The Harris train is the first to farm some Electric Railway units to operate on Melbourne's suburban rail network, Victoria, Australia. They were introduced in 1956, by Victorian Railways, and last operated in 1988, although a number of hoppers were converted for other uses and still in operation. They were named after Norman Charles Harris, Chairman of the Victoria Railway Commissioner, between 1940 and 1950.
Video Harris (train)
Description
The Harris train is often referred to as the "Blue Trains" because of their deep blue color, with only a yellow ribbon around the half-body. Royal blue and yellow are common colors for Victorian Railways trains.
The train has a saloon seating layout, divided into smaller sections with full height partitions. They are equipped with two or three sets of hand-operated double-sleeve doors per side of the carriage. The set is then fitted with an electric door. The interior was divided into smoking and non-smoking compartments until late 1978, with the elimination of cigarettes on trains, and carriages designated as First or Second class until 1958, when one class trip was introduced. The trains were originally shipped without the end of the intermediate carriage, this being an additional later.
The Harris train was initially run as a 7-car set (M-T-T-M-BT-T-M), reduced to a 4-train (M-T-T-M) set for off-peak and weekend service. The M-T-T-M set is known as "Block", while the BT-T-M set is called "Unit". Extra motorcycles, built from 1968, allow for some BT-T-M units to be converted to the M-T-T-M set, to provide the train to be run in the M-T-M-M-T-T-M-configuration.
Wagons are connected by semi-permanent drawbars, except for the tip of the motorized hopper, and one end of the BT carriage, which is equipped with an automatic coupler.
Maps Harris (train)
History
The first 7-carriage train, known as the first series, was built in Great Britain by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, and shipped between 1956 and 1959. The other 30, the second series, were built by Martin & King in Melbourne, and shipped between 1961 and 1967. From 1966, these ships were shipped with end doors and passageways between carriages, allowing passengers to replace the carriages.
The first series of trailers "T" and "BT" were made by Comeng (10 first in Sydney, the rest in Melbourne), and finished by Martin & King, with the rest built at the Newport Workshop. Between 1968 and 1970, ten additional motor cars, built by the Victoria Railway Newport Workshop, were dispatched to provide several Harris trains to extend up to eight carriages.
In 1970 and 1971, six new trailer carriages were built as prototypes for the next fleet (Hitachi train). The carriage is 75 feet (22.86 m) long, compared to 63 feet (19.20 m) from the previous carriage, and equipped with a mechanism to close the doors, the first use as in Melbourne. However, it was not until the following year that a complete train (4-carriage) was used in this way, after the conversion of several motorcycles. The carriage was converted into a Type H carriage, for use in the LH set with V/Line, in the mid-1980s.
Modify
By the time the first ten sets of seven cars had been delivered, it was found that the buffing plate between the carriages would bind around the tight bend or through a complicated point, so the equipment was eliminated in time for the delivery of the 11th train. However, this means a lot of slack between the hopper, so the acceleration and braking will become rough and noisy.
Around the same time, the Victorian Railway was experimenting with replacing iron brake blocks with nonmetallic compounds (probably asbestos), so Set 11 was equipped with this, and tested between Seaford and Frankston, with 5 mph additions to the speed line, in both directions. Four tests were performed - first using an empty non-metallic brake block and then loaded with a cast iron block, equivalent to the weight of the passenger load, and then with the cast iron brake block attached to the train, simulating the load, and finally the empty carriage with the iron brake block cast. It was found that new types of brake blocks perform better at higher speeds, but worse at lower speeds, so their average performs similarly and is approved for use. A similar test was then performed with the Walker relmotors between Laverton and Werribee.
Conversions and removals
With the exception of some of the last built cars, all Harris trains contain asbestos insulation. The first set contains blue asbestos, and the next set contains white asbestos. Due to the existence of asbestos, most were dumped in the 1990s, with burial in an old mine in Clayton, a southern suburb of Melbourne, some wrapped in plastic.
No original Harris trailer car is left, with all trailers that have been converted into H cars that are pulled locomotives or discarded. In addition, no first series motor units are preserved, three unmodified cars are left to be the second high-end M series car.
Ozride set
In the mid-1980s three cars were painted pink at the ends and one side for railway safety video. The device is 780M-674T-1555M, and operated with T334 locomotive, with film making mainly on the Geelong-Gheringhap line. Motorbikes have taken his pantograph during the duration of the filming.
Remodeling
A program to refurbish Harris's train started in 1982. The refurbished car interior resembles Comeng's interior, featuring individual vinyl foam seat cushions on an integrated plastic frame, replacing traditional vinyl-covered chairs. The updated cars also have air conditioning, and a new color scheme. Because of their gray-dominated livery, the refurbished train is known as the "Gray Ghost".
The motor units initially amounted to 601-608M, although these numbers later became a conflict with the Comeng fleet, and by mid-1984, the cars were numbered back to the 901-908M range. The trailer was released to service in the 101-108T range, becoming 1501-1508T in 1983, and then 3501-3508T in 1984.
Industrial and other issues with updated trains meant only 16 converted wagons before the program was stopped, and the updated train was withdrawn in 1991, with five motor units (901M and 904-907M) cut for scrap. One refurbished carriage, 903M, has been preserved, and is on display at the Australian Railway History Society Museum in North Williamstown. All eight of the updated trailer cars were converted into standard H-type passenger cars, along with 902M and 908M motors converted into BCH sub-classes.
The four refurbished trains run initially in the M-T-T-M configuration, but three of the trains are then modeled back to the M-T-M-M-T-M configuration.
The updated trains generally run on the route of Port Melbourne, St Kilda and Sandringham. They never ran on the City Loop, except for a farewell tour on April 6, 1991. The restrictions on these three lines were due to the addition of the weight of the refurbished carriages; while the passenger area was upgraded and included two air conditioning units per car, mechanical components still unmodified, and still used second-era motorcycles of the 1960s, which were in fact less powerful than the first series cars of 1956.
Locomotive-retracted services
55 wagons, including a 75-foot (23 m) carriage, are converted to H-type cars for inter-city services and still operate with V/Line as of May 2016. These trains are currently being repaired, and will continue to operate until at least 2016.
Similarly, four carriages were converted to MTH carriages, which were used as carriages behind DERM and DRC relmotor for years. In the following years, they were used on the Stony Point line, behind the class A diesel locomotive until April 26, 2008, when the Sprinter train was introduced on the route. MTH102 was transformed into a special inspection car above for Metro Trains Melbourne, and is now numbered IEV102.
Preservation
With most of the fleets buried due to asbestos or converted to H type cars, only four survive.
The refurbished 795M and 903M motor cars (both depicted below) are at the Australian Railway Historical Society Museum.
Greaser cars 794M and 797M are owned by VicTrack, and stored in Newport Workshops.
Model
N Scale 1: 160
Brimbank Models has developed a range of Harris printed trains and components that can be purchased and assembled for standard mechanisms. The carriages will be available as complete body kits, or as various parts. The cost is generally about $ 80 per carriage plus mechanism for automobiles, which buyers must buy separately.
Gallery
References
External links
- Harris is training at VicSig (the site enthusiast).
- Subway detail by Peter J. Vincent.
- V/LineCars.com - MTH Carriages
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments