Driver Van Trailer (DVT)

[johnlambert]

On 22/11/2020 at 19:23, Ian Fisher said:

A younger driver having done an inspection of his DVT and felt his DVT was missing a pantograph! report it then lad....to which the fitter then bent the younger drivers ear..

 

 

 

I remember seeing Mk3 DVTs for the first time when I went to university in Coventry in the mid 1990s.  I'd grown up in North Kent, so any loco-worked trains were a novelty and I'd never heard of DVTs; although I did know about the Class 90 and 91 electric locos.  I was very puzzled that the intercity/Virgin trains seemed to always have a 91 at the London end and a 90 or 87 at the "country" end.  I never thought to look up to see the "91" didn't have a pantograph but it always struck me as extravagant to tie up two locos like that.  

 

I'm not sure when I finally cottoned-on to the reality.  Still, I'd love to be able to go back and properly appreciate what was there...

[DY444]

4 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Spagheti junction wasnt just on the M6.

I recall spotting on a summer saturday and a class 46 had been commandeered for driver training.. about every hour it would appear out of the tunnels at New Street, it came every which way but from above.

Often apparently going in circles as it appeared more than once at the same track in the same direction.

 

Indeed.  I recall a couple of occasions where the electric locomotive from the pre-DVT Birmingham terminators ran round by going round the block via Soho, Aston and Duddeston, and one occasion where the inbound train was very late and after a quick crew change departed almost immediately back to Euston via Soho, Aston and Stechford (which of course meant the rake was back to front).

[TravisM]

Don’t forget that during the 90’s, Mk3 DVT’s appeared complete with their train in the West Country on Saturday extra’s.  I have feeling that the electric was left on as they didn’t want to upset the TDM equipment as it didn’t at the time like being plugged in and then disconnected, but I’m probably wrong.

[Padishar Creel]

On 26/11/2020 at 19:45, Ken.W said:

 

Yes, I remember thinking it looked odd too at first, then realized why it could only be done that way (as posted above)

 

So basically, it would have been any push-pull working which also conveyed Motorail traffic

In the opposite direction they'd be behind the DVT

Also from clips in YouTube occasionally between loco and first MK3 TSO, when the loco was pulling.

es grüßt 

pc

[DY444]

8 hours ago, jools1959 said:

Don’t forget that during the 90’s, Mk3 DVT’s appeared complete with their train in the West Country on Saturday extra’s.  I have feeling that the electric was left on as they didn’t want to upset the TDM equipment as it didn’t at the time like being plugged in and then disconnected, but I’m probably wrong.

 

You are wrong I'm afraid.  It was only DVT + coaches that went to the SW.

[Suzie]

There was a transition from loco hauled to DBSO operation on the Great Eastern, and trains would often be seen with an 86 at each end I guess when DBSO was not available.

[Ken.W]

On 27/11/2020 at 23:36, jools1959 said:

Don’t forget that during the 90’s, Mk3 DVT’s appeared complete with their train in the West Country on Saturday extra’s.  I have feeling that the electric was left on as they didn’t want to upset the TDM equipment as it didn’t at the time like being plugged in and then disconnected, but I’m probably wrong.

 

Or maybe as the DVT was the only brake in the set and it saved finding an alternative from somewhere and a lot of shunting?

 

15 hours ago, Padishar Creel said:

Also from clips in YouTube occasionally between loco and first MK3 TSO, when the loco was pulling.

es grüßt 

pc

 

Yes possible, but would have needed the E70 (brake control) on the DVT to be isolated as not in push-pull mode

[Steven B]

On 26/11/2020 at 18:45, Ken.W said:

So basically, it would have been any push-pull working which also conveyed Motorail traffic

In the opposite direction they'd be behind the DVT

 

South North bound the trains were DVT, Mk3s, Loco, GUV.

North South bound I believe the GUVs were behind the loco, in front of the Mk3s.

 

There are plenty of images of Mk2 and Mk3 sets with DVTs being hauled by class 47. The DVT was retained as a brake van when used in this way and would spend half the time directly behind the loco.

 

Steven B

Edited December 1, 2020 by Steven B
Don't know my north from my south

[DY444]

23 hours ago, Steven B said:

 

North bound the trains were DVT, Mk3s, Loco, GUV.

South bound I believe the GUVs were behind the loco, in front of the Mk3s.

 

Steven B

 

Southbound was DVT+MK3s+Locomotive+GUVs

Edited November 30, 2020 by DY444

[GordonC]

On 30/11/2020 at 16:26, DY444 said:

 

Southbound was DVT+MK3s+Locomotive+GUVs

 

Northbound was Locomotive + Mk3s + DVT + GUVs

 

[Steven B]

Photos of the north bound trains suggest loco+GUV+Mk3s+DVT:

https://flic.kr/p/fUSJCY

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136510631@N08/50134806986/

https://flic.kr/p/65hauv

https://flic.kr/p/hdSbrV

http://www.gensheet.co.uk/photopage2-EL.htm

http://www.leightonlogs.org/Locals290111.htm

 

I did find a DVT + Mk2 rake with the motorail GUVs positioned behind the DVT at the end of the train:

https://flic.kr/p/fFP1XS

 

Steven B

 

[GordonC]

I hadn't realised the Inverness Clansmans ran with DVTs - Maybe there was a difference between the Northbound motorails to Carlisle compared to those to Inverness. I thought the Carlisle ones had the GUVs at the end to keep the WCML push-pull set complete without disconnecting any control cables as that was unreliable and when the rest of the set was continuing to Glasgow after dropping the motorail vans off at Carlisle having them at the end made that easier. Those Inverness ones would have been swapping the electric loco anyway so I guess it wouldn't matter but it must have made dealing with the arrival at Inverness awkward if the motorail vans needed shunting to another platform to unload and they were at the buffers with the loco.

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by GordonC