Finally managed to see and photograph some Virgin Voyagers at Derby on saturday. Close-up of the Dellner coupler. The two-tone air horns can also be seen
Carolyne looks as though she is trying to thumb a lift ............ ...........but it left without her
Nice pictures Alan. The size and position of those running numbers must be a nightmare for "spotters" John
nice pics alan, the couplers on those trains looks alot like the couplers on our EMU's over here, i think theyre interesting looking. wouldnt mind finding some more info on them if anyone knows any info please share
I have to admit I don't know an awful lot of the tech stuff here, I'm going from watching them couple units at Paddington a couple of years back! These couplers are designed to make all of the connections needed between units (Mechanical, Air and Electrical) in one go so nobody has to go between cars to manually connect anything. The "dome" shaped bits I believe are the air connections and the curved panel at the top rolls up to reveal the electrical connections as the couplers are compressed. I'll ask my mate who works for Wessex trains how their MU's work, they have a very similar coupler, but I believe the driver has to hold down a "couple" button as he drives the two trains together.
Most DMU's of class 153, 158, etc have BSI couplers, some have Scharfenberg (175 and 180) and the Voyagers etc have Dellner, so we are not yet settled on a universal coupler!
Link to photo of Dellner coupler similar to those used on Voyagers This one is a retractable version I think whilst the voyagers are not. Okay, a bit more gen on these style couplers, this info is from the BSI type, as used on Wessex and South Wales based class 142, 143, 150, 153 and 158 units. Their coupler is the BSI coupler as seen on this class 142, pic from www.therailwaycentre.com. http://www.therailwaycentre.com/DMU%20photo%20file/142_FE On the BSI the electrical connections are on the bottom, and it uses chunkier "hooks" for the physical connections, but in essence it does the same job as the newer styles... Working from the top (on the Voyager coupler) the smooth horizontal section is the cover for the electrical connections, as the couplers compress together the cover either rises or drops and there are (at least on the BSI coupler) 72 pins there that control all electrical functions between units. (the webpage for Dellner says theirs can have up to 140 pins if needed) The cup/dome makes the physical coupling between the units. Inside the cup is a hook, and that goes into the horizontal slot in the dome and engages. (Both couplers have the same arrangement so there are two hooks etc) The hooks are detected by a microswitch when they are engaged. Uncoupling is done from a button in the cab, the signal from that button is also meant to tell the coupler on the other unit to disengage it's hook as well. On the subject of compatibility, this seems to be a current "hot topic" as in the fragmented railway various fleets of the same type of unit with the same coupler now cannot work in multiple as different fleets receive different modifications. On wessex, various units "leased in" from other operators could not be run with units from the same build operated by Wessex until they had been modified! Units with defective (or incompatible) couplings should have their coupler bagged so it will not couple, and down here they carry a large yellow X in the secondmans side window to make it obvious that coupling cannot be used.
thanks for the info guys those couplers have always intrigued me looking at the voyagers makes me think that there is a prototype for models with the gaping holes in the pilot lol [ 07. May 2003, 12:20: Message edited by: UNION_PACIFIC_STEVE ]
