Borrowed this photo from a local website that watches what we do here ;)

 

This is myself driving one of our test trains back in April this year. I'm in the one on the right (yellow front, you cant see my face, I'm on the right of the cab as you see it) and a collegue is driving the red one behind (slower track and unit!) which I'd just overtaken :D

 

This is a brillient and fun job, especially when I'm out driving these test units. The fastest I've driven on this track is 120mph (tilting), and the fastest I've been driven is 145mph (tilting) (special test conditions).

 

I see feek all in that train Dave:lol: but I take your word for it must be fun at them speeds and no steering wheel:w00t:

What a great job ! Every little boy`s dream . :biggrin:

What you mean tilting? like on two wheels?

you cant see my face,

 

If you look real hard you can!!!

 

 

What you mean tilting? like on two wheels?

 

No, like this.................

 

This was NOT taken here ;)

No, like this.................

 

This was NOT taken here ;)

 

oohhh i see, that must feel well cool, you must pull some serious G's at those speeds round corners... right?

You don't feel it. In fact unless you're in the cab looking forwards you don't even notice when the train is tilting or if it's the tilt (cant) of the track! Very odd feeling when you're not used to it.

It's even odder when you have it in forced opposite tilt for testing purposes :eek: VERY unnerving!!

This was filmed at our place........

 

[YOUTUBE]lHtRZ_k0s7M?[/YOUTUBE]

 

OK, it was a few years ago, and NO I wasn't driving it!! :rofl:

Borrowed this photo from a local website that watches what we do here ;)

 

This is myself driving one of our test trains back in April this year. I'm in the one on the right (yellow front, you cant see my face, I'm on the right of the cab as you see it) and a collegue is driving the red one behind (slower track and unit!) which I'd just overtaken :D

 

This is a brillient and fun job, especially when I'm out driving these test units. The fastest I've driven on this track is 120mph (tilting), and the fastest I've been driven is 145mph (tilting) (special test conditions).

 

 

 

Very good Dave how far do you travel in a day?

oh i see so the actual train has a tilting mechanism, hmmm pretty cool.

What you mean tilting? like on two wheels?

 

Modern tilting trains "lean" with the track and simualte super elevation, its to allow them to take corners at higher speeds and remain stable. Modern cars do something similar with adaptive damping, where it firms up the suspension under load

 

All started with the APT back in the alte 70's i think, but it made people sick so it was dropped. Until virgin started using the pendolino, with much more advanced technology its all the rage these days it seems ;)

Very good Dave how far do you travel in a day?

 

We have two tracks, one is 13 miles in total of which 11 miles have overhead wires. The second track is 4 miles all with overhead cables, but also with 4 kilometres of 3rd and 4th DC rail (ie; London Underground, the red train in the first pic)

It varies depending on the days testing as to how much milage we do in a day, there are also planning restrictions placed upon us as to how many times we can pass certain locations during the day (no running at night or Bank Holidays as well)

Both of the trains in the first pic are not currently in passenger service just yet. The red one, we are commisioning the entire fleet, for London Underground SSL services, and the yellow one, we've only had a few of these for some shakedown testing (but will return very soon, hopefully) and these are for London Overground.

We can, and sometimes do, test anything that is railway based here. It's a unique facility, the only dedicated one of it's kind in the UK (in fact there are only two more in Europe!)

Modern tilting trains "lean" with the track and simualte super elevation, its to allow them to take corners at higher speeds and remain stable. Modern cars do something similar with adaptive damping, where it firms up the suspension under load

 

All started with the APT back in the alte 70's i think, but it made people sick so it was dropped. Until virgin started using the pendolino, with much more advanced technology its all the rage these days it seems ;)

 

Spot-On!! :bow:

Thats cool dave :thumbup: I believe its you in there, even if the rest don't :tt2:

We were involved in a number of TV adverts for various reasons and some TV news stuff when the tilting trains were here. I know I was there but not one bit of bloody footage shown had me visable in it!! :rofl: Bloody typical!

We have two tracks, one is 13 miles in total of which 11 miles have overhead wires. The second track is 4 miles all with overhead cables, but also with 4 kilometres of 3rd and 4th DC rail (ie; London Underground, the red train in the first pic)

It varies depending on the days testing as to how much milage we do in a day, there are also planning restrictions placed upon us as to how many times we can pass certain locations during the day (no running at night or Bank Holidays as well)

Both of the trains in the first pic are not currently in passenger service just yet. The red one, we are commisioning the entire fleet, for London Underground SSL services, and the yellow one, we've only had a few of these for some shakedown testing (but will return very soon, hopefully) and these are for London Overground.

We can, and sometimes do, test anything that is railway based here. It's a unique facility, the only dedicated one of it's kind in the UK (in fact there are only two more in Europe!)

 

Sorry Dave I forgot you test them:oops:

 

Why I was asking was I did wonder how many miles a driver is allowed to do when he or she has passengers on board.

Spot-On!! :bow:

 

I'm a massive train geek... lol even have a model of an APT somewhere although my real interest lies with proper trains, well proper railway engines really. Anything with a fire and cylinders and I'm :wub:

Fantastic job you got there Dave... :thumbup1: makes mine seem very mundane.... :sleep:

 

Al. :cool2:

This was filmed at our place........

