Steam or Electric heat?

99% Of heritage railways coaching stock will be steam heated, because that is often the chosen mode of power, and of course most locos are steam heat equipped, In most cases any coaches purchased direct from BR, would have had the steam heating blanked off, or removed, but the ETH, would have still been fitted,
How many railways, have maintained the electrical heating, as well as the steam heat, or was the preferred way to strip out the ETH when fitting the Steam heat, With the price of coal, and more reliance on diesel power, much of which does not have steam heat boilers, especially when many railways might look at substituting Diesel power for steam in the early and late season, will in effect have no way to heat coaches, unless they decided to in effect have much of their coaching stock duel heated. How much work is involved in testing and maintaining ETH systems.?

 

For it's Winter Warm Up event on 7th/8th January 2023 the Swanage Railway appears to be rostering a 5-coach steam heated rake plus a 4-coach ETH capable rake. Further details should appear here in due course: https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/winter-warm-up
How much work is involved in testing and maintaining ETH systems.?[/QUOTE]
Would have thought quite a bit as one is dealing with 750v or thereabouts at quite a few amps.

 

It depends what loco supplies the ETH and where it and the coaches worked.
Former SR locos and stock work at 750v Other regions worked at 1000v.
I can't remember all the restrictions, but eth fitted SR locos were not rostered to work air con stock on cross country services. Mark 1 and early
mark 2 stock were OK, the heating just didn't get as hot!

Cheers, Neil

 

East Lancs Railway only has 3 serviceable steam heat only Mark 1 TSO/SK/BSK, (other than 2 RMB's which are currently not used) - all other serviceable coaches being either dual heat or (at least) 3 TSO's are EH only.
The 2 ELR Santa sets (6 TSO's+ BSK) have been heated by EH for some years by the diesel on the south end, although this year because of at least 3 EH coaches out of use, one set has 2/3 steam heated.
In terms of braking systems, ELR also has several dual brake Mark 1's.
The diner train has a separate generator coach which provides heat, light and power for cooking so that any loco can be used.

 

I seem to remember somewhere in the depths of the WSR thread that there are asbestos issues with the original ETH installations to say nothing of maintenance

 

Would have thought quite a bit as one is dealing with 750v or thereabouts at quite a few amps.[/QUOTE]

The thumpers at Spa and Lavender have working ETH they are a bit of a special case but same principals as hauled MK1

BR10907 I think it was gives guidance on what and when maintenance was required on ETH in coaching stock. For MK1 it was resistance and pressure test readings, functional checks on proving wires switches and circuits and the type of visuals/cleaning you would give any fuse boards/wiring with ceramic insulators etc
MK2s were the start of something more complicated with pressure ventilation, fans, over temp thermostats etc
A MK1 coach will draw if all circuits in saloons, vestibules etc working a shade under 30amps, so on a 10 coach train the main through +- cables are transmitting around 300amps in the coach next to the loco. Your cable connectors must be in good order.
In my opinion testing proving and recording of the system is vital including the break glass switches which break the proving circuit in the vestibules and switch the ETH off as well as making sure the connectors and retaining springs clips are in good order. Megar readings should be over 1mohm and the fuses pulled on any circuit under that reading.
Loco s also need the appropriate VMIs for overloads, proving circuit, resistance not forgetting the generator.

The benefit for this work is quick and easy heating for the railway, we have just recommissioned the ETH on the loco I have a maintenance interest in after 25 odd years of the loco in preservation at about cost of 4k and had 10 pages of tests starting from static through to heating the train itself.

SRPS up in Bo’ness have a lot of experience to share as well as James C on the Swanage.

 

Not naming any names but it has been known for railways to "ETH test" a vehicle that's been off the juice for 20+ years by simply plugging it in and pressing the on switch! Lots of successes but also at least one case of a socket exploding quite spectacularly, so not exactly a fool proof method!!

Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk

 

The ETH inspection regime at Swanage is, I understand, quite extensive and has been carried out regularly since the arrival of ETH-fitted locos and the need to roster ETH fitted coaches. A lot of work too has been done on the 4TC stock that gets nearer to passenger carrying condition. I wonder how close the vehicles involved will be by next year's Diesel Gala (12 - 14 May 2023 plus, possibly, a 'preview day' on Thursday 11th)?