[27/01/2012] Enterprise disruption

[Colm Moore]

1035 Belfast Central-Dublin Connolly 15 minutes late at Connolly. 1315 Dublin-Belfast likely to be delayed slightly.

http://www.translink.co.uk/News/Latest-Travel-News/Latest-Enterprise-Travel-News/Enterprise Travel News
Last Update: 12:35 Friday 27th January 2012

The following services will be operated by non-Enterprise trains today, Friday 27 Jan. This is due to a train fault and will mean there will be no 1st Plus service available and limited catering onboard:

06:50 Belfast Central - Dublin Connolly
09:35 Dublin Connolly - Belfast Central
12:35 Belfast Central - Dublin Connolly
15:20 Dublin Connolly - Belfast Central
18:10 Belfast Central - Dublin Connolly

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you have any further queries please ring the Translink Contact Centre on (028) 90 666630.

[2200DMU]

Must of being a major fault to take the entreprise out of service. If it was an engine fault then why not just replace it with another one, they can't be that short on them can they?

[Thomas Ralph]

Not sure many of the 200 locos are cleared north of the border. Have they sorted out gen vans on the DD sets yet or are they still HEPing?

[Mark Gleeson]

9 are fitted as far as I know

Its not a loco issue, probably a mechanical problem with the DVT. It really doesn't stack up

[ThomasJ]

Sorry for taking thread off topic but its 2012!

I tend to make that mistake myself a bit! :)

[dowlingm]

The original delivery of 7608 and 7613 was in December 2009 according to Wiki. It seems to have been only then that they figured out that the crew might need to access it in transit in the event of fire...

[Jamie2k9]

9 are fitted as far as I know

Its not a loco issue, probably a mechanical problem with the DVT. It really doesn't stack up

An enterprise loco was operating on the Cork line yesterday and most lightly on it today.

A stupid question but can the loco operate without the DVT working and just change sides in Belfast and Dublin.

Was on the Cork-Dublin train earlier in the week and it failed and an engine hauled it to Dublin but we had to transfer to another service. Why not let passengers stay on if an engine was able to take it to Dublin.

[dowlingm]

I guess the spare DVT must have been out of commission too? Of course the great debacle that was the Gatwicks was supposed to be the backup Enterprise set.

The Enterprise locos are seen on Heuston routes to give them a break because of the stress HEP generation imposes on them.

[Destructix]

I was on the Dublin-Cork train once and the DVT was been pulled by a locomotive. Before they sprayed all the locomotives in MK4 livery 2007 i think it was 216 or 226 was pulling the DVT at the front. I never got a chance to see was there another locomotive at the rear as i got off at Heuston, probably was and it broke down or the DVT was out of order but the coaches had power though.

GM230 spends a lot of time here in the south with the mk4's i notice. Are they relocating it down here?

[Mark Gleeson]

Depending on the way the train is configured it is not possible for an enterprise to operate without a DVT in the train set. The trains currently cannot operate in hauled mode, though they are being modified to do this as part of the Mk3 generator van project.

The DVT is the only coach with normal buffers so it must also be carried to ensure it can be towed

The Mk4 does not need a DVT in the train (needs either Buffer or DVT) but each end must have a set of normal buffers to be towed.

[Mickey H]

The current problems with the DD set were due to a brake fault, I understand this was repaired yesterday.

As Mark said there are 9 locomotives that can in theory work the enterprise but of these one has broken head end power (209) so currently can't

It is partially incorrect to say a DD set can't be hauled from the DVT end. They can be hauled in this way, and frequently have been, in a failure situation

Irish Rail currently enjoy sending these locomotives to Ballina and elsewhere on freight trains judging by the reports on enthusiast websites