PLPR Trains

[159220]

Hello All,

I was doing my weekly check on http://www.47soton.co.uk/ and found an interesting note that a Plain Line Pattern Recognition coach is now in service. Top and tailed by Class 73s, coach number 1256.

I followed the link onto a Rail Engineer article in November 2012 saying that the plan in 2012/13 was to have four PLPR Trains, dedicated with Class 57s and DVTs. Three trains would be set up like this, along with the fourth train for the Southern region with Class 73s TnT.

..."Four additional trains are now being formed. One of these, for the third-rail area in the South East, will be formed by two Class 73 electro-diesels sandwiching three Mk 2 coaches and a Mk 1 generator vehicle giving a maximum operating speed of 90mph. The other three trains, capable of 95mph, will each be hauled by a Class 57 diesel together with a similar train formation and a Driving Van Trailer (DVT). All five trains will be in service by early 2013."

http://www.therailengineer.com/2012/11/28/track-inspection-at-125mph/

Well, clearly the Class 73 TnT PLPR train is formed as stated, but the other three? This is where my questions start! (Especially as I found a closed thread on here stating that in 2011 the plan was not to have dedicated trains anymore - Confused!)

Hydro in October 2011: Update on PLPR, apparently we are not getting dedicated PLPR trains any more, rather it's being fitted to existing test coaches, and the testing frequency is being upped dramatically to fit in with inspection timescales. DVT's are still on the way, and apparently "they" (whoever they are) think that 3 x 57's will be available for standard monitoring work. Expect to see test trains nearly 24/7 around the network in the future.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=53342

Firstly, does Network Rail have four PLPR Train set now? What coaches apart from 1256?
Secondly, shall the 57s, now owned by DRS under a lease to purchase, still perform the PLPR tasks?
Thirdly, shall the DVTs still be used?
Fourthly, if so, now with Class 67s?
Fifthly, has the plan to have PLPR Trains been dissolved (as per thread here in 2011, but contradicted by article in the RE in 2012)?
If so, what are the DVTs for?

Any current information on the PLPR Trains and the DVTs would be most welcome, as just what is going on since news it was happening and news it was not.

The DVTs are out and about, but with Class 67s, on PLPR or not I do not know

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37413/14394443161/sizes/l
https://www.flickr.com/photos/resilient741/13116814364/sizes/l


Thanks in advance.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
By using http://www.departmentals.com/search.php?searchValue=Plain+Line+Pattern+Recognition&btn= and Flickr I have managed to located the other three coaches.

They are:
72631 PLPR1
5981 PLPR2
1256 PLPR3
72639 PLPR4

Looks like they are top and tailed by Class 67s https://www.flickr.com/photos/davekirwinphotography/14134441457 in three coach formation as per the Rail Engineering article in November 2012.

Questions:

Firstly, does Network Rail have four PLPR Train set now? What coaches apart from 1256? YES
Secondly, shall the 57s, now owned by DRS under a lease to purchase, still perform the PLPR tasks?
Thirdly, shall the DVTs still be used?
Fourthly, if so, now with Class 67s? YES
Fifthly, has the plan to have PLPR Trains been dissolved (as per thread here in 2011, but contradicted by article in the RE in 2012)? NO
If so, what are the DVTs for?

 

[edwin_m]

I would have thought the logical thing would be to add the PLPR function to the existing track recording train fleet, which are already timetabled to cover the network at what are considered suitable intervals to detect any faults. In fact I was under the impression these trains already did some degree of automated visual fault detection on main lines using high speed video.

I can only think that either this didn't work or a better technique has come along, but that it only works at less than line speed. Having said that the ultrasonic trains only work at lower speeds so why wasn't it fitted to them?

 

[Boodiggy]

Where I work on the WCML the PLPR is fitted to the NMT and was not as difficult to implement for us as we have two weekly recording runs which allowed us to patrol at night, with the idea being the train recorded the geometry and the basic visual inspection to inspect the components etc. now the PLPR train does it all. Although it was mentioned above the equipment is on some of the other recording trains the PLPR needs to run at a higher frequency than the recording trains in some areas as this is meant to replace track patrollers - what we call BVI basic visual inspection. The implementation has taken longer than was first anticipated. The time between inspections is determined by track category.
Whist the NMT is out of action for maintenance we have had PLPR2 doing our runs on the WCML, the last few weeks it had the NMT power cars and a mixture of recording coaches and last week it was top and tailed with Cl67s.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I would have thought the logical thing would be to add the PLPR function to the existing track recording train fleet, which are already timetabled to cover the network at what are considered suitable intervals to detect any faults. In fact I was under the impression these trains already did some degree of automated visual fault detection on main lines using high speed video.

I can only think that either this didn't work or a better technique has come along, but that it only works at less than line speed. Having said that the ultrasonic trains only work at lower speeds so why wasn't it fitted to them?

PLPR works at line speed. Ultrasonic trains run at 30mph when ultrasonically testing the rails. Neither the PLPR or sperry (ultrasonic) trains can inspect S&C