100 Diesels]

Hi Jim,

 

Yes, 43014 and 43123 were genuine "DVTs" with the electrical supply sourced off the loco ETS. 

 

Yes, a bit of a risk in pass service, but the EBW sets were more of a "ghost running" of what was by then the actual production Plessey TDM kit. However, it does underline why money was spent to  add conventional buffers and drawgear to the two 43s, and ETS connections at the pointy end, the risk of TDM crash outs that were unrecoverable (both from a Plessey kit dying and crappy RCH jumpers on the MKIIs wiring connections falling to bits / shorted out with water ingress) was clearly high, so its enough disruption running the loco round without faffing about with the emergency drawbar kit.

 

It has to be remembered that the risk of pointy end assistance was measurably higher on the TDM running than a normal IC125 set falling dead completely and requiring a loco tying on.

 

The data logging gave credible operating info back into the project / Plessey, so it did feed into the squadron implementation of TDM. However, in my own personal opinion, the RCH jumpers method of data transmission was a sows purse and was and is the fundamental weakness of the system. Spending extra ££££ on a decent comms jumper system would have been transformational, but at the time, the BRB were looking at not having to modify the WCML hauled coaching fleet in this way.

 

Glad you like the pics, but apologies they are photos of photos!

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

 

[TT100 Diesels]

Having dug out the above photos of buffered MA set 43 "DVT's", unfortunately the few pics I have of other unusual / test workings are from the 91 end, with the 43 at the opposite end, so not really much use. 

 

However, I will just include one of them like that at its a bit of real history. On 29/06/88, 91001, its test train and "DVT" 43014 were engaged in the very first runs above 125mph on the Peterborough to Grantham 5 aspect signalling stretch.

 

With Test car 10 recording a myriad of data from hardwired instrument connections into 91001, a number of round trips were made  from  Grantham West Yard to Peterborough and back. First at 130, then 135, and finally at 140.

 

So it was the first 91 to 140 and the first time 43014 reached that speed, and unpowered at that!

 

 

So apologies, its not much of a 43 pic, but 43014 can just be seen at the far end of the formation, having just gained its 140mph club honours !

 

But another tiny little crumb of railway history. Hope it is of interest.

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[MJI]

How many are in the genuine 140 club?

 

I have heard rumours of early GWML well over 130

[TT100 Diesels]

48 minutes ago, MJI said:

How many are in the genuine 140 club?

 

I have heard rumours of early GWML well over 130

 

Hi MJI, I am no HST expert, so I would have to hazard a guess at genuine 140 and 140 + power cars and say:-

 

The record holding power cars, 43102, and was it 2 other involved ? 43149 and another?

Doubtless other record attempts over the years, but have no available source.

Possibly also power cars borrowed to power test trains associated with other high speed requirements, certainly the class 41 power cars were used to wizz APT vehicles about on "high speed tests", but I myself don't know if they reached 140.

Power cars on the MKIV SIG bogie testing, another possibility.

 

I have no doubt there are folk on here who may well know all the painted numbers and achieved speeds so hopefully someone can fill the gaps?

 

Then there are the two "DVT" power cars 43014 and 43123, 14 on the type test for 91001, but later both were used extensively on the 91 endurance 140 mph running trials, 5 x KX to Retford returns every weekday for many months, early in the project, (91+MKIII Sleeper x5  + 43 dvt). But obviously these are effectively trailers with the 91 doing the work.

 

As for the GWR 130+, Not surprising, if they have new wheelsets and gun it, I would suspect mid 130s might be achievable, based on the record holding set had new wheelsets and what it achieved, but any unofficial having a go must have been before widespread use of OTMR, surely ?

 

Cheers

 

TT100 Diesels

[hexagon789]

2 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

As for the GWR 130+, Not surprising, if they have new wheelsets and gun it, I would suspect mid 130s might be achievable, based on the record holding set had new wheelsets and what it achieved, but any unofficial having a go must have been before widespread use of OTMR, surely ?

The theoretical balancing speed for a 2+8 is about 136mph, and a 2+7 just about on the 140 mark.

 

All on full diameter wheels of course.

 

In the early 253 days on the GWML, there are many stories and logs of speeds at least into the low 130s being reached often enough.

 

Of course limiters were subsequently fitted, and all the 254s had them before entering passenger service, so the maximum then became 132 on full diameter wheels before power cut out. I've never found out exactly when all the first batch 253s received them, but the few mentions of the subject seem to suggest within 18 months of 125mph service commencing.