Pages

Class 345 Elizabeth Line Aventra

The Class 345 is the rolling stock built for the Elizabeth Line, a major new railway project originally known as Crossrail - as it crosses London - which finally opened in 2022. The Class 345 was the first of the Bombardier Aventra family of electric multiple units to enter service on the network.

345 040 at Abbey Wood


Information
Number built: 630 (70 9-car sets)
Built: 2015-19
Builder: Bombardier Derby
Motor: Bombardier traction system (25kV AC OHLE)

No Class 341 was built but
it did appear on a carrier bag!

The Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) is a 117 kilometre long line stretching from the west (as far as Reading) to the east (Shenfield) of London and serving major London stations such as London Paddington, London Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. The line has a new deep level tunnel section through the centre of London. Unlike other deep level tunnels in London, the Crossrail tunnels are large enough for standard gauge trains and not tube sized stock. The Crossrail project was first mentioned in 1974 though no serious plans or proposals took place until the 1980s and early 1990s. If the project had begun under British Rail then the rolling stock could have been the Networker derived Class 341.

Finally, concrete proposals were formed up in the early 2000s with construction beginning in 2009, twenty one kilometres of new tunnels were needed under London. The Class 345 entered service in the Summer of 2017, operating under the TfL Rail brand until the Elizabeth Line was opened officially. 

The Class 345 is designed to be able to move a lot of people very quickly. The train is designed to be able to carry up to 1, 500 passengers at up to 140 km/h (90 mp/h).

Front end comparison at London Liverpool Street, 345 015 in the centre

Preparing to leave Custom House

In TfL Rail days, 345 007 at London Liverpool Street

Front end of 345 040

345 014 at Stratford


Class 197 Civity

The Class 197 is part of the CAF Civity family like the Class 195 and 196. It is being built to allow Transport for Wales to withdraw and supplement a number of older classes of diesel multiple unit.

Transport for Wales 197 013 arrives at Warrington Bank Quay


Information
Number built: 180 (77 2 or 3-car sets)
Built: 2020-
Builder: CAF Newport
Motor: Rolls-Royce MTU 6H1800R85L diesel per car
Power: (2-car) 1, 010 hp (750 kW)
(3-car) 1, 509 hp (1, 125 kW)
Formation: (197/0) DMSL (Driving Motor Standard Lavatory)+
DMS (Driving Motor Standard)
(197/1) DMSL+MSL (Motor Standard Lavatory)+
DMC (Driving Motor Composite) or DMS

The Class 197 is being built in two sub-classes. A two-car formation with all standard class seating and a three-car formation which has some first class provision. All cars are powered. Some units from each sub-class have been fitted with support for ETCS (European Train Control System) signalling.

The first Class 197 was completed in 2021 and entered service in late 2022.

197 014 at Crewe

A Class 197 departs Warrington Bank Quay


Nottingham Express Transit Citadis 302

The launch stock for the Nottingham Express Transit light rail system was the Bombardier Incentro. For phase two of NET with extensions to Beeston and Clifton, NET needed more trams and ordered a fleet of twenty-two Alstom Citadis 302s, a very successful type of tram used throughout the world.

Tram 237 departs Compton Acres



Information
Number built: 22
Built: 2013-14
Builder: Alstom
Motor: Alstom traction system (4 motors) (750v DC OHLE)
Power: 480 hp (358 kW)
Wheel arrangement: Bo-2-Bo

Deliveries of the trams began in 2013 with an entry into service in 2014. The Citadis introduced a new livery for NET trams which the older Incentros also received when they were refurbished.

Like the Incentros, the Citadis trams are made up of five short articulated sections. The trams have seats for fifty eight passengers [1].

Arriving at Clifton Centre

One of the driver's cab

Tram 224 departs Bulwell

Tram 226 arrives at Nottingham Station

A tram arrives at Southchurch Drive North

[1] Robert Prichard & Alan Yearsley, UK Metro & Light Rail Systems (Platform 5, 2019) p. 134

Yorkshire Engine Company Taurus

Taurus was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive developed by the Yorkshire Engine Company trip freight work and heavy shunting. It had two Rolls Royce diesel engines, only one being used at very slow speeds. Taurus was demonstrated on British Railways in 1961-2 though no orders arised, but in any event the kind of duties a locomotive such as Taurus could be used for were soon to disappear.

Taurus on test [1]


Information
Number built: 2
Built: 1961-63
Builder: Yorkshire Engine Company
Motor: 2 Rolls Royce C8SFL diesels
Power: 600 hp (450 kW) 
Formation: 0-8-0DH

With a glut of ex-BR shunting locomotives entering the market in the late 1960s, the Yorkshire Engine Company found it difficult to sell Taurus to any industrial users. A second Taurus was built however, this was for the Spanish railway operator RENFE and was to 1668mm gauge. No other orders were forthcoming though the Spanish Taurus has survived into preservation.

A similar type built by the Yorkshire Engine Company was the Indus. This was very similar to the Taurus though had a similar gearbox (the differential compound gearbox of Taurus having proved to be problematical - indeed the Spanish Taurus was given the Indus gearbox). Two Indus were built for industrial users and survived into the 1980s.
Taurus under construction [1]




[1] "The Taurus multi-purpose locomotive", International Railway Journal Vol. 1 Issue 5 (1961) p. 16