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I've never heard them called that before... 🤣
The Rail Enthusiast thread
- Thread starter Mad Doug Biker
- Start date
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I've never heard them called that before... 🤣
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Swindonians!
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
This wonderful lump of nostalgia passed through Taunton today.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
They'll always be class 253/254 to me.
I thought the number used to be in black, under the nose?
I thought the number used to be in black, under the nose?
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
There was 43123 that had a full yellow front and black numbers.
I am sure the BBC used a picture of it for years in their bulletins
wiggydiggy
Guru
One of these locos on its own returning from an excursion, I called it a Delphic but it's not.
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
That's a class 37.
It isn't even a 'Delphic' anyway, but a Deltic.
Much bulkier in appearance to a '37 and they only have two front cab windows too. Oh and a Deltic is a class 55.
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rogerzilla
Legendary Member
A 37 and 40 (originally English Electric Type 3 and Type 4) are superficially far more similar from the front but the difference is unmistakable from the side; a 40 is much longer and has an extra pair of small carrying wheels at the outer end of each bogie due to its prodigious weight.
The 37 is still used in small numbers on the main line due to its "go anywhere" low axle loading. There was a remarkable photo in the railway press last month of a 37 (built 1960s) hauling redundant class 91 electric locos (built as late as 1991) to the scrapyard.
The 37 is still used in small numbers on the main line due to its "go anywhere" low axle loading. There was a remarkable photo in the railway press last month of a 37 (built 1960s) hauling redundant class 91 electric locos (built as late as 1991) to the scrapyard.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
That 82-numbered vehicle is a Driving Van Trailer rather than a locomotive. A full train would have had a class 91 on the other end.
The weird thing about class 91s (but not DVTs) is that they are double-ended, in an extremely asymmetric fashion. This is the back of one:
The weird thing about class 91s (but not DVTs) is that they are double-ended, in an extremely asymmetric fashion. This is the back of one:
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
The other weird thing is that trains I remember travelling on as Brand spanking New are now on preserved railways...
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Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
Nnnnoo, that is a MK3 (Mark 3) DVT, designed for the West Coast Mainline, or WCML.
It ran with either a class 86, '87 or '90 and with MK2 or 3 coaches.
They then ended up working on the Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Norwich (Great Eastern Mainline, or the GEML) with class 90s, cascaded from the WCML when the Bendylinos and Voyagers took over.
It even still carries the Anglia livery!
Some have since found use with Chiltern (with a class 67/68) and various other things.
It is Mark 4 DVTs that ran with both the class 89, the '91s' and Mk4 coaches. They run on the East Coast (ECML).
As far as I am aware, no Mk4 DVTs have been preserved yet (although a couple of '91s' have, as has the '89).
Some are now used for TFW (Trains For Wales) services, also with a class 67 (I think).
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BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Picture shown is definitely a Class 91. There is a panto on top to collect the electricity. Colleague of mine was involved with the MkIV DVTs. They had a lot of ballast in them to bring the weight up and therefore allow them to run on the front at 125 mile/h, as crashworthiness hadn't developed to the point where you could have passengers in the front coach of a train travelling above 100 mile/h.
The Class 91s were certainly retired earlier than the much older Class 37s, but had a much harder life. They have been shooting up and down the East Coast Mainline, accumulating more than 200,000 miles a year without a break, although the idea of them working backwards to haul freight at night didn't take off.
