propelling

If the definition of propelling is "to drive forward; to urge or press onward by force", then an engine 'pressing' (pushing) a train to 'drive it forward' seems a perfectly good use of the English.

 

The accidents at Hatfield, Polmont, Great Heck and any other similar situation where a push/pull set being pushed all have one thing in common...an external force caused the accident. Cow, Car, Rail, whatever, it wasn't the nature of the train being pushed the caused the accident. Unless of course there's a bunch of militant anti-push/pull cow's in Scotland.

 

We do it, with official permission!!

However we are restricted to two coaches. Our P/P coach (an-ex BR BSK Mk1) serves this purpose as it has an emergency vacuum setter fitted to the propelling 'cab' end along with a horn and lights. In an emergency the brake can be dumped by the Guard who sits at this position. Note: only qualified guards are permitted to do this and the loco crew are still required to watch the train the entire journey from the cab. No official name or code has been given to this arrangment so we call it the 'rear gunner'.

 

Similar propelling was latterly in use on the Dartmoor Railway. Llangollens "Darfield No.1" propelled 3 coaches, the end vehicle being the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway's LMS observation saloon fitted with a headlamp and air horn to supliment the exisiting brake valve and windscreen wipers. The driver of the steam loco was in control of the regulator and brake as normal but with a "motorman" in the saloon.

The limit for regularly propelling passenger trains is 3 coaches. The LMS push-pull system never exceeded 3 vehicles and if a GWR Autotrain was worked with more than 2 coaches, the loco was sandwiched between them. (although this was probably due to ineffective slack linkages when coaches were coupled in pairs!)

Currently at MoSI, "Planet" runs with 2 relpica L&MR 4 wheel coaches and our limit is 3 coaches due to this ruling...

 

I am led to believe that this is the reason

 

At the NVR, the TPO set of four coaches, is propelled from Wansford to Sutton Cross with passengers on board. This is over half a mile in distance and enters section. This is done without a guard or other person being at the rear of the train and is done with HMRI approval.

 

When the Royal Scotsman enter Strathspey Railway Company metals at Aviemore it is often propelled in as many tours come from the north. The traincrew position a man on the end balcony of the train and he talks the driver of the diesel in and has a brake valve to operate in emergency circumstances. I have never ever seen or heard of this going wrong.

ECS on the Talyllyn are often propelled from Wharf to Pendre with a portable brake valve attached to the leading coach's brake pipe and communication made between the guard and fireman by handsignals. The guard has the responsibility for stopping the train.

 

Lets not forget when train brakes were installed on the Tal y llyn.

 

ECS was always propelled from Wharf to Pendre in my day with the guard just riding in the van next to the loco. The ECS used to be propelled from Pendre to Wharf as well until one day a coupling came off. That's when they proved that the brake van brake wasn't good enough to stop the train! None of these fancy automatic brakes they have now.

 

Perhaps somebody could explain the following example of propelling of a train, is it a case of a local instruction as it was performed quickly with only a brief stop before reversal?

The train was Pathfinder's superb Northern Lights Railtour 27/28 Aug 04 from Crewe to the Kyle of Lochalsh with a pair of 37's which were substituted after 40145 unfortunately failed, the stock was provided by Riviera Trains. After a 2 hour break at Inverness. the long charter train was propelled out of the station by the 37's for half a mile to Milburn junctin, very quickly the the train reversed with the 37's taking the train to the Kyle, ariving at 3-30am.

After about an hour at the Kyle sampling the hospitality of the shop, which was doing a roaring trade in food and drink, we returned to Inverness. At Milburn Junction, the train reversed and was propelled into the station, again there was little delay in the reversal. On this occasion I was looking out ot the window and no other locomotive was involved in this operation.

 

What you often find with Rules on the railway.

There is a rule but there are sometimes local rules and exceptions. Chester is another - the triangle has seen passenger trains being pushed in the past...

 

What happens when the local rules are supposed to over-ride the national rules yet are not prescribed anywhere? I have a LC that fails reguarly and follow the national rulebook about it. Some of my colleagues follow unofficial (unofficial because they are not in the SBSIs or Sectional Appendix) rules. Neither of us are wrong.

 

I am sure that there is a local instruction (probably in the sectional appendix) at Inverness which permits propelling from Inverness station to Millburn Jn for trains to / from Kyle and the Far North line.

Johnny_Cash, if it isn't written down anywhere then it isn't official and I certainly would not be doing it =;

 

Sorry, I didn't see this question sooner.

The 91 & DVT are in constant communication in either direction of travel via the Time Division Multiplex push pull control system & the Frequency Division Multiplex system which monitors doors. Communicatrion is via the UIC jumper cables between vehicles. Should the TDM, which monitors all major train systems many times each second fail to get a response from the other end the brakes come on. Simple as that. Communication between loco & DVT is required in both directions as to run at 125 mph any train must have a brake control unit working at both ends, ie the train pipe is reduced from both ends in the event of an application.

In the event of problems with the TDM, you can run the set as a conventional loco hauled train, loco leading from either end, but speed is reduced for the reason stated above.

I don't understand your last statement - trains are a heck of a lot safer than you realise!

Push - Pull trains have got absolutely nothing to do with propelling. On many trains in use today, the powered vehicle is not the leading vehicle, for example most classes of EMU.

 

Depends if it is an emergency or not. If there is a raging fire across your track then what are you going to do?

 

Stop, put it out and proceed?

 

Misread

 

Stop, detrain (obviously not if some of your passengers are not able to get down to track level, then your stuck), and get away as quickly as possible to a position of safety, then propel ECS train back.

 

Propelling of trains is allowed within the current rule book. It does not differentiate what kind of train it is.

Section 13.2 states "you may allow a propelling movement only if it is
- Authorised in the circumstances described in this section
- Absolutly Necessary
- Over the shortest possible distance

Maximum speed is 20MPH during the movement, except for officers specials!