CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
“Cycle coaches to be hitched to trains to ease bike crush”
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Posted 5 years ago #
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Is that not the most amazing news? Secured single coach units to add to existing ones it seems.
Just been on a Fife Circle train with our folding reclined tandem - staff all fine. Spaces crammed with prams and trans-atlantic luggage going to airport though!Posted 5 years ago # -
This is a great move and shows some ingenuity on the part of Scotrail/Transport Scotland. Look forward to sme train-assisted touring next year!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Oh, this could be SO GOOD!
Posted 5 years ago # -
Of course they are not just ‘coaches’, they have engines.
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The class was intended for service on rural and branch lines where passenger numbers do not justify longer trains.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_153
Does this mean that some lines now have enough passengers for two coach trains?
Also they have corridor connections so easy for people to get ready to get bikes off trains at intermediate stations - unlike the HST 125s coming soon.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Yeah, they're DMUs used in single car formation currently. I've travelled on one of these "Super Sprinters" in the north west of England in the past. Inside it was more like a bus than a train, if I recall. Rattly and a noisy engine too. Presume they will be re-fitting the interiors with bike racks, luggage storage and wheelchair bays, etc.
Main thing is that the trains on these "tourist" lines will now have three carriages, one of which will be primarily given over to bikes/luggage. That's good.
Posted 5 years ago # -
“Inside it was more like a bus than a train, if I recall. Rattly and a noisy engine too.“
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In 1987/88, British Rail (BR) took delivery of 35 two-coach Class 155 units built by Leyland Bus at its Workington factory.
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Though you may be thinking of the notorious Pacers -
Posted 5 years ago # -
I think WHL trains have to have at least 4 carriages, given they split at Tyndrum, and often have more.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Though you may be thinking of the notorious Pacers
I was reading this thread at breakfast time, and found myself wiki'ing my way from the 153s to 150s (which I remember in white-with-blue-line Scotrail livery as being the modern new thing) to the 150 prototypes, to reading about the Self-Changing Gears company and preselector gearboxes. Unfortunately I had to go to work after that.
They're still running Pacers on the line to Shildon, I think. Quite noisy as I recall.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Pacer pulled out of Morpeth while I was waiting on my train back to Edinburgh, what a racket, driver seemed to have to rev it to hell to get it moving! Plumes of black smoke, you'd think it was coal fired.
Posted 5 years ago # -
I was imagining this would be something similar to the excellent half bike racks/half seats carriages they used to have on the East Lothian line. Never knew if the current ones are just those refitted or if they still exist somewhere.
Posted 5 years ago # -
@chdot, I think I've taken a journey on a Pacer too, but these 155/153s sound quite similar:
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The fleet was part of the "Super Sprinter" build (the other half of which was the Class 156 fleet) and was built by Leyland with a similar construction technique to the Pacers, with extensive use of Avdel rivets holding pre-formed panels together in a lightweight body on a welded floor assembly. The large number of windows makes the vehicles look unusually long, although the fact that the vehicles are very long for such a lightly built body has led to a slight sag being apparent in certain coaches.
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An emerging requirement for replacement rural lines stock saw BR decide to convert the Regional Railways fleet into single-cars to replace the elderly 121 and 122 "Bubblecar" units.
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The 155s emerged from the workshops as single car Class 153s, and were put to work augmenting two car units and on the quiet Cornish, Welsh, North-Western, Norfolk and Lincolnshire branch lines. They do not operate North of the Scottish border.
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Posted 5 years ago # -
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The British Rail Class 140 was the prototype of the Pacer diesel multiple unit. Much of the bodywork was constructed using Leyland National bus components, with the exception of the cabs, between 1979 and 1981. The sole member of the class has been preserved and is at the Keith and Dufftown Railway.
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Posted 5 years ago # -
chdot's last post is intriguing! Last year we were in Nottingham speaking to a ticket inspector on a tram. He was saying trams and trains have a much longer life expectancy than busses. Funny then that these trains were built up using bus components!!
Perhaps it is the lack if potholed roads (caused by larger busses?) which means trains have a longevity?
Posted 5 years ago # -
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We're very excited to unveil the first of our five Active Travel Carriages. These each have space for up to 20 bikes of all shapes and sizes - including tandems, and e-bikes.
