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Timing Load Question for WCML

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Timing Load Question for WCML 20/05/2023 at 12:27 #151918
ajax103
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1106 posts
I'm currently doing some light reading with a September 1997 CB WTT and trying to understand what Railtrack has put and what SimSig has put in regards to working out the various train loads.

Open Rail Data Wiki says:

Hauled Train (D, E or ED) with Planned Load
1 - 9999 Load in Tonnes (1 - 999 only with ED)

Simsig says:

A loco-hauled train is indicated firstly by the type of haulage (E for electric or D for diesel), followed by the trailing tonnage. For passenger trains it is assumed a weight of 35 tonnes per carriage:

D350 - Diesel hauled train with either 10 passenger/mail carriages or an unspecified number of freight wagons totalling 350 tonnes
E070 - Electric hauled train with either 2 passenger/mail carriages or an unspecified number of freight wagons totalling 70 tonnes
The actual tonnage on the day may be less than that specified.

The Platform 5 books say:

Mk 3 buffet car = 36.12 t
Mk 3 1st class = 33.66 t
Mk 3 2nd class = 33.60 t
Mk 3 guard van = 33.47 t

BR manuals say:

Mk 3 buffet car = 39t
Mk 3 1st class = 33t
Mk 3 2nd class = 33t
Mk 3 guard van = 43t

So who's actually right here?

The WTT makes mention of various timing loads as:

E315
E385
E385-1
E455
E595-8

D210
D350
D400

I've tried to work out the various figures but Wikipedia and the BR manuals make mention of short and long tons for the locos which I don't understand.

I've been led to believe that typical formations were:

Loco + 5 x Mk3 TSOs + Mk3 RFM + Mk3 FOs + Mk3 DVT
Loco + 5 x Mk2 TSOs + Mk3 RFM + Mk2 FOs + Mk3 DVT

But trying to work out the difference timing loads is causing a headache, Anyone know how to translate this?

If I use the SimSig example of 35t per passenger carriage and using E455 as a example, that ought to mean a Loco + 13 coaches?

Yet the Class 87 wikipedia page states that the loco weighs in at 80 long tons (81 t; 90 short tons)?

So what is the best way to work out the various timing loads than?

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Timing Load Question for WCML 20/05/2023 at 13:28 #151919
JamesN
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1575 posts
Timing Load ultimately is just that. It has nothing to do with how many coaches/wagons are actually in a train.

It means that a train at that weight, hauled by a Diesel/Electric locomotive, should match or better those timings.

They won’t have compiled timings for every conceivable weight of train that may run, so the planners just use a timing load that would roughly work for the formation they intend to run.

By 1997 west coast will have been relatively fixed formation push/pull sets of Mk2s and/or Mk3s; with some HSTs thrown in as well.

I would not be using timing loads to discern formations of trains - that needs diagrams/working books/etc.

Last edited: 20/05/2023 at 13:28 by JamesN
Reason: None given

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Timing Load Question for WCML 20/05/2023 at 15:12 #151920
pedroathome
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887 posts
JamesN in post 151919 said:
Timing Load ultimately is just that. It has nothing to do with how many coaches/wagons are actually in a train.

It means that a train at that weight, hauled by a Diesel/Electric locomotive, should match or better those timings.

They won’t have compiled timings for every conceivable weight of train that may run, so the planners just use a timing load that would roughly work for the formation they intend to run.

By 1997 west coast will have been relatively fixed formation push/pull sets of Mk2s and/or Mk3s; with some HSTs thrown in as well.

I would not be using timing loads to discern formations of trains - that needs diagrams/working books/etc.
Not on the West Coast, but I've definitely seen in carriage working books cases of a train being booked described as D420 (So the weight of 12 coaches) but the stock is only a 4 coach rake

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Timing Load Question for WCML 20/05/2023 at 16:50 #151922
postal
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5190 posts
pedroathome in post 151920 said:
JamesN in post 151919 said:
Timing Load ultimately is just that. It has nothing to do with how many coaches/wagons are actually in a train.

It means that a train at that weight, hauled by a Diesel/Electric locomotive, should match or better those timings.

They won’t have compiled timings for every conceivable weight of train that may run, so the planners just use a timing load that would roughly work for the formation they intend to run.

By 1997 west coast will have been relatively fixed formation push/pull sets of Mk2s and/or Mk3s; with some HSTs thrown in as well.

I would not be using timing loads to discern formations of trains - that needs diagrams/working books/etc.
Not on the West Coast, but I've definitely seen in carriage working books cases of a train being booked described as D420 (So the weight of 12 coaches) but the stock is only a 4 coach rake
As JamesN said, the timing load is nothing to do with the actual consist of the train. It is possible that the train you reference needed to be timed to hit certain waymarks and the easiest way for the timetablers to do this would be to pick up the timings for a D420 timing load. I would guess that back in the day some of the Royal Mail services of four or five NPCCS were timed in that way in order to leave a calling point after a given cut-off time going on to have a given dwell time and not be due to leave the next calling point until another cut-off time. Timed as a heavier consist possibly being the easiest way to get it to the second calling point without an excessive platform dwell before due departure.

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Last edited: 20/05/2023 at 22:42 by postal
Reason: None given

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Timing Load Question for WCML 20/05/2023 at 17:41 #151923
bill_gensheet
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1317 posts
pedroathome in post 151920 said:


Not on the West Coast, but I've definitely seen in carriage working books cases of a train being booked described as D420 (So the weight of 12 coaches) but the stock is only a 4 coach rake
Some older WTT (I have a 1975) have a conversion table that explains in more detail.
D315 is the timing for the 'standard' loco hauling 315T, with 'standard' being a class 40 / 45 / 47 / 50 / 52 as per (sub)region.

It then lists for all other locos the permitted trailing weight to be able to sustain those same D315 timings. Offhand I think for a single 24 it was hauling 165T.

Bill

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