My Train Journey This Morning

[gricerboy]

Ah, that's the one that had bogie design fault that appeared and it was found that soft suspension between the bogies and the body frame on D1000 created excessive movement of the cardan shafts that transmit the drive from the engine to the transmission. This movement weakened the cardan shaft joints and also set up stresses within the transmission.

Oops, left my trainspotters guide at Swindon.

Can I pm you please?

[Paddy]

Can I pm you please?

No thank you.

[Drewster]

Can I pm you please?

No thank you.

Paddy... Pleeeeese say yes!!!
<Take one for the Team - so to speak>

[Paddy]

Paddy... Pleeeeese say yes!!!
<Take one for the Team - so to speak>

OK, gricerboy you may PM me.

[Drewster]

OK, gricerboy you may PM me.

Good lad......
Now reply to a couple of his PMs.....
and hopefully he will leave the rest of us alone!!!

Paddy - you are a Gent - I think we owe you a beer (each)!

[fullyautomatix]

Is there a possibility that grocerboy might get run over by a train or something ? Or he could slip and fall out of the moving train ?

[lilelvis2000]

I'm sure there must be a train spotting forum somewhere on the internet!!!

[sasguru]

OK, gricerboy you may PM me.

Are you all lubed up and have you assumed the position?

[Paddy]

This morning, thity minutes after 32 minutes my train arrived at Clapaham Junction . It nomally takes 28 minutes but it was held up because of a Class 33 Diesel Locomotive also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962. I think this one was introduced the the Southern region electrification, it was not considered to be justified to extend beyond Bournemouth, and so in 1966, D6580 was fitted with experimental push-pull apparatus, high-level brake pipes and jumper cables to make it compatible with Multiple Unit stock. Tests were carried out on the Oxted Line using a 6-coach rake of unpowered multiple unit coaches (designated TC, the T standing for Trailer). The use of this equipment removed the necessity for the locomotive to run around to the front of its train at each terminus, as it could be controlled from the driving position of a TC unit and hence could propel its train from the rear. In 1968, following successful completion of trials, D6580 and eighteen other members of the class entered Eastleigh works to be fitted with a modified version of the push-pull apparatus - fully compatible with Class 73 and Class 74 Electro-Diesels and indeed any Electro-Pneumatically controlled (EP) Multiple Unit stock. They emerged painted in the new BR corporate blue with full yellow ends.

With the advent of TOPS, Class 34 had been reserved for these modified locomotives but it was not used and they were grouped, instead, into class 33/1 being numbered in the range 33101–33119.
They settled into sterling service, proving themselves highly useful and reliable. The prototype locomotive (D6580 later 33119) was the only member of Class 33 to run in green livery with the Multiple Unit control equipment - not to be confused with preserved members of Class 33/1 that have been repainted into green. The green paint is not exactly the orginianl because a later type of binder is now used.
The binder, commonly referred to as the vehicle, is the actual film forming component of paint. It is the only component that must be present; other components listed below are included optionally, depending on the desired properties of the cured film. The binder imparts adhesion, binds the pigments together, and strongly influences such properties as gloss potential, exterior durability, flexibility, and toughness. Binders include synthetic or natural resins such as acrylics, polyurethanes, polyesters, melamine resins, epoxy, or oils. Latex paint is a water-borne dispersion of sub-micrometre polymer particles. The term "latex" in the context of paint simply means an aqueous dispersion; latex rubber (the sap of the rubber tree that has historically been called latex) is not an ingredient. Residual surfactants in the paint as well as hydrolytic effects with some polymers cause the paint to remain susceptible to softening and, over time, degradation by water. Did you know that paints that cure by oxidative crosslinking are generally single package coatings that when applied, the exposure to oxygen in the air starts a process that crosslinks and polymerizes the binder component. Classic alkyd enamels would fall into this category. Oxidative cure coatings are catalyzed by metal complex driers such as cobalt napthanate.
Paints that cure by catalyzed polymerization are generally two package coatings that polymerize by way of a chemical reaction initiated by mixing resin and hardener, and which cure by forming a hard plastic structure. Depending on composition they may need to dry first, by evaporation of solvent. Classic two package epoxies or polyurethanes would fall into this category. Still other films are formed by cooling of the binder. For example, encaustic or wax paints are liquid when warm, and harden upon cooling. In many cases, they will resoften or liquify if reheated.

