Atomic Systems

Hi,

I just wondered if anyome knew what a London midland 350 is doing parked at the selhurst depot at the moment? Can these run ok the third rail? Or would it have been dragged there?

Thanks.

AFAIK, since they are basically a slight rebuild of the Class 450s with AC Overhead equipment instead of DC 3rd Rail they should be easily converted to use both AC and DC bits.

Im not sure if the full 3rd Rail shoe equipment was installed when the SRA changed the order, but they can be dual-voltage like the Class 319s running on Thameslink.


No idea how it got to Selhurst though, try searching Fotopic to see if they have a 3rd Rail shoe, I cant as im in work

The 350/1s are dual voltage. Apparently there's a plan to use them on the Milton Keynes-East Croydon service run by Southern to free up the 377/2s. This will enable the last few 319s operated by Southern to be finally cascaded to FCC. To cover for the use of the 350/1s, LM will hold on to a few 321s.

bgstrowger wrote:The 350/1s are dual voltage. Apparently there's a plan to use them on the Milton Keynes-East Croydon service run by Southern to free up the 377/2s. This will enable the last few 319s operated by Southern to be finally cascaded to FCC. To cover for the use of the 350/1s, LM will hold on to a few 321s.

sounds interesting, but why get them trained up on a completely different type of stock. actually. in a race, between a 377 and a 450, who would win? say leaving Basingstoke on double track. i know the 377s are more power hungry then the desiros. but i think that is the only major difference, plus weight?

Well, I'd imagine they are incredibly similar. According to the RailwayCentre, both units have 1500kw of power and both weigh 170-3 tonnes per train. The only difference might be with 377/3s which are 3 car only and only have 1000Kw power for 130 tonnes of train.

Richard

richard222 wrote:Well, I'd imagine they are incredibly similar. According to the RailwayCentre, both units have 1500kw of power and both weigh 170-3 tonnes per train. The only difference might be with 377/3s which are 3 car only and only have 1000Kw power for 130 tonnes of train.

Richard

oh right. that could be interesting.... could have some fun. and of course i meant comparing similar length units. where on the real networks do electrostars and desiro's actually run on the same track? where Could it actually be possible to see them race?

The comparison between the two depends on train length - a 375/377 has software which adjusts the power depending on train length (a 4 car has roughly the same aerodynamic drag as a 12 car, so the 12 car draws a bit less power than 3x4 car), whilst the desiros don't do that. On that basis, the 12 car 450 should accelerate slightly faster than a 4 car 450, but there's also the issue that the higher current draw of the 12 car pulls the voltage down more, so less power is available...

Both trains would have pretty much the same performance characteristics, I should have thought. My guess is that they'd arrive at Hook no more than 10 seconds apart.

There are loads of places where desiros "meet" 377s on the same track - everywhere that Southern meet SWT, though the most extensive bit of common track would be between Havant and Portsmouth/ Southampton.

Having re-read the article in this months Modern Railways, it seems the 350/1 operation of this service is purely to cover the delays in production of the 377/5s for FCC at Bombardier.