A Brief Glimpse Of The Class 799 Train On BBC Breakfast
The Class 799 train is being launched today and BBC Breakfast were there with cameras.
These are my thoughts.
A Test Train
Helen Simpson from Porterbrook, said it was very much a test train.
Seats appear to be in some of the cars.
It looks like Birmingham University have sensibly put the hydrogen drive system in one or both of the two central cars, which in the original Class 319 train were given the designations PMSO and MSOL
The Hydrogen Tanks And Fuel Cell
The hydrogen tanks didn’t appear to be unduly large, which suggests, the the train is not going for a very long rang. But it is only a test train.
The fuel cell was clearly marked from Ballard and was just a large anonymous box. I would think, that it was probably upwards of 100 kW.
It should be noted that the Class 319 train was originally a 1,000 kW train, with a top speed of 100 mph and good acceleration.
I’ll be interested to see what size these components are, when they are published.
The Battery System
The battery did appear to be large, but then these are probably not batteries designed to fit the train, but what is available.
As with the hydrogen tanks and fuel cell, sizes would appear to have been chosen large enough to make sure that the train is not significantly less powerful, than current Class 319 trains.
The Anonymous Widower 
see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-48698044/hydrogen-trains-are-these-the-eco-friendly-trains-of-the-future
also https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2019/06/mainline-testing-of-uk-first-hydrogen-train.aspx and https://www.railbusinessdaily.com/the-uks-first-hydrogen-train-makes-its-debut-at-rail-live-2019/ which includes a short video from the uni
Comment by Peter Robins | June 23, 2019 |
This train has vanished.
Comment by John | July 8, 2020 |
It’s reported it will start main line testing soon! They’ve also received a government grant to productionise the system for manufacture.
Comment by AnonW | July 8, 2020 |