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Top speed of a Class 150?

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kim - 12 Aug 2008 18:08 GMT
According to the latest Bachmann club magazine "The unit will come with
removable etched heatshield". Blimey! How fast did they go? :o)

(kim)
Fred X - 12 Aug 2008 19:06 GMT
> According to the latest Bachmann club magazine "The unit will come with
> removable etched heatshield". Blimey! How fast did they go? :o)

Why do you think they called them Sprinters?

Fred X
simon - 12 Aug 2008 21:45 GMT
>> According to the latest Bachmann club magazine "The unit will come with
>> removable etched heatshield". Blimey! How fast did they go? :o)
>
> Why do you think they called them Sprinters?
>
> Fred X
Cos reality with words such as uncomfortable, ugly, cramped and noisy might
have put some passengers off.

Cheers,
Simon
Dragon Heart - 13 Aug 2008 21:24 GMT
> >> According to the latest Bachmann club magazine "The unit will come with
> >> removable etched heatshield". Blimey! How fast did they go? :o)
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Cos reality with words such as uncomfortable, ugly, cramped and noisy might
> have put some passengers off.

I understand they were fitted with what was called " Twin Disc 'hot
shift' gearboxes " which accounted for the 'uncomfortable' & 'noisy'.
The heatshield may be for the air con on the roof.    Top speed ?
About 75 mph   ugly ?  Hove you ever seen the Skoda built versions of
the 150 ?

Prototypes tested in Derby and Matlock

Chris
John Turner - 14 Aug 2008 11:17 GMT
> Top speed ?  About 75 mph.

I was going to query this, but checked before I did and can confirm that
75mph is indeed the claimed top speed.  Seems very low for a second
generation dmu.

John.
Andrew Robert Breen - 14 Aug 2008 12:57 GMT
>> Top speed ?  About 75 mph.
>
>I was going to query this, but checked before I did and can confirm that
>75mph is indeed the claimed top speed.  Seems very low for a second
>generation dmu.

141-144 and 150, 151, 155 and 156 were designed for a 75mph maximum speed
but with rapid acceleration up to that speed. 158 was able to go up to 90
mph as using disc instead of tread brakes gave it the same stopping
distance from 90 as "conventional stock" (IIRC that was the phrase used)
needed from 75 mph. The choice of a 75mph limit for 150 et al was really
imposed by signal-sighting distances on the lines they were expected to be
used on and the limits of tread brakes. The speed only seems low now
because we've all got used to the performance of 158s (and later units)
and forget just what a breakthrough in performance they were.

Signature

Andy Breen, not speaking on behalf of Aberystwyth University

Science is like sex: sometimes something useful comes out, but that's
not why we're doing it (Richard Feynman)

Bevan Price - 15 Aug 2008 21:37 GMT
>>> Top speed ?  About 75 mph.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> because we've all got used to the performance of 158s (and later units)
> and forget just what a breakthrough in performance they were.

Before the days of data recorders and radar speed traps, it was not uncommon
for Class 156 to reach the mid -eighties at some locations, and I have heard
of Class 150 reaching similar speeds. First generation dmu's were mostly
liimted to 70 mph, and some (**) struggled even to reach that limit . (**)
The exception was units with all cars powered, which had pretty good
acceleration.

Bevan Price
MartinS - 15 Aug 2008 01:53 GMT
>> Top speed ?  About 75 mph.
>
> I was going to query this, but checked before I did and can confirm that
> 75mph is indeed the claimed top speed.  Seems very low for a second
> generation dmu.

101s could go 75mph.

Signature

Martin S.

Andrew Robert Breen - 15 Aug 2008 12:30 GMT
>>> Top speed ?  About 75 mph.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>101s could go 75mph.

Eventually...

Signature

Andy Breen ~     Speaking for myself, not the University of Wales
        "your suggestion rates at four monkeys for six weeks"
                        (Peter D. Rieden)

Martin - 15 Aug 2008 14:03 GMT
I've seen 90 on the speedo of a Swindon 120 with the rev counter in the red.
And it was a lively trip.

I was sitting behind the driver - I miss that about the newer DMUs
beamendsltd - 15 Aug 2008 15:28 GMT
> >>> Top speed ?  About 75 mph.
> >>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Eventually...

