Class 121 use of Gears

[mjfeagle]

Can anybody advise how to use the gears? Do you power off before changing up or simply keep throttle on and change up?
Any detailed advice on this subject would be appreciated.

[JasVick]

General realistic practice should be take the rev counter to the point where the needle says change up. Power off, wait for revs to drop, select next gear, wait a couple of seconds for gear to engage then power up again. If your coasting then select fourth gear. When slowing for a stop, leave in fourth until just before the unit stops then select neutral. That's how the BR Drivers manual says and its how I was tutored and also what I remember from being sat behind the driver all those years ago from when they were in service! Mind you, I know several drivers that used to take them to maximum revs then change the gears. Uphill driving was different as you had to get the gear changes just right otherwise if you were unlucky you'd come to a grinding red-faced halt and had to re-start the process all over Happened more than once on the lickey towards Birmingham....

Brilliant units, you know you'd done a days work on one though. Lightweights could be a bit of fun in damp and cold weather at times...

Hope this helps!

[tchouftchouf]

How to drive the real ones:
http://www.locodocs.co.uk/brmanuals/DMM ... Issue2.htm

Excellent site, full of treasures...

[749006]

When driving any 1st Gen DMU you go off the rev counter.
http://peter749.piwigo.com/picture?/183 ... l_pictures
The Rev counter has a section marked in Yellow and when you reach "High" you shut off power and let the revs fall to "Low" and then change gear.
If you are climbing a hill then the revs might start falling back and if they get to "low" you have to change down a gear.
But changing down is Shut Off, Change Gear, Open Throttle.

Had 9 years driving 101 units.

Peter

[trainfan11111]

Brilliant units, you know you'd done a days work on one though. Lightweights could be a bit of fun in damp and cold weather at times...

So the same as my 7/14 inch gauge petrol hydraulic then? Its a pig of a thing in wet weather too and it doesnt have an enclosed cab yet... I have been meaning to put one on it for the last 5 years and never seem to get round to it

[phat2003uk]

This is how you drive the real one but the TS2014 heritage DMUs don't have a direct relationship between RPM and speed. As a result, you'll just have to get to know which speeds you need to change gear.

[yyyyamst]

Just to add that once the RPMs dropped to Idle and next Gear selected it was considered good practice to take two Notches on the Power Handle and let the RPMs catch up. Then take the remaining Notches. The reason being you did not strain the Torque Arm for the Drives.