H type carriage
Encyclopedia
The H type carriages are an interurban passenger carriage used on the railways of Victoria
, Australia
. Fitted with economy class only high density 2+3 seating, they are exclusively used on short distance interurban services with V/Line
.
converted 59 cars from early Harris
suburban Electric Multiple Unit
s to replace the last of the older wooden carriage stock They had been ordered after the success of the 1981 New Deal
in increasing patronage.
The four 'MTH' variants were originally converted for use with the DRC railcar
s until the early 1990s, being provided with underfloor generators. They were then used as locomotive hauled carriages on the unelectrified suburban Stony Point line operated by Connex Melbourne
until 26 April 2008 when Sprinter trains
were introduced on the route instead. Currently, MTH 102 is being converted to an inspection car for Metro Trains Melbourne, while the remaining three MTH cars are stored, along with BIH 181 at Newport Workshops.
They are mainly seen on a diesel hauled train to Bacchus Marsh and were used on the Leongatha Line.
Set FSH25 was the first set to be refurbished and repainted into the new V/Line livery, reentering service in September 2007. FSH23 followed in May 2008, with refurbishment of the remainder of the sets is to be completed by mid 2009.
and enabling push pull train
operations. The carriages require a head end power
supply for lighting and air conditioning operation, either supplied by an appropriate locomotive or a separate power van
. Each carriage has two doors per side, manually opened by passengers, but remotely closed and locked by the train conductor. Toilets
, drinking fountains and luggage areas are provided throughout each carriage set.
The MTH carriages previously ran on the Stony Point line with an A Class, until that was taken over by Sprinters. These cars are now in storage.
Additional cars were later constructed to increase capacity. These cars did not feature toilets:
Two sets were created from 75 feet (22.9 m) long Harris trailers, originally made up of carriages BCH-BH-BTH, these are known as the 'long' sets. The H sets with only conventional length cars are known as the 'short' sets.
Sets originally entered service as 3 car sets, later having additional cars added to being them up to four cars. With the breaking up of some sets and reallocation of carriages longer carriage sets have since been formed.
Rail transport in Victoria
Rail transport in Victoria, Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. Victorian lines use broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental narrow gauge lines, and...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Fitted with economy class only high density 2+3 seating, they are exclusively used on short distance interurban services with V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
.
History
Between 1983 and 1992 Clyde EngineeringClyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...
converted 59 cars from early Harris
Harris (train)
The Harris trains were the first steel-bodied Electric Multiple Unit train to operate on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They were introduced in 1956 by the Victorian Railways, and last operated in 1988, although a number of the carriages were converted for other...
suburban Electric Multiple Unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s to replace the last of the older wooden carriage stock They had been ordered after the success of the 1981 New Deal
New Deal (railway)
The New Deal' for Country Passengers was a timetable introduced on 4 October 1981 in Victoria, Australia that revolutionised the provision of country passenger railway services. 35 little-used passenger stations were closed, rolling stock utilisation improved, and new rolling stock introduced...
in increasing patronage.
The four 'MTH' variants were originally converted for use with the DRC railcar
DRC railcar
The DRC was a class of railmotor operated by the Victorian Railways on the country rail network Victoria, Australia. The cars were built by Tulloch Limited in New South Wales and featured stainless steel construction, air-conditioning, and a diesel hydraulic transmission.-History:The first...
s until the early 1990s, being provided with underfloor generators. They were then used as locomotive hauled carriages on the unelectrified suburban Stony Point line operated by Connex Melbourne
Connex Melbourne
Connex Melbourne was a wholly owned subsidiary of French company Veolia Environnement, which had a franchise from the State Government of Victoria to operate all suburban passenger rail services in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. In August 2007, Connex's contract was extended to 30 November 2009....
until 26 April 2008 when Sprinter trains
Sprinter (Victorian train)
The Sprinter is a high speed diesel railcar train manufactured by Goninan for use on interurban and semi-regional rail services in Victoria, Australia...
were introduced on the route instead. Currently, MTH 102 is being converted to an inspection car for Metro Trains Melbourne, while the remaining three MTH cars are stored, along with BIH 181 at Newport Workshops.
They are mainly seen on a diesel hauled train to Bacchus Marsh and were used on the Leongatha Line.
Set FSH25 was the first set to be refurbished and repainted into the new V/Line livery, reentering service in September 2007. FSH23 followed in May 2008, with refurbishment of the remainder of the sets is to be completed by mid 2009.
Usage
The carriages are hauled by N class, A class or P class diesel locomotives, with though cabling providing multiple-unit train controlMultiple-unit train control
Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.A set of...
and enabling push pull train
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...
operations. The carriages require a head end power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
supply for lighting and air conditioning operation, either supplied by an appropriate locomotive or a separate power van
Victorian Railways power vans
The Victorian Railways of Australia and successors have utilised a number of different types of railway carriages and wagons for the supply of head end power to passenger trains on the Victorian railway network....
. Each carriage has two doors per side, manually opened by passengers, but remotely closed and locked by the train conductor. Toilets
Passenger train toilets
In rail transport, many passenger trains have toilet facilities on board. These are often located at the ends of carriages...
, drinking fountains and luggage areas are provided throughout each carriage set.
The MTH carriages previously ran on the Stony Point line with an A Class, until that was taken over by Sprinters. These cars are now in storage.
Coding
H type carriages are numbered in the 101 - 200 series. Sets were issued to traffic with three types of carriage:- BCH economy class with conductors van - cars 121-131, 132-133 long, 134 and 135 seat 10 more people but don't have toilets.
- BH economy class - 141-149, 150-151 were converted to BTH 174-175, 152, 153 long.
- BTH economy class with terminal connections 161-171, 172-173 long, 174-175 formerly BH 150, 151
- MTH metropolitan (suburban) class with terminal connections - 101-104
Additional cars were later constructed to increase capacity. These cars did not feature toilets:
- BIH economy class intermediate - 181-194
Carriage sets
The H type carriage are fixed into semi-permanent sets, identified with the following codes, in conjunction with a unique number:- SH - 3 carriages
- FSH - because of the F, this means that the sets contains 4 carriages.
- VSH - the V means that the set contains 5 carriages
Two sets were created from 75 feet (22.9 m) long Harris trailers, originally made up of carriages BCH-BH-BTH, these are known as the 'long' sets. The H sets with only conventional length cars are known as the 'short' sets.
- SH - the S meaning short.
- VLH - the L meaning long.
Sets originally entered service as 3 car sets, later having additional cars added to being them up to four cars. With the breaking up of some sets and reallocation of carriages longer carriage sets have since been formed.
Services
H sets are used on lines including:- the North-East line, to Seymour
- the Bendigo line, to SunburySunbury railway stationSunbury railway station is in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains.There is a manned ticket office on the London-bound platform and there ticket vending machines...
and Kyneton - the Geelong line, to South Geelong
- the Ballarat line, to Bacchus Marsh