Colas HST Power Cars

[4630]

Here are Colas 43050 and 43060 passing through Brighouse on 22nd October 2020 with 1Q67, 16.50 Doncaster CHS to Wigan North Western.

 

 

 

[TravisM]

I’m wondering if they can work in multiple, topping and tailing or the leading power car doing all the work and the rear is just a dead weight.  As their electrical systems are different, I would assume that either the power cars or the coaching stock would have been adapted so they talk to each other.

[keefer]

Don't know about the NMT stock but the red/blue Test & Research stock was quite often fitted with all kinds of jumpers etc. so that different traction inc. HST power cars could be used fully

[scottishlocos]

Guys

 

DRS have not pulled the plug they simply lost the contact it has been with Colas Rail before and switched between DRS and Colas a couple of times and there are still some places like Kyle and Mallaig where HSTs wont be allowed the MMT has been to Fort William and Oban so is allowed on those lines 

[black and decker boy]

On 22/10/2020 at 21:11, jools1959 said:

I’m wondering if they can work in multiple, topping and tailing or the leading power car doing all the work and the rear is just a dead weight.  As their electrical systems are different, I would assume that either the power cars or the coaching stock would have been adapted so they talk to each other.

I’ve read elsewhere that they are in multiple using the blue star wiring fitted to the coaches. An adapter is used to connect the PC cables to the blue star. This is the same as with other non-Blue star locos 

[black and decker boy]

1 hour ago, scottishlocos said:

Guys

 

DRS have not pulled the plug they simply lost the contact it has been with Colas Rail before and switched between DRS and Colas a couple of times and there are still some places like Kyle and Mallaig where HSTs wont be allowed the MMT has been to Fort William and Oban so is allowed on those lines 

The current contract was split geographically with at least 3 suppliers with drivers from at least Colas, DRS & FL being used and 37s from DRS or Colas. Other FOCs May have supplied drivers.

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

5 hours ago, scottishlocos said:

Guys

 

DRS have not pulled the plug they simply lost the contact it has been with Colas Rail before and switched between DRS and Colas a couple of times and there are still some places like Kyle and Mallaig where HSTs wont be allowed the MMT has been to Fort William and Oban so is allowed on those lines 

You might want to tell LSL that HSTs are not allowed to Kyle or Mallaig, they are taking bookings for both destinations for their Midland Pullman HST as part of the 2021 program, for those that can afford £880 for two passengers without food or hotel accommodation...

[Wild Boar Fell]

On 25/10/2020 at 18:28, black and decker boy said:

I’ve read elsewhere that they are in multiple using the blue star wiring fitted to the coaches. An adapter is used to connect the PC cables to the blue star. This is the same as with other non-Blue star locos 

 

There seems to be the odd rumour about the power cars being modified to work with 'Blue Star', to me that seems unlikely but happy to be proven wrong. Certainly the way I would approach the HST haulage would be to have an adapter jumper between the power cars and the 27-way on the 'yellow fleet', taking the critical signals between power cars. Any traction interlock would likely be within the 27-way and therefore could be interfaced with the 43s. 

I note the formation includes one of the genvans, therefore removing the headache of interfacing the HST's ETS with that of conventional stock. 

Therefore not actually having to 'Blue Star' the power cars.

 

I doubt we're going to see RTOVs or 37s multi-working with the power cars, although I do think that'd make an interesting challenge.

 

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, Wild Boar Fell said:

 

There seems to be the odd rumour about the power cars being modified to work with 'Blue Star', to me that seems unlikely but happy to be proven wrong. Certainly the way I would approach the HST haulage would be to have an adapter jumper between the power cars and the 27-way on the 'yellow fleet', taking the critical signals between power cars. Any traction interlock would likely be within the 27-way and therefore could be interfaced with the 43s. 

 

 

 

The AAR MU connector is also a 27-wire cable.

I believe a similar adapter arrangement is used for the 67s in test formation use. (Big Jim may be able to confirm/deny)

Edited October 26, 2020 by newbryford

[Wild Boar Fell]

1 minute ago, newbryford said:

 

The AAR MU connector is also a 27-wire connector.

I believe a similar adapter arrangement is used for the 67s in test formation use. (Big Jim may be able to confirm/deny)

Yes, AAR is also a 27 way, presumably a similar arrangement of pure through wiring is used on the RHTT. Therefore any two compatible vehicles  to work together on them

[TravisM]

Are these two power cars owned by Colas or on long term lease?  I just wonder if we’ll see them in Colas scheme rather than just a sticker on the bodyside.

[fiftyfour fiftyfour]

If there is a 27 way through the train anyway they may have modified the 36 way on the power cars to use that in the same way as the LNER power cars and sets were all modified to use new, lightweight 27 way jumpers for reliability reasons, which itself has caused a few issues with the EMR introduction.

 

As far as I know the pair of 43050+060 are on short term loan for evaluation, and Colas possibly are not as obsessed by the livery worn by their trains as some enthusiasts would prefer them to be....

[TravisM]

36 minutes ago, fiftyfour fiftyfour said:

As far as I know the pair of 43050+060 are on short term loan for evaluation, and Colas possibly are not as obsessed by the livery worn by their trains as some enthusiasts would prefer them to be....

I didn’t know if their loan was either short or long term.  Had it been long term, then there’s more chance of them being repainted into Colas colours.  Why spend money on a new paint scheme if your going to hand them back in a few months.

[Jollibob]

On  Tuesday, I believe they were making their way to Leicester without the Network Rail coaches.

Wednesday morning I asked my friend If he could catch them on his way to work and one of the locomotives can be seen lurking at the back of the sidings.

 

 

Rob.

[black and decker boy]

On 26/10/2020 at 21:10, Wild Boar Fell said:

 

There seems to be the odd rumour about the power cars being modified to work with 'Blue Star', to me that seems unlikely but happy to be proven wrong. Certainly the way I would approach the HST haulage would be to have an adapter jumper between the power cars and the 27-way on the 'yellow fleet', taking the critical signals between power cars. Any traction interlock would likely be within the 27-way and therefore could be interfaced with the 43s. 

I note the formation includes one of the genvans, therefore removing the headache of interfacing the HST's ETS with that of conventional stock. 

Therefore not actually having to 'Blue Star' the power cars.

 

I doubt we're going to see RTOVs or 37s multi-working with the power cars, although I do think that'd make an interesting challenge.

 

That’s what I wrote, an adapter to connect the PC multiple unit jumpers to the blue star cabling on the stock and vice versa. It doesn’t involve fitting blue star controls as it’s merely a way of transmitting the electrical messages down cables fitted with different plugs & sockets