Route Availabilty of Loco's (RA)

megatron · Post by **megatron** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:37 am

Just wondering if anyone could explain what this route availabilty value is?
In the last rail mag there's a comparison between thr 86 and 90 for anglia railways working.
The 86 is given a RA of 6 and 90 has one of 7.
But what do these figures actually mean and how are they worked out?
Also whats a round trackside sign with 2 numbers on it seperated by a horizontal line mean? Its like a speed limit but i dunno why its got 2 numbers on it!
Im just curious!
Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Guy

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 12:07 pm

http://www.freightcommercial.co.uk/frei ... speeds.htm

Will explain everything

The sign sounds like a differential speed limit.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 12:23 pm

Differential speed limits:

Bottom figure:

Passenger (loaded or empty) formed entirly of bogie vehicles. Parcels or Postal trains formed entirely of bogie vehicles, Light locos, Class 140 to 144 trains

Top figure:

Applies to ALL other trains

Someone as asking about Sandite markers too:

Yellow sign:

Three diagonal lines: Advance warning of application site
Two diagonal lines: Start applying sandite
One diagonal lines: Stop applying sandite

Here something else:

Maximum permitted speed of Locomotives running light and locomotive hauled trains (MPH)

Light locomotives: Line speed 90 or above, they can travel at 75mph. 85mph or less 60mph

One or two locomotives with one, two or three vehicles or Three or more locos and ANY number of vehicles. LS 90mph or more then 75mph. 85mph or less then 60mph.

megatron · Post by **megatron** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 3:06 pm

ok thanx m8

Ill have a good read!

AlanP46 · Post by **AlanP46** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 10:20 pm

RA is simply a figure that represents the type of routes it can travel on:

1 - can go anywhere in the country (only 03s currently have this I think)

up to

RA8 - only top mainlines (67s are the only type restricted to this...)

Some kettles had higher! (Green Arrow, V2, is RA9).

It's worked out on weight Ã· no. of axles.

Alan

Kevo00 · Post by **Kevo00** » Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:15 pm

Are there any 03s left on the railtrack system? Even the Island Line has given its up to the IOW steam railway. Are there any anywhere else?

AlanP46 · Post by **AlanP46** » Sun Sep 01, 2002 3:55 am

Yeah - 03179 is based at Hornsey.

On an unrelated point, I'd like to point out that i do sleep... (yes I know it's 0455 in the morning).

Alan

AlanP46 · Post by **AlanP46** » Sun Sep 01, 2002 3:57 am

forgot to mention that the IoW SR hasn't got the 2 x 03s used on the IoW!

03079 is at the Museam of farming nr York

03179 at Hornsey as above.

Alan

Kevo00 · Post by **Kevo00** » Sun Sep 01, 2002 4:08 pm

And so there is only one engine currently that can actually go anywhere on the system! Fancy that then.

AlanP46 · Post by **AlanP46** » Sun Sep 01, 2002 6:29 pm

My NREA book (2002) lists 03170 as being railtrack registered as well - I think it's cotswold rail. HNRC has an 07 - that should be pretty low on RA; but I don't think it's '1' due to it's very very small wheels.

Alan

micksasse · Post by **micksasse** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 8:45 pm

On the other hand, I think Kestrel was RA9, so BR didn't even fancy running it on the ECML until Brush retro-fitted it with some class 47 bogies, to get it down to RA8 (I think).

Is it just based on axle weight or is it unsprung mass per axle (I think the latter as there seem to be loco's which had the same axle weight but different RAs).

By the way, that's the reason BR ran non-enthusiast excursions to Oban in 1981 with a Deltic: only thing at the time with both RA5 (47 is RA6) and e.t.h. (37/4s hadn't been invented).

micksasse · Post by **micksasse** » Mon Sep 02, 2002 8:52 pm

Just looked at the site goingnorth's kindly provided a link to... still not sure their definition of RA calculation is quite right (i.e. not just pure axle weight).

Another thing - is the Far North Line now really RA10? Was RA5 in my day - nice to see some things improve!

chazcozens · Post by **chazcozens** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 11:35 am

RA9 actually meant that the vehicle (loco, wagon or whatever) required an exceptional loads form in order to run. This lays down a specific route which must not be deviated from.

All of the Foster Yeoman stuff (loco's and wagons) were RA9 when first introduced. Similarly preserved steam loco's were classed RA9 when I was at Stratford (1984-88). This was not necessarily a reflection of weight (I recall an ex-GWR pannier that was moved (not even under steam) with an RA9) but simply to ensure that they kept to a designated path.

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:00 pm

Quite correct. It's so do with axle weight, loading, the loading gauge and signalling.

Atomic Systems

Route Availabilty of Loco's (RA)

Route Availabilty of Loco's (RA)

Now that's interesting...