Northern Rail

[childwallblues]

RE: Northern Rail

(17/09/2015 16:50)jtd508110 Wrote:  I am not aware of any Piccadilly guards who sign the 319's so this will either require more training or lime st/vic/wigan guards to work this diagram.

If you read my post again I said that it could be to train Piccadilly crews who will need to be trained for the electrification to Leyland/Preston next year.

[jtd508110]

RE: Northern Rail
Yes although there is no guarantee 319's will be used on the Chorley line yet... It will be difficult with the current jobs to keep traction competence up.

[wirralbus]

RE: Northern Rail

(17/09/2015 18:45)jtd508110 Wrote:  Yes although there is no guarantee 319's will be used on the Chorley line yet... It will be difficult with the current jobs to keep traction competence up.

Also dependent on the Farnworth Tunnel work as well .

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern Rail

(17/09/2015 15:59)jtd508110 Wrote:  There is several theories as to why these units keep on failing

1) Before entering service up north, they were fitted with new "traction cards" which is a computer that controls the application of power to the motors

2) Poor driving techniques from Northern Drivers due to unfamiliarity and poor management of the training. There has been many different people all stating the "correct" way to notch up power. Notching straight from 0 - 4 damages the motors and can cause flashover.

3) Maintenance staff unfamiliarity with the units

This list is not exhaustive as there is many other theories and some of these are more credible than others but all will probably be contributory factors.

Some interesting comments there!

1: The new traction cards have not contributed to any of the failures. That info came from both the Fleet Engineer and the staff at Allerton.

2: No poor management of the training at all. Nobody was trained to go straight from notch one to four.

3: Several of the staff at Allerton have worked on 319's or similar traction before.

There was bound to be some bedding in issues, plus it probably doesn't help that the staff at Allerton have had to work with a much reduced shed size while three of the five roads were extended.

The units were far from perfect when with Thameslink, several ran around coupled together with a group of traction motors isolated on one set until faults were sorted, up here there is very little multiple working, plus the nature of the work they are doing is different, with much shorter gaps between stations.

With the spotlight on them any failure is bound to get attention. I believe the problem yesterday with 383 was down to a spike on the OLE. The fault with the wiper is something that happens quite a bit with the DMU fleet too!

SD.

[jtd508110]

RE: Northern Rail
Didn't 362 fail at Edge Hill in it's first months service for Northern with the traction card?

I don't think there is much consistency in the management of drivers. One DTM I have spoken to openly admits to notching from 0 - 4 straight away!

Leaf fall is looking to be very interesting!

[childwallblues]

RE: Northern Rail
I think that Sprinter Driver knows what he is talking about.

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern Rail

(18/09/2015 20:11)jtd508110 Wrote:  Didn't 362 fail at Edge Hill in it's first months service for Northern with the traction card?

I don't think there is much consistency in the management of drivers. One DTM I have spoken to openly admits to notching from 0 - 4 straight away!

Leaf fall is looking to be very interesting!

362 wasn't the traction cards, it was a traction fault, but not the cards.

By DTM you presumably mean Driver Team Manager? It wasn't DTM's who did most of the training other than the initial few, it wss Instructors and nobody was trained to drive that way! If they choose to they risk a telling off!

Why is leaf fall going to be interesting?


SD.

[wirralbus]

RE: Northern Rail
What are the braking characteristics on these class 319's like .

Did the 319's in Southern England ever suffer from excessive wheelslip in tree lined area's , this is what I think the above was thinking when he said that leaf fall would be interesting.

[jtd508110]

RE: Northern Rail
The 319's only have 2 powered bogies which I guess makes them more prone to slipping. Currently slight drizzle causes the units to struggle. Add the leaves and you have a very slippery railhead. Locations such as Bryn where there is a considerable gradient will be interesting to see. That is what I meant by that.

I am referring to a Driver Team Manager yes you are correct.

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern Rail
The brakes on the 319's are very good. Disc brakes on every wheel and they are fitted with WSP (Wheel slip protection), basically ABS for trains. They also have auto sanders.

My experience on a poor rail head is that they stop well. Much rather have one than a 142!

SD.