 

[YOUTUBE]lHtRZ_k0s7M?[/YOUTUBE]

 

OK, it was a few years ago, and NO I wasn't driving it!! :rofl:

 

I lived in Melton when that happened, can remember all the build up to it and I watched it from an embankment at a safe distance. Poor diesel was mullered by that flask :gunsmilie:

Seems fairly dangerous to me. Did you undergo much training? :biggrin:

Modern tilting trains "lean" with the track and simualte super elevation, its to allow them to take corners at higher speeds and remain stable. Modern cars do something similar with adaptive damping, where it firms up the suspension under load

 

All started with the APT back in the alte 70's i think, but it made people sick so it was dropped. Until virgin started using the pendolino, with much more advanced technology its all the rage these days it seems ;)

 

I remember the APT as well - the electric one came out around 1980 and ran the Euston - Glasgow service!! There's still one at the NRM in York.....

 

....wasn't the prototype a gas turbine train? IIRC it ran on the GWR route to Bristol and set a new record. I was only 10 at the time.....

 

We have two tracks, one is 13 miles in total of which 11 miles have overhead wires. The second track is 4 miles all with overhead cables, but also with 4 kilometres of 3rd and 4th DC rail (ie; London Underground, the red train in the first pic)

It varies depending on the days testing as to how much milage we do in a day, there are also planning restrictions placed upon us as to how many times we can pass certain locations during the day (no running at night or Bank Holidays as well)

Both of the trains in the first pic are not currently in passenger service just yet. The red one, we are commisioning the entire fleet, for London Underground SSL services, and the yellow one, we've only had a few of these for some shakedown testing (but will return very soon, hopefully) and these are for London Overground.

We can, and sometimes do, test anything that is railway based here. It's a unique facility, the only dedicated one of it's kind in the UK (in fact there are only two more in Europe!)

 

Cool - I was going to ask about the 3rd/4th rails on the left hand test track! Can you really get a train up to 145 and back again on an 11 mile test track? Or was that done on another line....?

 

I'm a massive train geek... lol even have a model of an APT somewhere although my real interest lies with proper trains, well proper railway engines really. Anything with a fire and cylinders and I'm :wub:

 

Me too mate - I had a big 00-scale layout many years ago at my parents and I'd happily build another now. If I had time (and permission from Julia....). Still I can endulge my passion by visiting the odd steam railway whilst on holiday etc..... Seeing Mallard at the NRM always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end - it's still an awesome machine today!!

 

I also had the Hornby APT back when I was 10; plus an HST or two.....

 

Fantastic job you got there Dave... :thumbup1: makes mine seem very mundane.... :sleep:

 

Al. :cool2:

 

I agree!!

 

Richard:cool2:

I remember the APT as well - the electric one came out around 1980 and ran the Euston - Glasgow service!! There's still one at the NRM in York.....

 

....wasn't the prototype a gas turbine train? IIRC it ran on the GWR route to Bristol and set a new record. I was only 10 at the time.....

 

 

Me too mate - I had a big 00-scale layout many years ago at my parents and I'd happily build another now. If I had time (and permission from Julia....). Still I can endulge my passion by visiting the odd steam railway whilst on holiday etc..... Seeing Mallard at the NRM always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end - it's still an awesome machine today!!

 

I also had the Hornby APT back when I was 10; plus an HST or two.....

 

 

 

 

Richard:cool2:

 

Joys of still living at home, dad built a large 00 scale up in the loft which still exists but as he cant really see it anymore it languishes. Also he moved onto larger toys. We have a 7 1/4 railway running around the garden which is his pride and joy (well the engine is) I take an active interest in it and run the railway with him at open days and that. Also take the loco to other tracks on an anual bases (society agm really!) which we enjoy.

My work means i spend most of the week most of the time away from home so I do try and visit as many railways as possible when im out and about. Something about the smell and sound of steam engines gets the hairs on the back of my neck - i know what you mean about mallard!

Sorry Dave I forgot you test them:oops:

 

Why I was asking was I did wonder how many miles a driver is allowed to do when he or she has passengers on board.

Miles don't matter, it's down to working hours break times etc.

 

I'm a massive train geek... lol even have a model of an APT somewhere although my real interest lies with proper trains, well proper railway engines really. Anything with a fire and cylinders and I'm :wub:

We also have two class 08 shunters, and a class 47 that I can drive.

 

Fantastic job you got there Dave... :thumbup1: makes mine seem very mundane.... :sleep:

 

Al. :cool2:

Thanks Al, I love my job :D

 

I lived in Melton when that happened, can remember all the build up to it and I watched it from an embankment at a safe distance. Poor diesel was mullered by that flask :gunsmilie:

That's what most people know this place for if you mention Old Dalby, shame really as so much important work has been undertaken here for Railway safety.

 

Seems fairly dangerous to me. Did you undergo much training? :biggrin:

lol ;) Yep quite a bit of TRAINing. We've not had a serious accident that's incurred any injury..... and hopefully we wont!

 

I remember the APT as well - the electric one came out around 1980 and ran the Euston - Glasgow service!! There's still one at the NRM in York.....

 

....wasn't the prototype a gas turbine train? IIRC it ran on the GWR route to Bristol and set a new record. I was only 10 at the time.....

 

 

 

Cool - I was going to ask about the 3rd/4th rails on the left hand test track! Can you really get a train up to 145 and back again on an 11 mile test track? Or was that done on another line....?

 

...

 

Richard:cool2:

 

The prototype APT (APT-E), which was a Gas Turbine as you say, was built at Derby (now our head office) and performed a lot of early testing here at Old Dalby.

The acceleration of the Class 390 (Pendolino) was so great that we could easily atain thoses speeds, although they were only specific tests and not normally done as our max tilt enabled speed is 125mph.