Nova 3

A sparkly new TP Express Nova 3 set came thundering through Dewsbury today at line speed, I assume it's on training duties. Whatever it was/is we'll welcome those, the Caterpillar engine in the class 68 is the new favourite sound.

 

One Nova 3 set has been in service since August bank holiday weekend on selected Liverpool - Scarborough runs. Seems to be down to availability at this moment whilst more sets are brought into service

 

There was a Nova 1 set on the Oxford Road viaduct in Manchester this morning. I wasn't close enough to read the destination board so I couldn't tell if it was on test or in service.

Shiny, though. A marked contrast with the knackered 150 set that came rattling the other way.

 

Nova with a class 68 came thundering through Dewsbury at 14:15.
I don't know what the line speed is at Dewsbury so I'll just say that the driver was 'getting a run' at the hill up to Morley tunnel.

 

Your man (me) was standing on Leeds Station yesterday about 13:00hrs when ..."what the hell is that noise"?.......................all was revealed............a 68 departing with a Liverpool train.

 

Better than Bihar and Orissa?

 

Nothing could beat B&O, especially when it had an 'enthusiastic' crew.

A single chimney Jubilee.............what's not to like.

 

Having been startled by a 68 pootling back to the depot at 2am last Friday as I meandered back to my bus after a few, I can confirm they make a fantastic racket.

 

This is it. Nice eh? V16 Caterpillar. 2 turbos, a bit like my Jaguar.

 

A 68 diesel on five coaches seems like a ridiculous power to weight ratio. Can anyone explain the rationale?

 

Well, for a while we had 68s TnT just three coaches Norwich - Gt Yarmouth. I agree though, it does seem more power than required.
Thirty odd years ago we had class 31 hauling as many as six coaches on the Norwich - Brum services.

 

Modern off-the-shelf design, proven reliability of the power unit and far better on fuel economy than older, weaker types. Add to that a loco hauled is probably less susceptible to weather variation on TP routes, compared to under slung engines on DMU's? Can't justify any of that...just thinking aloud really.

 

I understand you very well Victor ! And the class 68 looks really smart too especially in the Transpennine livery!

(but none diesel engine can match an EMD 567 in notch 8 in my opinion)

Knut

 

Our Novas are not T&T, they are push/pull.

 

Not an expert but I'd suggest two possibilities:

Allows

Fuel economy, as above, plus flexibility? As in, more coaches could be added, sets combined or the locos redeployed to freight work if new DMUs or EMUs came on stream, in a way that lower-powered locos might not be able to be?

 

A 68 on 5 coaches will (or should) get decent fuel economy, with 4000hp it'll be well on top of its job.

 

We all have our personal favourites re diesel engines; mine is a Maybach in a V200 body - both gutsy and colourful in the original red / black livery.

 

I recall in the immediate aftermath of the "Great Storm" of 1987, travelling from Leighton Buzzard to Watford Jn on the up Holyhead. 14 coaches hauled by 2 x 31. Since it was the only thing running, it was all stations.

After several hours at Watford Jn with no prospect of a service towards Euston, I caught the same stock returning, this time stopping only twice I believe. Good job it was only two stops, one of the 31s had been nicked for the wiring train, so one 31 with 14 on.

 

CAF offered a good price & early delivery as they were tagged on to the Caledonian Sleeper order

 

"You can't have too many hp" - Captain Deltic/Roger Ford

When ordered, electrification was in fashion and so you could in the future swap the 68 for an electric loco.

I read something somewhere once about a loco engine that could drop the number of cylinders in use if lower power was required. Was it this one?

Patrick