Battery Train To Make Debut In Scotland
The title of this post is the same as this article in The Scotsman.
Vivarail are taking their demonstration battery-powered Class 230 train to the Bo’Ness and Kinneil Railway, from the 10th to the 12th of October, when members of the public have been invited to view the train.
It is an interesting marketing concept for a train.
The train will also be tested on gradients and under leaf fall conditions.
Vivarail D-Train To Be Tested In US Cities
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the International Railway Journal.
Why not?
A Video About The Class 230 Battery Train
This article on InsideEVs has a rather good video of the Class 230 train demonstrator, which is entitled Fully Charged Checks Out A Battery Powered Train.
Very interesting!
The video was made by Robert Llewellyn of Fully Charged.
Vivarail Lays Out Action Plan As Faulty Repair Work To Blame For Train Fire
The title of this post is the title of an article on the Rail Technology Magazine web site.
This is the first paragraph.
Vivarail has released its full report on the Class 230 test train fire that took place over the festive period, concluding that the cause of the fire was due to a fuel leak in one of the train’s gensets, likely caused during recent repair work.
I have no experience of diesel engine design, except what I picked up, when Cummins were a customer., where they used my software to analyse production and testing statistics.
But fuel leaks do happen and normally, they don’t cause fires.
I can remember Cummins being very strict about any leaks of sll sorts on their engines.
Vivarail Reveals Hybrid Train
This is the title of this article on the Rail Magazine web site.
Vivarail have said that battery-powered and diesel hybrid versions have entered development.
This is probably sensible given the way that train design seems to be going.
In Pursuit Of The Perfect Train Design
This is the title of an article in Rail Technology Magazine, in which Adrian Shooter, the chair of Vivarail discusses their Class 230 train, which is soon to go into trial service on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line.
The article is certainly worth reading.
Vivarail In The Financial Times
There is an article about Vivarail’s Class 230 train in the Financial Times today.
I have a feeling that this is one of those projects, where the engineering will deliver, but the overall concept might initially not be a big seller.
I can think of one or two cars, for which that could be said.
I’m certainly looking forward to riding in the prototype that hopefully will be appearing between Coventry and Nuneaton before the end of the year.
It will be interesting to compare the experience with that of a D78 stock, that I rode a couple of weeks ago.
As any horseman will say. “Handsome is as handsome does!”
Vivarail D-Trains Are Being Sent To Coventry
In A Video About The Vivarail D-Train, I said this.
I am sceptical about the Vivarail D-Train, but I do admire companies and organisations that think out of the box.
So after this report on Global Rail News, which is entitled Recycled Tube trains to re-enter passenger service this year, I am beginning to think that the Vivarail D-Train or the Class 230 train, might prove that engineering is the science of the possible. This is said.
Vivarail’s D-Train has its first customer and will enter passenger service between Coventry and Nuneaton later this year.
A Class 230 prototype, which started life as a London Underground D-Stock unit, is to be leased by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) for London Midland for an initial 12-month period.
The three-car train will act as a demonstrator, gathering feedback from passengers to inform the production of future trains.
I suppose there’s no better way to shut up the critics of a vehicle or transport system, than allow them to ride in it!
I don’t believe that the straight-talking inhabitants of the West Midlands will hold their tongue, if the train has shortcomings.
D-Train Prototype Takes Big Step Forward
This is title of an article in Rail Magazine, which shows a picture of a two-car Class 230 train.
I have a feeling that because of all the other developments in the UK rail industry, that sadly for the project’s backers, that this will be a project filed under Heroic Failures.
If Arriva Rail North can find ways to buy a new fleet of CAF Civity trains and IPEMU technology breaks through as expected, the market in the UK for the D-Train must be getting a lot smaller.
It could be getting to the point, where the train is totally unsaleable in the UK.
A Video About The Vivarail D-Train
I am sceptical about the Vivarail D-Train, but I do admire companies and organisations that think out of the box.
That is why I’m putting this link to a BBC video about the project.
In the UK, we are in such a great need of new trains, that any idea that works will probably have a niche somewhere. However small!
Of whom does the male BBC presenter remind you?
The Anonymous Widower 