They'll enter service on the #WestHighlandLine once we're able to safely complete staff training.
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Posted 3 years ago # -
Along with Ross Miller of Sustrans, and Jim Densham CUK plus a few other folk who've been working on this project we had a preview last month to check-out the spacing of the racks, especially for 29'ers, 80+cm'bars &c
4 'middle' spaces are a bit tight, as the radiator header tank and fuel filler pipe cannot be easily moved, then 3 'regular' bays (12 bikes) then a 'long' bay (4 bikes) which I reckon should take 2.4m tandem size
The end partition is completely removed, to give a clear roll-in from the doors
'Dog-boxes' were converted from 2-coach Class155, and have a tiny cab plus cramped vestibule jammed in one end. This may dictate how they are attached to a train when in service
Here's how 16 of the spaces work a bike tyre (normally front) rests on the 2 sloping support rails and slides down to rest with 3 points of support. The strap (on the vertical bar) then makes extra sure that the bike is secure, although its own weight will keep it in place
https://www.flickr.com/photos/h52/50357538903/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/h52/50358403197/in/datetaken/
Operationally the most popular train has been the 08.12 to Oban, Fort Bill, and Mallaig, on a Saturday, this has 18 bike spaces in 3 units, BUT 'everyone' wants to get the midday sailings from Oban, so 12 spaces are often barely used on the Northern 2 units. The current problem with this train is that it is limited to a maximum of 6 carriages, by platform lengths(?) and cannot take an extra carriage
An early Glasgow-Oban train (2 carriages) leaves at 05.28-ish and has the 04.50 train from Edinburgh to Fort Bill chasing it but not connecting, and the solution currently promoted for those unable to catch the train is the Citylink 976 coach (08.30 or 09.00 summer/winter) from Glasgow
My 'vote' would actually be for restoring a summer only service from years past, running a direct train from Edinburgh to Oban, leaving just before 07.00, and running via Cumbernauld, to end up just in front of the 08.12. Passengers can then have an Edinburgh-Fort Bill service changing at Dumbarton Central, and Glasgow-Oban passengers unable to get bikes on the 08.12, simply travel out to Dumbarton on the frequent electric trains
Outside the 'weekend peak' the option may be to cater for larger organised tour groups travelling together?
The donor units have come from GWR, Northern and GA and are ... a bit rough with corrosion in all the usual places. All are now at Kilmarnock, where Brodie has now taken over the old Wabtec - ex Hunslet - ex Barclay works all alongside the oldest passenger railway in Scotland? - the Kilmarnock & Troon, where a passenger died in a train crash in 1811, and they were running scheduled services in 1813, receiving their first locomotive in 1816. Engineer - Jessop. Claim for oldest (double track) railway viaduct, but no longer on the part of the route still in use
Posted 3 years ago # -
The plates for the Kilmarnock to Troon Railway Plate-way) were made at the Glenbuck Ironworks (on the A70 at the start of the River Ayr -birthplace of Bill Shankly and home of the River Ayr Totem Poles) the viaduct was used to get over the river Irvine and passengers would pay to do so, THe railway was principally to get coal from mines in Kilmarnock to harbour at Troon. In an early version of the current distinction, different carriers paid to bring their horse and cart on to the network. THe passenger died in 1811 when the cart fell off the plate way. Much the same route still used on the Glasgow to Ayr current line.
A longer version of the Innocent Railway which was also principally for coal but took passengers. And the innocent tunnel is claimed as Scotland’s earliest tunnel on a public railway
Later when steam was introduced e.g. Manchester to Liverpool - the first passenger to die (Huskisson who got off to butter up the Duke of Wellington) was on the inaugural journey of the Rocket. Well actually the Northumbrian being driven by George Stephenson but hit by the Rocket coming the other way.
Makes sense the first deaths occurring whe n the line is first in use (the killie Troon one - even before the coal started to be pulled by the horses)
Posted 3 years ago # -
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Our #HighlandExplorer carriages have arrived! They'll enter service on the West Highland Line between Oban & Glasgow Queen St on Monday 19 July. They can carry 20 bikes, including a limited number of tandems & have an e-bike charge socket. We can’t wait to welcome you aboard!
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https://mobile.twitter.com/scotrail/status/1415190321512665095
Posted 2 years ago #
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