Maxmium possible speed a unit can do

[Spartacus]

I know someone who claims to have had 141113 up to 100mph, admittedly downhill, but still and achievement. 113's the one that's more Leyland Lynx than National, fitted with a Cummins L10, and given the performance of a Lynx over a National I can well believe it!

 

[hexagon789]

TGV has reached 574km/h. Pretty sure the design speed is barely 60% of that

Not exactly overspeed testing the service ceiling though, and the train was heavily modified for the run

I know someone who claims to have had 141113 up to 100mph, admittedly downhill, but still and achievement. 113's the one that's more Leyland Lynx than National, fitted with a Cummins L10, and given the performance of a Lynx over a National I can well believe it!

Was it still in one piece afterwards?

 

[Jamesrob637]

Not exactly overspeed testing the service ceiling though, and the train was heavily modified for the run

Okay so the 380km/h run of a Sud-Est set in 1981?

 

[hexagon789]

Okay so the 380km/h run of a Sud-Est set in 1981?

I mean I'm splitting hairs, I know that. But these were all specifically for record speeds rather than maxima achievable in normal service.

The 380 I believe may have been an unmodified set, unless they raised the line voltage. Linespeed on the LGV Sud-Est was also only 260 in 1981 not 300. It was raised to 270 in 1982 and to 300 where possible in the 1990s (there are some curves restricted to the old 270 ceiling) I believe after the LGV Atlantique opened.

 

[Paul Jones 88]

When I was a teenager in 1986, I smuggled myself onto a ECS 305/2 to Bishop Stortford which felt like it was doing a hell of a lot more than the normal 75mph max, if only they'd invented GPS and Smartphones back then, I only had a Nokia Cityman (housebrick with ariel).
I'd really love to know how fast it was going.

 

[AJM580]

Fastest ever with a 156 for me was 86 mph between Hethersett & Intwood on the Ely - Norwich line. It's downhill from Hethersett, hence the speed. I've had several 156s at 80+ mph, especially in the first few years of their work in East Anglia.

 

[Western Lord]

Back in the late seventies when Cecil J. Allen was doing a "train running and traction performance" column in Modern Railways he published a log of an East Coast express hauled by a Class 47 which reached 115 mph.

 

[hexagon789]

Back in the late seventies when Cecil J. Allen was doing a "train running and traction performance" column in Modern Railways he published a log of an East Cost express hauled by a Class 47 which reached 115 mph.

Perfectly possible, I've seen a few logs with 110/112 and some of those were on level track...

 

[37201xoIM]

Back when they used to work the Far North Line, I had a 156 at 88mph between Alness and Dingwall. Was quite an impressive racket on the 60-foot rail!

 

[SolomonSouth]

I thought the speed run was 108? Oh well, what difference does 1 mph make anyways. The 442s are the worlds fastest 3rd rail EMUs apparently!

Fastest in terms of top speed but their acceleration is actually slow ASF

 

[Ploughman]

The maximum any unit can do is the authorised speed limit for that unit on that track as stated in the SA.
Unless otherwise informed for testing purposes.

 

[hexagon789]

The maximum any unit can do is the authorised speed limit for that unit on that track as stated in the SA.
Unless otherwise informed for testing purposes.

Not really, and certainly not in the terms of the opening post - "possible"

 

[AM9]

I've posted this a few times, but for the record in a bit more detail.

On Sat 1 October 1988 I recorded 2403 and 2409 on the 16.30 Waterloo Weymouth. We covered the first 74 3/4 miles to Southampton Airport Parkway in 52m 55s start to stop, despite a slight signal check after Hook. A maxmimum speed of 117 mph was reached around Milepost 71, between Shawford and Eastleigh. The run was published in the Railway Performance Society's Milepost Magazine alongside another run with two unsepcified 442 units which reached a similar maximum speed. Both runs took 1m 38s from Winchester to Shawford pass-to-pass, an average of 114 mph. The other run was still doing 116 at Eastleigh...

Whilst the 'official' record may be 109 mph, 442s were twice recorded in passenger service at 117 mph.

Has the railway ever acknowledged these speeds?

