Class 19 is the name given to an experimental

railway locomotive A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the us ...

that was constructed using a Mark 3

DVT Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of venous thrombosis involving the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs or pelvis. A minority of DVTs occur in the arms. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, redness, and enla ...

. The locomotive is part of a project funded by the

Rail Safety and Standards Board The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is a British independent company limited by guarantee. Interested parties include various rail industry organisations, including Network Rail, train operating companies (TOCs), and rolling stock comp ...

(RSSB) to test the viability of combining

hydrostatic transmission A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is an automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of gear ratios. This contrasts with other transmissions that provide a limited number of gear ratios in fixed steps. T ...

with a form of

regenerative braking Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...

that can reduce engine emissions. Hydrostatic transmissions have been used previously for rail vehicles, but only for slow-speed track maintenance vehicles and similar, not for mainline locomotives.

Diesel-hydraulic locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

s instead use a hydrodynamic, i.e.

torque converter A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that transfers rotating power from a prime mover, like an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven load. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the torque converter connects the power ...

, transmission.

History

In 2017, the RSSB announced that it planned to fund the development of an experimental rail vehicle in conjunction with Artemis Intelligent Power, a developmental company specialising in

hydraulic Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...

machines. The intention of the project was to develop a rail vehicle that could store braking energy, which could then be released during acceleration. It would be powered by

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

s as the

prime mover Prime mover may refer to: Philosophy *Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings Engineering * Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy o ...

, driving

hydraulic pump Hydraulic pumps are used in hydraulic drive systems and can be hydrostatic or hydrodynamic. A hydraulic pump is a mechanical source of power that converts mechanical power into hydraulic energy ( hydrostatic energy i.e. flow, pressure). It generat ...

s and then

hydraulic motor A hydraulic motor is a mechanical actuator that converts hydraulics, hydraulic pressure and flow into torque and angular displacement (rotation). The hydraulic motor is the rotary counterpart of the hydraulic cylinder as a linear actuator. Mo ...

s mounted on the axles. These motors could also act as pumps, storing braking energy in

hydraulic accumulator A hydraulic accumulator is a pressure storage reservoir in which an incompressible hydraulic fluid is held under pressure that is applied by an external source of mechanical energy. The external source can be an engine, a spring, a raised weight, ...

s. This type of system is being offered as a potential solution for use in areas that are not economical to electrify. The RSSB and Artemis entered into a collaboration with

Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways, formally The Chiltern Railway Company Limited, is a British train operating company that has operated the Chiltern Railways franchise since July 1996. Since 2009, it has been a subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains. Chiltern Railw ...

to obtain a suitable vehicle, with one of Chiltern's DVTs chosen as the donor vehicle. The vehicle, 82113, was moved for conversion to the

Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a heritage railway in Bo'ness, Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS), and operates a total of over of track (between Bo'ness and Manuel Junction, via Kinneil and Birkh ...

in July 2017, where work began. This involved the installation of the JCB diesel engines, the Artemis E-dyn 96 Digital Displacement Hydraulic Pump and the axle mounted motors. The vehicle was also fitted with a second cab by the removal of the guard's compartment, allowing it to be driven from either end. The vehicle was started for the first time on 20 July 2018. Commissioning trials began on 1 August 2018 jointly between Artemis and the SRPS Diesel Group.

References

External links

Artemis set to test alternative traction system

Class 19 - Facebook
{{British Rail Locomotives 19 Standard gauge locomotives of Great Britain 19 Experimental locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 2017