Re: (Vic) 3CM and OH vehicles

["Ron Bennell" <rbennell@teleport.com>]

"Peter J. Vincent" <pjv101@netspace.com.au> wrote in message
3A54146C.DC3E954F@netspace.com.au">news:3A54146C.DC3E954F@netspace.com.au...
> > A few questions for anybody:
> >   When 3CM was used as the overhead inspection car from 1977 to 1980,
> > did it: run on its own, have two pantographs as 1447M, and was it
> > painted yellow as 1447M or did it retain its "Fast Parcels" livery; or
> > was it painted red?
>
> No, 3 CM ran with the pan up and the traction equipment isolated. It was
> never repainted and ran as a normal CM after OI Car went into service.
>
> Have photos of every 3 CM set that ran as greaser, if required.

447M was rebuilt following experiences of operating the grease equipment
with 3CM:

447M was rebuilt as a clean environment inside; dirt getting into the grease
pumps on 3CM would lead to their instant failure.

Two pantographs were fitted to 447M as it was found on 3CM that when the
greasing pan was leading, the observation window got sprayed with grease.
The grease was waterproof (Shell Regraph) and was difficult to wash off the
car (and hands, shoes and socks) with ordinary detergent.  The pantographs
on 447M had longer grease manifolds than on 3CM, and were equiped with
circular steel strips on the pans instead of the standard copper strips

Apart from mu lines, all 1500V and 750V wiring was removed from 447M.  There
were many experiences with 3CM in not being able to completely isolate the
electrical equipment whilst we worked it with a live M car each end.  It
means many cars were not wired exactly to the published circuit!

I have some interior photos of both 3CM and 447M set up in greasing mode.
There are also many of various damaged pans and contact wire, and of the
copper "filings" found on trains during the worst of the period of failure
of the old wire lubrication methods in the late 1970's.

Ron Bennell