Pendolino - bloody impressive
Discussion
Took the train to Euston for the cup final yesterday.
Must say, bloody impressed. These Pendolino's shift, I mean proper shift and they don't half tilt aswell. Heading through Stafford and beyond where the track gets quite twisty was like being in a plane, looking left at soil and right up into the sky.
Just thought I'd share that.
Cheers
Must say, bloody impressed. These Pendolino's shift, I mean proper shift and they don't half tilt aswell. Heading through Stafford and beyond where the track gets quite twisty was like being in a plane, looking left at soil and right up into the sky.
Just thought I'd share that.

Cheers
lazyitus said:
Took the train to Euston for the cup final yesterday.
Must say, bloody impressed. These Pendolino's shift, I mean proper shift and they don't half tilt aswell. Heading through Stafford and beyond where the track gets quite twisty was like being in a plane, looking left at soil and right up into the sky.
Just thought I'd share that.
Cheers
I loved that bit of track too, early morning I got the train from Euston to Manchester and just passing that area the sun was coming up.. One window its just sky, the other, just track.. Very impressive trains.Must say, bloody impressed. These Pendolino's shift, I mean proper shift and they don't half tilt aswell. Heading through Stafford and beyond where the track gets quite twisty was like being in a plane, looking left at soil and right up into the sky.
Just thought I'd share that.

Cheers
Comfortable too!
Jonny671 said:
lazyitus said:
Took the train to Euston for the cup final yesterday.
Must say, bloody impressed. These Pendolino's shift, I mean proper shift and they don't half tilt aswell. Heading through Stafford and beyond where the track gets quite twisty was like being in a plane, looking left at soil and right up into the sky.
Just thought I'd share that.
Cheers
I loved that bit of track too, early morning I got the train from Euston to Manchester and just passing that area the sun was coming up.. One window its just sky, the other, just track.. Very impressive trains.Must say, bloody impressed. These Pendolino's shift, I mean proper shift and they don't half tilt aswell. Heading through Stafford and beyond where the track gets quite twisty was like being in a plane, looking left at soil and right up into the sky.
Just thought I'd share that.

Cheers
Comfortable too!
I use them everyday for the commute from Milton Keynes to London and agree they are comfortable and quick (rest of the infrastructure permitting), however this does seem to vary depending amount of passengers and how much of a hurry they need to be in.
If they are full to overflowing, ie normally, they are very smooth, but if you ever get on an empty one, say less than 50% capacity, they do "seem" to rattle more and bounce around a little. Also when they are trying to catch up lost time and realy have the hammer down, you get the feeling they are getting close to the limits of what they can do. I think the drivers know this too as it doesnt happen very often. Eg normal journey time from MK to Euston is about 32 min, fastest I have done it in is 22 min, which was getting close to hang-on for dear life territory when it tilted through the Northbound tunnel at Leighton Buzzard
Would love to know some performance stats of them though when they are unloaded as they must have some serious amounts of power.
If they are full to overflowing, ie normally, they are very smooth, but if you ever get on an empty one, say less than 50% capacity, they do "seem" to rattle more and bounce around a little. Also when they are trying to catch up lost time and realy have the hammer down, you get the feeling they are getting close to the limits of what they can do. I think the drivers know this too as it doesnt happen very often. Eg normal journey time from MK to Euston is about 32 min, fastest I have done it in is 22 min, which was getting close to hang-on for dear life territory when it tilted through the Northbound tunnel at Leighton Buzzard

Would love to know some performance stats of them though when they are unloaded as they must have some serious amounts of power.
From the web
"Pendolino uses Alstom Onix traction drive, with twelve 570 horsepower traction motors. This produces acceleration of up to 0.43 metres per second, ie 0 to 60 in 60 seconds, and eventually reaching 140mph (track permitting). A Pendolino weighs 471 tonnes."
12 x 570 = 6840 bhp The 0-60 time looks about right for something with 14.5bhp per tonne. So its not really fast in accelleration terms, but will have serious momentum when travelling at 140 mph
"Pendolino uses Alstom Onix traction drive, with twelve 570 horsepower traction motors. This produces acceleration of up to 0.43 metres per second, ie 0 to 60 in 60 seconds, and eventually reaching 140mph (track permitting). A Pendolino weighs 471 tonnes."
12 x 570 = 6840 bhp The 0-60 time looks about right for something with 14.5bhp per tonne. So its not really fast in accelleration terms, but will have serious momentum when travelling at 140 mph
Edited by blueg33 on Monday 1st March 17:34
Do they still all smell of s
t and wee or have they sorted that out.
I remember looking out of a southbound train at Berkhamstead castle at an angle which led me to momentarily believe that I'd ingested some seriously mind altering drugs, or was about to die. Then I figured out what was going on.
t and wee or have they sorted that out. I remember looking out of a southbound train at Berkhamstead castle at an angle which led me to momentarily believe that I'd ingested some seriously mind altering drugs, or was about to die. Then I figured out what was going on.
theironduke said:
Never been on a Pendolino but still love a "long haul" journey on a 125 Intercity (as was)....proper trains and they sound awesome!
I do 3 times a week to London and back on a 125. 2 hours each way, they are comfortable but noisy with dodgy doors, dodgy heating, dodgy electrics.Full throttle could take you up to 160mph +, the max speed we can do is 125mph 
The best time I've done from Manchester to Euston is 1hr 52m, if everything is running right then this happens quite often.
Most parts of the WCML is 125mph including Rugby which at first was unnerving to say the least, it started at 75mph then dropped to 40mph for engineering works and then shot to 125mph