…and back to the locomotives…

The second batch of 12 locomotives were built with narrow bodies to allow them to work specific lines in Kent. The "Hastings" profile, required the bodies to be reduced in width by 7 inches (180 mm) to avoid clipping tunnel linings on that line, leading to their nick-name of 'Slim Jims'.
British Rail used its "muscle" to force the builder to comply with the design change while under contract - effectively costing British rail nothing but BRCW dearly. The whole body structure had to be re-designed and new construction jigs fabricated. Already in financial trouble, they were never likely to recoup the design costs on such a small production run and it is thought this hastened their demise as a builder of large locomotives in 1964.

The mainstay of push-pull operations were trains operating over the un-electrified track from Bournemouth to Weymouth and the service continued like this for the best part of two decades. Weymouth trains started at London Waterloo powered by third-rail electric traction via Winchester and Southampton to Bournemouth. The consist was normally twelve cars made up of a powerful 3,200 hp (2,400 kW) 4 REP electric multiple unit on the rear with two leading units of un-powered 4TCs. At Bournemouth the train would be divided with the 4REP remaining at the London end of Bournemouth station and the 4TCs hauled onward to Poole and Weymouth by Class 33/1. On the return leg, the locomotive propelled the train back to Bournemouth where it would be attached to a waiting London-bound 4REP and the locomotive detached to await the next Weymouth-bound portion.
The usual configuration was 4TC+4TC+Loco with the locomotive at the country end. Light traffic would result in 4TC+Loco, and in rare operational circumstances 4TC+Loco+4TC was noted. This combination was not preferred, as it led to operational difficulties and inconvenience to waiting passengers who found themselves confronted with the side of the locomotive when their train has drawn to a halt.
In later years Weymouth boat trains, conveying passengers between London and the Channel Islands ferry service out of Weymouth, were handed over to push-pull operation. The section of route from Weymouth to the ship terminal at the quay is actually tramway, following (and largely in the middle of) the harbour road. The quay spur did not pass through the station proper, but diverged westwards at the throat thus it was not possible for boat trains to call at Weymouth station. Boat trains had been made up of conventional coaching stock and the locomotive would run-round its train on arrival at the sea-terminal. The move to push-pull sets on boat trains removed two headaches for the SR: The necessity for the run-round at the quay was removed. The locomotive swap at Bournemouth (for both up and down trains) was eliminated and services were greatly improved with the elimination of the troublesome Class 74 locomotive from the equation.
Although class 73 & 74 electro-diesel locomotives had push-pull capability, they did not have the endurance for longer runs on diesel power - being barely Type 1 equivalent. The Type 3 power of Class 33/1 with only a 4 or 8 car load was rarely into the recovery margin of a schedule due to load.
Class 33/1 and 4TC combinations were often used to supplement other services and were not just the purview of Bournemouth-Weymouth trains. Services could be rostered for a push-pull set due to stock shortages - the Reading to Basingstoke service (normally a stronghold of DEMU sets) could be relied upon to produce a push-pull set on Sundays. Often, electric rosters would be substituted by class 33/1 + 4TC if the line was de-energised during engineering work. Indeed, push-pull sets were a possibility over the entire range of Southern Region services including inter-regional trains; they were not in-frequent visitors to Bristol Temple Meads station and have been noted at Cardiff.
Although in private ownership at the time, 33103 and 4TC 417 were spot-hired for use on Barking-Gospel Oak services during a stock shortage in 1999 and worked the service for some weeks without issue.

A further member of the class was used as a dead-load test before the introduction of Euro-star trains running on Southern tracks into Waterloo. Having been fitted with Euro-star bogies (complete with electric 3rd rail collector shoes), it formed part of a test train where it's through-wiring for push-pull work was necessary for the completion of tests.

[Pondlife]

Both mine were fine thanks. They arrived on time as always and got me to my destination with the minimum of fuss. This could of course be because I'm in Germany.

If I have one issue, it would be that there was a bit of a queue at my usual coffee and croissant vendor. It's not a big deal as the guy recognised me and my usual order was prepared by the time I got to the front.

I sat outside on the short ferry journey across the river as it's such a lovely day.

HTH