Many moons ago I travelled regularly from Stockport to Westbury.
During a "work to rule" the diesel that took over from New Street to
Bristol was unavailable, so the train was replaced by a 9 car DMU
(3 x 3). Expecting a very slow trip, we actually lost very little
time (10, 20 mins or something) - the unit took some winding up
but didn't half go when given some welly!

Much later I was on a delayed unit from Reading to Paddinton
travelling on the cushions with my driver and commented to him
that the unit driver was giving it some welly. "Isn't he just"
came from the next row of seats - from a Traction Inspector, who
set off forward for a little chat. I'd assumed that units had
semi-automatic clutch tied into a speed limiter determining where
gear changes should happen, but my driver explained that you can
actually delay the change if you like, but it's a Bad Thing, and
the gain is not as good as it sounds (like driving a diesel car).

Cheers
Richard

Signature

www.beamends-lrspares.co.uk       sales@beamends-lrspares.co.uk
             I have become... comfortably numb

Martin - 18 Aug 2008 12:10 GMT
>>Many moons ago I travelled regularly from Stockport to Westbury.
>>During a "work to rule" the diesel that took over from New Street to
>>Bristol was unavailable, so the train was replaced by a 9 car DMU
>>(3 x 3). Expecting a very slow trip, we actually lost very little
>>time (10, 20 mins or something) - the unit took some winding up
>>but didn't half go when given some welly!

Chatting with a driver - gear changes take about 7 seconds 3 off power
change wait 4 then go - or 4 then 3 anyway it was a 7 second change.

Go on a few years and returning from a car delivery a DMU was being
thrashed - gear change - just move the gear lever to the next gear!

That driver was power shifting it! Apart from autos I haven't been near
powershifting since my first bike when I accidentally knocked from 3rd to
4th at full RPM full throttle and it changed up OK.
MartinS - 18 Aug 2008 23:45 GMT
>>>Many moons ago I travelled regularly from Stockport to Westbury.
>>>During a "work to rule" the diesel that took over from New Street to
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> near powershifting since my first bike when I accidentally knocked
> from 3rd to 4th at full RPM full throttle and it changed up OK.

My memory of early DMUs was that the tachometer had two marks. When the
needle reached the upper mark, the driver would cut power; when it fell to
the lower mark he would shift up a gear, wait a bit then reapply power. I
suppose that took in the order of 7 seconds. If a downshift was required,
I guess there was a similar procedure.

Signature

Martin S.

Dragon Heart - 17 Aug 2008 01:13 GMT
> "Dragon Heart"  wrote
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> 75mph is indeed the claimed top speed.  Seems very low for a second
> generation dmu.

Few weeks ago found web site set up by ex BREL employee.  Good photo's
of the prototypes etc. but can I find it again ........

I remember it being 75 mph as I thought myself it was a little slow,
more like 85 to 90, but he was the chap who set up & carried out the
maintenance schedules apparently,

Chris
Fred X - 17 Aug 2008 19:29 GMT
>> "Dragon Heart"  wrote
>>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Few weeks ago found web site set up by ex BREL employee.  Good photo's
> of the prototypes etc. but can I find it again ........

You mean this one?

http://www.traintesting.com/

Fred X
Christopher A. Lee - 17 Aug 2008 19:31 GMT
>>> "Dragon Heart"  wrote
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
>http://www.traintesting.com/

It's got some good stuff but what a horribly designed site: yellow
text on a background of lit up carriages makes it so hard to read.

>Fred X
Dragon Heart - 17 Aug 2008 22:00 GMT
> >> "Dragon Heart"  wrote
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> http://www.traintesting.com/

Well done that man

" ..... a horribly designed site .... " ?     I have seen a lot
worse !  How about navy blue text on a black background !

Chris
Chris - 23 Aug 2008 21:43 GMT
>>>> According to the latest Bachmann club magazine "The unit will come with
>>>> removable etched heatshield". Blimey! How fast did they go? :o)
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Chris
Sounds like you are talking about the Pacers of class 142-144. They all
all use hydraulic transmission and so not have any heating units on the
roof. Top speed for 150-156 is 75 MPH as their eventual cascade location
was urban (150) and rural/urban (155, 156) where locations for above 75
MPH running are rare and higher acceleration between frequent stops is
more desirable.

What you say is correct for the Pacers which are in essence a bus body
on a long wheelbase 4 wheel wagon. There was so many problems with the
gearboxes that they had to be replaced with the hydraulic drive used on
the sprinters.

Chris
 
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