Least favourite stock

[The 375 King]

Class 508s were not nice, horrid seats, unpleasent smell and somewhat prone to going wrong, glad to see them off the Medway valley line, 465/466 are great for them services.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Class 508s were not nice, horrid seats, unpleasent smell and somewhat prone to going wrong, glad to see them off the Medway valley line, 465/466 are great for them services.

Of course since May the Mudway Valley line uses 375s. 507s / 508s are good wee units, but as has been discovered on Merseyside, they're getting on a bit. I thought 46xs were good for Strood-Tonbridge, but apparently 375s provide more capacity, ergo they now work it. I can't imagine off-peak a 465 was rammed, but there we go! I wonder if the direct HS service to Maidstone West actually relieved pressure on the northern half?

 

[ert47]

I love the sounds that 465/466s make and everything, but I find there is too much plastic in the interiors (and every carriage seems to have a mark on the floor left behind by a spilt drink)

The refreshed 465/9s dont make things any better! BLAND

 

[The 375 King]

I love the sounds that 465/466s make and everything, but I find there is too much plastic in the interiors (and every carriage seems to have a mark on the floor left behind by a spilt drink)

The refreshed 465/9s dont make things any better! BLAND

The best thing about 465/9s is that the first class is different to second class, unlike most of the other mainline stock in this area.

 

[james_hoole]

Favourite is proberbly East Midlands Trains Inter-City 125's.

Least favourite is East Midlands Trains Class 222 Meridians, noisy, hard seats, too many duff windows!

 

[370001]

For me it's the 450s. Massively squeeky bogies and uncomfortable seats. And absolutely no character whatsoever. Unfortunately I have to catch them most days...

This supersedes my dislike for the 165/166s, which I would avoid purposefully in order to get the next HST when i lives along the GWML.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I'd say all Merseyrail units (508,507). Smell horrible, dirty, belong in a museum and the seats are crap

 

[fgwrich]

I'd say all Merseyrail units (508,507). Smell horrible, dirty, belong in a museum and the seats are crap

At least there not the original seats though! I remember when those same seats were in SWTs 455s, and you could go along the South Western mainline watching the collections of seat cushions littering the trackside. If anything, those seats are far better than some of the newer ones - Those cr*ppy plastic Chapman seats for example.

 

[Telcontar]

We could do with something where you rate each aspect (seats, noise level, windows etc) of each class of unit/type of carriage etc and arrive at the perfect train

 

[150001]

Perhaps CSRE may do that

 

[LE Greys]

I'd say all Merseyrail units (508,507). Smell horrible, dirty, belong in a museum and the seats are crap

I'd say the same goes for all the PEP-based stock, which is some of the oldest and most basic on the network. 313s on my local line do their job reasonably well, but it's high time something new came along to replace them. I was hoping for 378s for a while, but perhaps something else. An additional build of Crossrail stock (with shoes) would be a good option, perhaps with LOROL taking over those services not becoming part of Thameslink, followed by yet more additional builds to take over from 314s, 315s and 50Xs.

 

[D6975]

The mention of 4 DES for a class 450 intrigues me.
I had thought that 5 WES was the last of the breed so to speak.

Anyone know any other old SR style names for the newer classes?
375, 376, 377 etc

 

[SprinterMan]

Hmmm, least favourite stock...
GA's 321s (aside from the ones with the blacks seats) are pretty dire inside.
I have never liked 150s, and merseyrail-seated 142s are also well up there.
376s and 378s aren't comfortable but do their job well I suppose.

Adam

 

[LE Greys]

The mention of 4 DES for a class 450 intrigues me.
I had thought that 5 WES was the last of the breed so to speak.

Anyone know any other old SR style names for the newer classes?
375, 376, 377 etc

Only ones I've made up, although I have herd 465s referred to as 4-NETs, but only informally. Presumably, that makes 466s 2-NETs.

 

[SprinterMan]

The mention of 4 DES for a class 450 intrigues me.
I had thought that 5 WES was the last of the breed so to speak.

Anyone know any other old SR style names for the newer classes?
375, 376, 377 etc

AFAIK, the only "new classes" with Letter codes are:
444 - 5DES
450 - 4DES
458 - 4JOP
460 - 8GAT

Adam

 

[LE Greys]

AFAIK, the only "new classes" with Letter codes are:
444 - 5DES
450 - 4DES
458 - 4JOP
460 - 8GAT

Adam

And those!

Although 4-DES/5-DES seems a bit confusing for two different classes, especially as some 450s were intended to run as 5-car units.

 

[SprinterMan]

And those!

Although 4-DES/5-DES seems a bit confusing for two different classes, especially as some 450s were intended to run as 5-car units.

Had the 5-car 450s been built, I would think they would be 5DES and the 444s would be 5DEE (DEsiro Express) or soemthing like that perhaps.

According to Wikipedia, 395s are 6JAV (JAVelin) or 6HIT (HITachi)......
Adam

 

[370001]

In the case of younger stock being assigned former SR-type classifications, why did the much older 455/456s not get a similar classification... after all, these units have lived on the old BR Southern Region/NSE all their working lives...

 

[BestWestern]

My least favourite classes of UK stock overall would have to be 66/67/70's, all of which are unutterably boring, increasingly ugly each time and have robbed us of a great deal of variety and interest on the loco front. The Class 70 is well overdue golden turd awards for both reliability and, ahem, 'styling'.

In terms of passenger stock, I would have to say Desiro's, due to their stupidly uncomfortable seating. I would nominate the 444 in particular, due to the added annoyance of such tiny vestibules and complete lack of any decent luggage stowage. Great on the commuter bit out of W'loo, but they Weymouth route also does tourist traffic! They also displaced the truly epic 442 'Wessex' units, which were a proper long distance train and demonstrated that traditional and innovative features - including half a coach of compartment accommodation, a proper buffet and the wonderful 'snug' area - can have a place on a modern train, and in fact make for a greatly improved travelling experience. Much missed.

