E.T.C.S. equipment to be trial fitted on steam locos.

Network rail has awarded Atkins and Thales to carry out whether it is viable to fit E.T.C.S. signalling equipment to steam and diesel locos. for the full story of this it is in railway Gazette I do believe that a black 5 60163 Tornado and 2007 Prince of wales new build locos are to be the steam locos trial fitted with the E.T.C.S signalling equipment So they can run from kings X to South of Grantham when that section of the E.C.M.L. goes live with E.T.C.S in 2024 equipment. I wonder also which black 5 would have it fitted cos on the railway Gazette article it shows a pic of 44932 could that be the 5MT selected for E.T.C.S. equipment fitted (but I'm only guessing on that)
Anyone got any thoughts on this issue on nat pres?

 

It's a development which will have to come sooner or later for steam traction to remain on the mainline. Good luck to A1SLT with this, I just have this nagging feeling that being second or third will be a better result for a loco owning group.

Cheers, Neil

 

it's a truism in most walks of life that it's generally better to be the second person/company to do something innovative.

However, that's always going to be more luck than judgement and it's a poor businessman/company that depends on someone else sticking their neck out first. Someone's got to be first.

Also A1SLT (which is not one of my many memberships) have got to be a better bet to pilot something like this without crippling themselves than the (hypothetical) Crakemarsh Hall LPG, who're living from hand to mouth and reliant on a stand at a gala selling second hand model railway stuff for their next 10yr overhaul. There are right candidates and wrong candidates.

 

Is 'Tornado' going to be cleared for the Cambrian Coast?

 

Not even if delivered to Barmouth by road! I do hope the 'pocket rocket' gets suitably kitted out tho'.

 

The P2 - Isiah 40.4 in steel...

The best engine for ERTMS is presumably the one with most commonality with other mainline engines. I have no idea how you define that: boiler size? Common parts affected (regulator? Braking system?)? Weight? Colour?

 

….. or maybe onboard power generation capacity ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

60163 won't be compatible with the Cambrian control system until that is upgraded to match the standard for the rest of the national network. 60163 is being adapted for operation on the ECML where ECTS tier 2? will be commissioned sometime in the next five years if I remember "Informed Sources" correctly.

Cheers, Neil

PS Whatever flavour of ECTS, 60163 is RA9 and therefore too heavy for the Cambrian Lines which I think are RA6 for limited movements by the yellow class 97/3's.

 

Standard weight 37s are RA5, so that's probably what the Cambrian is - if it was RA6 you get s lot more choice of diesel loco. It's the RA5 capability which makes 37s such irreplaceable locos in such situations as no modern locos have as low an axle load.

 

No, but a Black 5 is being kitted out which is...
Actually 44932 would be a very good candidate for the Cambrian with Rileys's committed to Fort William.

 

But as noted above it is a different system on the Cambrian unless that line is upgraded. From what I understand the size and power requirements of the Cambrian equipment pretty much rule it out of use on steam locos.

Tim