Why does the front of this class 802 look like that?

[Suntooth]

Sorry if this has an obvious answer, I'm new to a lot of this!
I saw this class 802 passing Hanwell on the 5th (can't see the full number in the photo, but I can just about make out the 802), but the front looks like a piece has been taken off. It may have been going to a depot, as I saw an as-required train to a depot around that time on RTT, but I'm not sure. Why does it look like it's had a piece taken off?

 

[hexagon789]

Sorry if this has an obvious answer, I'm new to a lot of this!
I saw this class 802 passing Hanwell on the 5th (can't see the full number in the photo, but I can just about make out the 802), but the front looks like a piece has been taken off. It may have been going to a depot, as I saw an as-required train to a depot around that time on RTT, but I'm not sure. Why does it look like it's had a piece taken off?

The nose is designed to open, they have a split cover which opens a bit like a clamshell and then retracts into the nose area, the coupler head extends forwards at the same time. Nothing has actually fallen off.

Usually they run with it closed, it being opened during coupling, but sometimes they run in service with it open for whatever reason possibly a fault.

It does affect the aerodynamics and fuel consumption enough to be noticeable.

 

[Suntooth]

The nose is designed to open, they have a split cover which opens a bit like a clamshell and then retracts into the nose area, the coupler head extends forwards at the same time. Nothing has actually fallen off.

Usually they run with it closed, it being opened during coupling, but sometimes they run in service with it open for whatever reason possibly a fault.

It does affect the aerodynamics and fuel consumption enough to be noticeable.

Interesting! Thanks for the answer

 

[Fleetmaster]

It's cool how you can see the curvature of the retracted nose pieces in profile.

No excuse for this shoddy practice though (unless it's a defect and after diagnosing it they're absolutely sure it's not going to affect safety).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Pendolinos are the same, in principle.
You sometimes see them running with nose retracted, exposing the coupler.
In the days when they were hauled by class 57s, that was how they were connected to the loco.

 

[Ashley Hill]

In reality they should automatically close when moving away after dividing,there is also a button in the cab to close the covers whilst stationary. However several sets are running about at the moment with those covers isolated in the open position, possibly due to faults or waiting parts.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It's an eyesore like that to be honest; looks like a green lizard baring its teeth.

 

[43066]

It does affect the aerodynamics and fuel consumption enough to be noticeable.

There’s also the risk of a bird striking the coupler. From experience it can be difficult to get couplers to engage when they’re fouled (or should that be foweled) by a few mm of splattered pigeon carcass!

 

[800301]

It's cool how you can see the curvature of the retracted nose pieces in profile.

No excuse for this shoddy practice though (unless it's a defect and after diagnosing it they're absolutely sure it's not going to affect safety).

They aren’t left open for fun, Hitachi are notified automatically by the train when they fail to close and depending on the reason why they failed to close, will be rectified on the next prep. It’s enough of a pain trying to get them open manually so doubt anyone would bother trying to close them manually.

Noticing that it’s a 9 car it would most likely have been opened on depot to be moved about by one of those little shunters

 

[43066]

Noticing that it’s a 9 car it would most likely have been opened on depot to be moved about by one of those little shunters

Are they also allowed to move 10 car trains, or is that reserved for tall shunters?

 

[mangyiscute]

I quite often see GWR's IETs running with their front cones retracted, and I had a couple of questions about this:
1) Does this affect performance, since the train is less streamline, and if so, by how much?
2) Why would they want to run the trains like this, and if it's a mistake, is there not something in the drivers cab telling them that they've left the front open?

To be clear, I get that they are opened to couple with other trains, and the one in the photo pulled into Reading like that and was already forming a 2x5 coach service so it certainly wasn't being coupled again.

 

[NSE]

From what I understand it can run just fine. Ruins the aesthetics of course, but doesn’t cause a significant problem. I think you’re more likely to run into a risk by tonking a pigeon at speed and rather than chipping the paint of denting the nose cone, you risk it going in to all the mechanical gubbins.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Class 390s would occasionally also have the covers up due to various reasons but still hit the needed speeds. Whilst there are slight aerodynamic penalties, they're not enough to have a major effect.

 

[TurboMan]

Why would they want to run the trains like this, and if it's a mistake, is there not something in the drivers cab telling them that they've left the front open?

It's not done intentionally. Any open nose cone (except those where two units are coupled together) should close automatically when the train's speed reaches 15mph, but if there's a defect that won't happen. The driver will know the nose cone is open as the forward preparation or rear preparation button (depending on whether it's the front or rear nose cone that's open) on the desk will be lit. But it's not worth delaying the train trying to work out the cause.

 

[Ashley Hill]

When like this they are often defective and isolated in the open position due to waiting parts.

 

[irish_rail]

802022 been like this for months as far as I know (unless its been fixed in last week or so).