 

[Bikeman78]

The 'Greyhound' Class 421 CIGs on the SWD were equipped with an extra stage of field weakening to reduce motor resistance at full power and allow for a higher maximum speed. All CIGs/BIGs were nominally rated for 90mph but the actual maximum for an SR DC 3rd rail EMU was the 'balancing speed' achieved with the controller fully open on level track and varied quite considerably between types of unit.

In the late 1990s there was a CIG+BEP booked on the 1050ish Weymouth to Waterloo which ran non stop Winchester to Waterloo. On one occasion it reached 104 mph, if I recall correctly between Farnborough and Brookwood. Never been faster than that on a Southern slam door unit. Shortly after it had to brake rather sharply as it caught up with the up Pompey train at Woking.

 

[matchmaker]

Fastest ever with a 156 for me was 86 mph between Hethersett & Intwood on the Ely - Norwich line. It's downhill from Hethersett, hence the speed. I've had several 156s at 80+ mph, especially in the first few years of their work in East Anglia.

By stopwatch I timed a 156 at 86 mph between Stirling and Larbert. Many years ago!

 

[hexagon789]

By stopwatch I timed a 156 at 86 mph between Stirling and Larbert. Many years ago!

Isn't that uphill?

 

[AverageTD]

Not relating to the 10% threshold idea but there's a rumour around that 745s are from the FLIRT 200 family and are therefore capable of 124mph but are limited to 100mph in service. Is this verified at all?

 

[hexagon789]

Not relating to the 10% threshold idea but there's a rumour around that 745s are from the FLIRT 200 family and are therefore capable of 124mph but are limited to 100mph in service. Is this verified at all?

They could probably reach 125 but they don't appear to be from the 200 family - they have a different nose design and lower power output/no. of power bogies.

 

[colchesterken]

In the good old days commuting into Liv St on the cl 306s, If the train was overcrowded you could get into the intermediate cabs they seem not to have bothered to lock them, The speedos worked it was great to see the speed, less than it seemed to be from the passenger part
Likewise on the 309s you could stand in the corridor connection and see the speed
in the cab. I never saw one get up to 100mph
Same on the Euston 350s, but they have mounted a box of tricks on the side by the window so you cannot see the speedo anymore
Nothing is as good as it used to be. seats, window views, hanging out of windows,
compartments, Steam engines, gas lights on GOBLIN line, need a cup of tea bye bye

 

[AM9]

In the good old days commuting into Liv St on the cl 306s, If the train was overcrowded you could get into the intermediate cabs they seem not to have bothered to lock them, The speedos worked it was great to see the speed, less than it seemed to be from the passenger part
Likewise on the 309s you could stand in the corridor connection and see the speed
in the cab. I never saw one get up to 100mph
Same on the Euston 350s, but they have mounted a box of tricks on the side by the window so you cannot see the speedo anymore
Nothing is as good as it used to be. seats, window views, hanging out of windows,
compartments, Steam engines, gas lights on GOBLIN line, need a cup of tea bye bye

I did see the 309 speedos show100/101 a few times I the early'70s. Occasionally just after Ingatestone Shenfield and the odd race near Witham. The odd thing was that it didn't seem exceptionall fast as they rode the 'OK track well, but when they hit crossovers one could only think of the tea in the buffet car escaping its plastic cups.

 

[Bikeman78]

I did see the 309 speedos show100/101 a few times I the early'70s. Occasionally just after Ingatestone Shenfield and the odd race near Witham. The odd thing was that it didn't seem exceptionall fast as they rode the 'OK track well, but when they hit crossovers one could only think of the tea in the buffet car escaping its plastic cups.

The farewell run from Clacton to Manchester definitely ran at 100 or more. It had no trouble keeping up with an 87 from Milton Keynes and actually overtook whilst the 87 stopped at Nuneaton.

 

[D6130]

Isn't that uphill?

Uphill to Plean Jn and then down the other side. Plenty of potential for speed in both directions!

 

[hexagon789]

Uphill to Plean Jn and then down the other side. Plenty of potential for speed in both directions!

I knew it was downhill into Stirling, so good opportunity to touch 100 before braking for the 70 on approach, the other way I could only remember it was up 1 in 100 into Larbert, then dropping 1 in 100 down to the junction.