The best time I've done from Manchester to Euston is 1hr 52m, if everything is running right then this happens quite often.
Most parts of the WCML is 125mph including Rugby which at first was unnerving to say the least, it started at 75mph then dropped to 40mph for engineering works and then shot to 125mph

Edited by Bodie390 on Tuesday 2nd March 09:47
Markytop said:
I use them everyday for the commute from Milton Keynes to London
I commute every day from Northampton to London and would love to use them to cut the journey time but there is one service in to London once a day and there is no return in the evening. So I have to stick with London Midland's finest 
Edited by mattdaniels on Tuesday 2nd March 09:58
Bodie390 said:
Full throttle could take you up to 160mph +, the max speed we can do is 125mph 
The best time I've done from Manchester to Euston is 1hr 52m, if everything is running right then this happens quite often.
Most parts of the WCML is 125mph including Rugby which at first was unnerving to say the least, it started at 75mph then dropped to 40mph for engineering works and then shot to 125mph
How far out (I'm not sure what you measure in on the tracks? Yards, Metres, Miles?) do you start braking from 125mph to stop smoothly at a station?
The best time I've done from Manchester to Euston is 1hr 52m, if everything is running right then this happens quite often.
Most parts of the WCML is 125mph including Rugby which at first was unnerving to say the least, it started at 75mph then dropped to 40mph for engineering works and then shot to 125mph

Edited by Bodie390 on Tuesday 2nd March 09:47
Markytop said:
I use them everyday for the commute from Milton Keynes to London and agree they are comfortable and quick (rest of the infrastructure permitting), however this does seem to vary depending amount of passengers and how much of a hurry they need to be in.
If they are full to overflowing, ie normally, they are very smooth, but if you ever get on an empty one, say less than 50% capacity, they do "seem" to rattle more and bounce around a little. Also when they are trying to catch up lost time and realy have the hammer down, you get the feeling they are getting close to the limits of what they can do. I think the drivers know this too as it doesnt happen very often. Eg normal journey time from MK to Euston is about 32 min, fastest I have done it in is 22 min, which was getting close to hang-on for dear life territory when it tilted through the Northbound tunnel at Leighton Buzzard
Would love to know some performance stats of them though when they are unloaded as they must have some serious amounts of power.
22min! That is bloody impressive. If they are full to overflowing, ie normally, they are very smooth, but if you ever get on an empty one, say less than 50% capacity, they do "seem" to rattle more and bounce around a little. Also when they are trying to catch up lost time and realy have the hammer down, you get the feeling they are getting close to the limits of what they can do. I think the drivers know this too as it doesnt happen very often. Eg normal journey time from MK to Euston is about 32 min, fastest I have done it in is 22 min, which was getting close to hang-on for dear life territory when it tilted through the Northbound tunnel at Leighton Buzzard

Would love to know some performance stats of them though when they are unloaded as they must have some serious amounts of power.
Bodie390 said:
Full throttle could take you up to 160mph +, the max speed we can do is 125mph 
The best time I've done from Manchester to Euston is 1hr 52m, if everything is running right then this happens quite often.
Most parts of the WCML is 125mph including Rugby which at first was unnerving to say the least, it started at 75mph then dropped to 40mph for engineering works and then shot to 125mph
I worked on the Rugby remodelling. It's quite impressive to see the Pendolinos coming through on the down fast now - especially that curve just after Hillmorton junc. going into the station.
The best time I've done from Manchester to Euston is 1hr 52m, if everything is running right then this happens quite often.
Most parts of the WCML is 125mph including Rugby which at first was unnerving to say the least, it started at 75mph then dropped to 40mph for engineering works and then shot to 125mph

Edited by Bodie390 on Tuesday 2nd March 09:47
They bank a bit there!
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