We (the CVR) have recently acquired a wagon carrying its original BR data
panel, which shows "Excess Length 3".

I understand that this relates to excess length compared to the Standard
Length Unit (SLU) of 21 feet, but what are the units?  This actual wagon at
a rough measurement is 43 feet over the body or 47 feet over buffers.

I have asked all our ex-BR people but no-one seems to know what the figures
mean or how they were used in train preparation.  The nearest guess I can
make is that since this wagon is more than 2 SLU long it counts as 3, but
that seems to be a strange way of doing the calculations.

Can anybody help?

TIA

Roger

"Roger H. Bennett"  wrote in message 
news:7q8Pe.271$%h6.228@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...

> We (the CVR) have recently acquired a wagon carrying its original BR data
> panel, which shows "Excess Length 3".
>
> I understand that this relates to excess length compared to the Standard
> Length Unit (SLU) of 21 feet, but what are the units?  This actual wagon 
> at
> a rough measurement is 43 feet over the body or 47 feet over buffers.
>
> I have asked all our ex-BR people but no-one seems to know what the 
> figures
> mean or how they were used in train preparation.  The nearest guess I can
> make is that since this wagon is more than 2 SLU long it counts as 3, but
> that seems to be a strange way of doing the calculations.
>
> Can anybody help?
>
> TIA
>
> Roger
>
>

v) LENGTH



We use a unit of measurement known as a Standard Length Unit (SLU).



An SLU is 21 Feet, but because many wagons are longer than 21 Feet, we 
account for the extra length as EXCESS Length Units (ELU). Each ELU is 2 
Feet.



If the length of a wagon is not known, it should be assessed as follows:-



4 or 6 wheeled vehicles       =       1 SLU + 5 ELU.



Bogie freight wagons           =       3 SLU (to be recorded on T.P. form as 
1 SLU + 20 ELU).



For other types of vehicles, refer to Wkg Mnl Pt 6 Clause C3/17.



The foregoing method of calculating the particulars of a train is vital as 
it is the method we must adopt when other methods fail to be able to do so.

"4sub"  wrote in message
news:dejk82$2k8$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...

> v) LENGTH
>
>
>
> We use a unit of measurement known as a Standard Length Unit (SLU).
>
>
>
> An SLU is 21 Feet, but because many wagons are longer than 21 Feet, we
> account for the extra length as EXCESS Length Units (ELU). Each ELU is 2
> Feet.
>
>
>
> If the length of a wagon is not known, it should be assessed as follows:-
>
>
>
> 4 or 6 wheeled vehicles       =       1 SLU + 5 ELU.
>
>
>
> Bogie freight wagons           =       3 SLU (to be recorded on T.P. form
as
> 1 SLU + 20 ELU).
>
>
>
> For other types of vehicles, refer to Wkg Mnl Pt 6 Clause C3/17.
>
>
>
> The foregoing method of calculating the particulars of a train is vital as
> it is the method we must adopt when other methods fail to be able to do

so.

Thanks for that, which if I understand it correctly confirms my guess that
the "3" on this bogie wagon means it counts as 3 LSU or 1 SLU + 20 ELU.

It still seems to be a strange and unnecessarily complicated way of doing
the calculation.  If this is the same system that was introduced in the
1960s I am not at all surprised that, reputedly, guards often got it wrong.

Roger

"Roger H. Bennett"  wrote in message 
news:N6jPe.975$KG4.40@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...

> "4sub"  wrote in message
> news:dejk82$2k8$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
>> v) LENGTH
>>
>>
>>
>> We use a unit of measurement known as a Standard Length Unit (SLU).
>>
>>
>>
>> An SLU is 21 Feet, but because many wagons are longer than 21 Feet, we
>> account for the extra length as EXCESS Length Units (ELU). Each ELU is 2
>> Feet.
>>
>>
>>
>> If the length of a wagon is not known, it should be assessed as follows:-
>>
>>
>>
>> 4 or 6 wheeled vehicles       =       1 SLU + 5 ELU.
>>
>>
>>
>> Bogie freight wagons           =       3 SLU (to be recorded on T.P. form
> as
>> 1 SLU + 20 ELU).
>>
>>
>>
>> For other types of vehicles, refer to Wkg Mnl Pt 6 Clause C3/17.
>>
>>
>>
>> The foregoing method of calculating the particulars of a train is vital 
>> as
>> it is the method we must adopt when other methods fail to be able to do
> so.
>
> Thanks for that, which if I understand it correctly confirms my guess that
> the "3" on this bogie wagon means it counts as 3 LSU or 1 SLU + 20 ELU.
>
> It still seems to be a strange and unnecessarily complicated way of doing
> the calculation.  If this is the same system that was introduced in the
> 1960s I am not at all surprised that, reputedly, guards often got it 
> wrong.
>
> Roger
>
>

Not really, the High/Low/High/Low calculation worked well.
I was still teaching this method of manual Calc in Oct 97 to Norwood TMD's 
using strings of wagons in Three Bridges PAD.