Size of British Freight Diesels

[Schaffner]

I have seen a few of the locomotives GE is building to export to the UK recently on the company's test track. Seeing them coupled up to North American locomotives, I was able to note that they are about the same length, but only about 3/4 as tall. Now, I've seen several export locos on the test track, Australia and China for sure and some units that I think were destined for Uzbekistan. All these locos were the same size as the North American engines. Are the British engines shorter due to clearance issues, or are they smaller because of lighter track and bridge weight limitations?

[Triplex]

Britain has, as far as I know, the smallest loading gauge for standard-gauge mainlines in the world. Many metre and Cape gauge lines allow locomotives as large and heavy as Britain's. And yes, British axle loads are less than American as well. Most standard gauge (and broad gauge) mainlines outside North America appear to have axle load limits of 20-25 tons. Those Chinese engines may look almost as large as domestic models, but they're a lot lighter.

[David Benton]

yes, british pasenger carriages fit inside our 3ft 6inch narrow gauge profile . no doubt ours was moddelled after theirs .
theres never been much headway in conveting lines to european uic loading gauge . hopefully all new lines will be to that at least .

[george matthews]

yes, british pasenger carriages fit inside our 3ft 6inch narrow gauge profile . no doubt ours was moddelled after theirs .
theres never been much headway in conveting lines to european uic loading gauge . hopefully all new lines will be to that at least .

High Speed One has been built to UIC standards and may be going to receive some full scale freight trains as far as Dagenham in Essex (across the Thames).
Passenger services are supposed to open up to competition and there is speculation that French TGV trains and German ICE might use the passenger line to St Pancras. But they would need special tunnel features so the existing Eurostar trains may receive no competition. ICE could run to Koeln, which would be a useful extra service. There are now high speed lines via Brussels at least as far as that. Also Amsterdam is now possible. (However, it's immigration that is the real problem.)

[bengt]

What is the height of catenary wires in UK? Why are diesel locos in use under catenary in UK?
In Sweden many private freight operators electric locos have a diesel in tow for switching and for use in non elctric areas.
The diesel in the pic have radio control.

http://www.teknikarv.se/temp/PC155330-20091215-1024.jpg

[george matthews]

What is the height of catenary wires in UK? Why are diesel locos in use under catenary in UK?
In Sweden many private freight operators electric locos have a diesel in tow for switching and for use in non elctric areas.
The diesel in the pic have radio control.

http://www.teknikarv.se/temp/PC155330-20091215-1024.jpg

I am not sure about the height of the wires.

British Rail used to change locos when a train reached the wires. For example, I remember taking the train from Bournemouth to Birmingham, about once every two weeks. The train used to be diesel (class 47 usually) from Bournemouth to Coventry, where the electric loco came on. On one occasion when they didn't have a 47 they used a 73 electro-diesel from Bournemouth to Reading. This train used the third rail as far as Basingstoke and then diesel to Reading where a 47 was ready.

I sometimes took the train via Clapham Junction that started in Brighton and called at Olympia on the West London line (then not electrified). The electric loco came on at the junction with the West Coast Mainline. (This train no longer runs).

Under privatisation and the break up of the system into numerous smaller companies this careful policy has been abandoned. A few years ago I experienced the Virgin train from Birmingham to Glasgow being a DMU. Long distances are run under the wires. In any case loco-hauled trains have been largely phased out and there are no trains that have dual power with electro-diesel capability. One result is HST 125 trains running from Kings Cross to Edinburgh (under the wires) and then on to Aberdeen, still not electrified. CrossCountry trains, once part of BR's InterCity network are now entirely DMUs (Voyagers) even when they run for long distance under the wires. I hate this practice.

The proposal to build new trains to replace the HST are including the possibility of building some of them with dual power possibility, for such lines as Aberdeen. They might be needed also for the Great Western which has now been proposed for electrification to Swansea. Such a train could be electric to Bristol and diesel from there to Plymouth and Penzance. Most of the new trains would be electric.

I think as energy and climate policy change we shall see more and more electrification. I think the Scottish Government will push for electrification to Aberdeen from Edinburgh and also from Glasgow via Stirling.