Re: 82's Leading Patricks West- Question on 82 cl gear ratios & what about using the Cs and the DLs

["Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>]

John MacCallum wrote in message <37B9F1E8.46CE8411@MYlisp.com.au>...
>
>> John, for my information and of others, what is the gear ratio of the 82
and
>> 90 classes, their maximum speed,  their maximum continuous rating, and
their
>> maximum rating.
>> If I am not mistaken, I think they both have the D87BTR traction motors,
and
>> AR11 alternators as does the DL class?
>The 82's do indeed have the same Traction motors and Main Alternator as
>90's. I don't have a 90 class book so I can't quote
>the gear ration for them but the 82 class gear ratio is 69:18.
>Clyde quote the Maximum speed as 121 kph. Of course Freightcorp
>and RSA have a 115 kph on them. I also just found that their
>minimum rated speed is 15.4 Kph.
>
>I can't comment on the DL's I did have a look at one when they
>were new and they came to Lithgow for fuelling. I quite liked
>what I saw. The El's on the other hand I didn't like a whole lot
>and a driver at Lithgow that trailed a El on the Mountains
>told me that they where no good on the heavy grades.
>
>John MacCallum

Thank You John.  From the Information that you gave me I have looked at old
SD40 manual and have worked out that the gear ratio of a 90 class would be
70:17, if the maximum speed of 115 km/h quoted is correct.  The 68:19 ratio
is equivilent to 61:16 which is what the other mainline Clyde
NSWGR/FreightCorp locomotives were fitted with, which gives them a maximum
speed of 124 km/h.  The 49s had a 59:18 gear ratio.

VR had 59:18 for its mainline locos for a 145km/h maximum.  CR had 58:19 for
its mainline Clyde locos, giving a 155 km.h maximum.
The Westrail L was 60:17, giving it a 134 km/h maximum.

The 70:17 gear ratio is equivilent to the 62:15 ratio which is the lowest
ratio given to an SD40.  The SD40s with a 62:15 ratio had a minimum
continuous speed of 17.8 km/h.  The 90 class may be lower with their
super-series.

As for the ELs they were meant for fast light trains on easy grades, ideal
for a fast container or passenger train over the Nullabor, not for Leigh
Creek Coal  or Broken Hill Ore trains.  They were given a  high gear ratio
for speed.  There was also a  policy of reducing unsprung mass for the
bogie, so the lightest traction motor was provided.  From what an ex Fitter-
Foreman has told me, the trouble with changing the traction motors on an EL
is that the cables from the main alternator to the traction motors are rated
for that traction motor, and not for anything heavier.  Whereas Clyde
locomotives were built with wiring suitable for the highest rating traction
motor built at the time of construction.
I'd like to see an EL hauling the Steel train up the Adelaide Hills in that
case.

The DLs have D87BTRs which is the highest rating traction motor in use in
Australia for Clyde locomotives.  The same as used on its coal carrying
cousins, the 90 class.
They however retain a 67:22 gear ratio giving them a maximum speed of 153
km/h, and I suppose it would have a minimum continuous speed of no more than
23 km/h.