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Diesel trains built in the last two decades (e.g. class 220/221/222) are already Diesel-electric, meaning the Diesel engine drives a generator which powers an e
by lorenzhs 7y ago
Diesel trains built in the last two decades (e.g. class 220/221/222) are already Diesel-electric, meaning the Diesel engine drives a generator which powers an electric motor. Doing it this way is more effective because you can run the Diesel engine under optimal conditions all the time.
This also makes it possible to build bi-modal trains that run on Diesel on non-electrified tracks and use a pantograph on electrified bits (like London). That's what is being done in the UK now under the Intercity Express programme in order to replace the old Diesel trains (HST/Class 125): https://www.hitachi-rail.com/products/rolling_stock/bi_mode/index.html https://www.hitachi-rail.com/products/rolling_stock/bi_mode/... - these are the class 800/801/802 trains mentioned by vertex-four in a sibling comment.
- makomk 7y agoThe trouble with this is that the trains have to have both a full set of diesel generation equipment for non-electrified operation and a full set of power conversion equipment for electrified mode, plus some way of switching between the two. The class 800 doesn't seem to have done a terribly great job of this; there's been huge teething problems with their introduction and rumour has it that the underfloor diesel engines simply can't operate at outside temperatures above 30 C or so due to inadequate cooling in order to fit them into the space available.
- youngtaff 7y agoThe 800's west out of Paddington don't seem too bad I regularly get the Cheltenham to Paddington train, and apart from the slight extra delay at Swindon while they switch power haven't had any problems with them. Some of the early seat covers are being replaced because they don't wear well though