Gauging the Future: Passenger Gauge 3, Locomotive Gauge, W13 Presented by Tim Fuller Senior Gauging Engineer, Network Rail 4 th November 2015
Introduction What s in the V/S SIC Crystal Ball, in the immediate future? Passenger Gauge 3, for 26m passenger vehicles Locomotive Gauge Future Freight gauges? W13 W7x W8x W9x W12x 2
Passenger Gauge 3 what is it An Intercity Coach, 26m in length Based on a stretched Mark 3 coach (23m long) 17m bogie centres (Mark 3 bogie centres are 16m) Heavily end tapered Upper Sector Gauge only used with the Lower Sector Vehicle Gauge 3
Passenger Gauge 3 where does it go? Routes: ECML WCML GWML XC MML GEML & recognised diversion routes HS1? HS2? 4
Passenger Gauge 3 Width constraints Passing clearances on curves End throw on S&C Platforms on 150m radius curves Requires a heavy end taper Door positions are critical Larger end and centre throws due to the 17m bogie centres cause stepping problems Stepping at ⅓ and ⅔ door positions may be prohibitive on tight curves (therefore PG3 not suitable for commuter services?) 5
Passenger Gauge 3 Possible future infrastructure requirements for PG3? Larger minimum sixfoots on sharp curves (installed at renewal time)? Minimum sixfoots opposite S&C with a D switch and smaller? Why? Because the width of passenger vehicles is the major design consideration 6
Exception Structures The new vehicle will be sized by running it through the infrastructure along the routes chosen. It will be checked for practicality, usually making it bigger again. This means that there will be a list of Exception Structures Structures that are foul to the new PG3 gauge The aim is to have a manageable level of Exception Structures Between 300 and 500 Exception Structures are manageable Exception Structures are individually assessed to see how critical they are. Rebuild the Fourth Bridge is critical Move a sign is not critical 7
Locomotive Gauge LG2 The current Locomotive Gauge is smaller than W6A Why? Modern locos are smaller than 1958 versions but still need to contain a large amount of equipment Length and Bogie centres? Defined bogie characteristics (dynamic movements) Upper Sector Gauge only used with the Lower Sector Vehicle Gauge 8
Established or Benchmark suspension for W7 W12 gauges What if the new suspension movements exceed the current Benchmarks? If the body bounces 10 mm too high reduce the body height by 10 mm If the body sways 15 mm too much at the top corner reduce the top corner width by 15 mm Except here the body is a container A 9 6 high by 2550 wide container reduced by the above dimensions therefore becomes a 9 5½ by 2500 container. The solution is to use the benchmarked bogie for the gauge. 9
Revised Freight Gauges? New box shaped gauges W7x W8x W9x W12x For all established suspensions Similar to existing W gauges 10
W12 W12 is not being specified despite: Its advantage in allowing almost the full range of container sizes to be carried on nearly any container flat wagon. It is obtained almost for free with electrification (see next slides) The reason appears to be that: 10 20 % of the cost of a W12 clearance project is moving platforms to clear W12. 11
Electrifying through Arch Bridges gives W12 12
Electrifying through Tunnels does not give W12 13
Why do platforms need to be moved for W12? W12 is smaller than W6A at platform level W12 is 2625mm wide W6A is 2700mm wide at platform level However W12 allows wagons with larger bogie centres than W6A Bogie centres for W6A are 12800mm Bogie centres for W12 are 15388mm The result is that the addition throw for W12 wagons rapidly removes the difference in width and becomes larger than W6A on curves below 1000m (approx) radius. 14
Presentation Title: Insert > Header & Footer 60 Deck Wagons 13 or 14 m 15
45 Deck Wagon keeps the throws from 2600mm wide containers within W6A 9m Keeping container throws within W6A makes platform amendments for 2600mm wide containers unnecessary 16
W13? Similar or identical to W12 above 1200mm ARL Allows say 9 0 by 2600 containers on say 1000mm deck height wagons that oversail platforms Narrower than W12, but within LSVG at platform level. Allows 9 6 by 2600 containers on lower deck height wagons that have W6A compliant bogie centres (less than 12.8m). The smaller bogie centres result in reduced throw that sit inside W6A, existing platforms therefore do not generally require amendment. 17
Thank you