 

[rogACE]

yes i loved the 5-WES class 442 too...
Southern/GEX have done a great job on the 2nd life re-furbs so SWT should get them back ruddy asap for Weymouth!

now i live in Dorset i prefer to go from Dorchester West to castle cary then change and get a FGW HST to Paddington than run the risk of a 4-car 450 Desiro turning up ugh! (not acceptable but it frequently happens)

The 444's are ok-ish (but the first class seats are awfully hard and the catering is pathetic for a long distance like Waterloo-Dorset)

SWT 159's are pretty good. Standard class seats are the most comfy i know.

Voyagers? eeewwwww enuff said already...Branson has a lot to answer for.

 

[starrymarkb]

The mention of 4 DES for a class 450 intrigues me.
I had thought that 5 WES was the last of the breed so to speak.

Anyone know any other old SR style names for the newer classes?
375, 376, 377 etc

5-WES and 4-DES are myths made up by enthusiasts... Only recent stock to get a SR title was the 458 and 460 (both Alstom) 4-JOP and 8-GAT.

 

[BestWestern]

yes i loved the 5-WES class 442 too...
Southern/GEX have done a great job on the 2nd life re-furbs so SWT should get them back ruddy asap for Weymouth!

now i live in Dorset i prefer to go from Dorchester West to castle cary then change and get a FGW HST to Paddington than run the risk of a 4-car 450 Desiro turning up ugh! (not acceptable but it frequently happens)

The 444's are ok-ish (but the first class seats are awfully hard and the catering is pathetic for a long distance like Waterloo-Dorset)

SWT 159's are pretty good. Standard class seats are the most comfy i know.

Voyagers? eeewwwww enuff said already...Branson has a lot to answer for.

I'd have to say I think the inherent unreliability of the Wey - Bri route would probably be enough to send me via Desiro, although I suppose there is always the likelihood of a 150/1 turning up to tempt those who like their 'classic' traction!

Hard seats on Desi stock is a major bugbear for many people it seems, but at least first class is less like sitting on a plank of a wood than the abysmal standard class seating, which is truly awful. Thank heavens SWT didn't decide to fit the same rubbish to the refurbed 158/9 sets, as they did with the 455's.

The Virgin Vomet Comets are far from good, certainly far less so than the HST's they superseded. But in defence of beardy Branson, he was at least prepared to take a risk and be a little 'cutting edge', really quite early on in privatisation. It's a shame the end result wasn't a little better but, equally, it could have been a whole lot worse I suppose!

 

[Lrd]

I quite like the seats on the 444s ( both classes) but I'm not a fan of the planks of wood on the 450s and most Electrostars...

 

[ffm]

Northern Pacers, with the Arriva refurbed seating, or the original bus seats of the ex-FGW sets. The latter also have the roof heater alone, at least the Arriva refurb put in proepr heating. The roof heater does not even warm a set on a freezing day (witness passengers wrapped up and hugging each other - seriously - during the very cold weather 2010/1) the radiators heating on the post-Arriva sets at least heats, though shame this is true of a hot day too.

I hate these damned things, to think we pay to ride on them and the Southerners complain about their modern, comfortable, generally air-conditioned EMUs. Give us any of them please!

 

[sprinterguy]

Northern Pacers, with the Arriva refurbed seating, or the original bus seats of the ex-FGW sets. The latter also have the roof heater alone, at least the Arriva refurb put in proepr heating. The roof heater does not even warm a set on a freezing day (witness passengers wrapped up and hugging each other - seriously - during the very cold weather 2010/1) the radiators heating on the post-Arriva sets at least heats, though shame this is true of a hot day too.

I've always been of the opinion that the Northern Spirit/ATN refurbed 142s are the best of Northern's bunch, although not up to the standard of the ATW units.

 

[BestWestern]

I hate these damned things, to think we pay to ride on them and the Southerners complain about their modern, comfortable, generally air-conditioned EMUs. Give us any of them please!

Uh oh, here we go again...

Be careful, we Southerners only got swanky new sets to replace the ancient, dangerous 'Slammers remember

 

[Rhydgaled]

In terms of passenger stock, I would have to say Desiro's, due to their stupidly uncomfortable seating. I would nominate the 444 in particular, due to the added annoyance of such tiny vestibules and complete lack of any decent luggage stowage. Great on the commuter bit out of W'loo, but they Weymouth route also does tourist traffic! They also displaced the truly epic 442 'Wessex' units, which were a proper long distance train and demonstrated that traditional and innovative features - including half a coach of compartment accommodation, a proper buffet and the wonderful 'snug' area - can have a place on a modern train, and in fact make for a greatly improved travelling experience. Much missed.

Do 444s not have proper buffet cars then? I haven't traveled on 444s much, so don't know what they are like but from the outside they look like proper long-distance trains (as 5-WESes do) with doors at the ends of coaches not in suburban 1/3,2/3 positions.

5-WES and 4-DES are myths made up by enthusiasts... Only recent stock to get a SR title was the 458 and 460 (both Alstom) 4-JOP and 8-GAT.

5-WES is real enough surely, the Wessex Electrics?

 

[Lrd]

Do 444s not have proper buffet cars then? I haven't traveled on 444s much, so don't know what they are like but from the outside they look like proper long-distance trains (as 5-WESes do) with doors at the ends of coaches not in suburban 1/3,2/3 positions.

They have a buffet counter which is only ever used sporadically in the peaks, if at all. The usual service is a trolley, which on 10 car 444's can take a while to make it's way through, if it can pass all the standing passengers that is (which is why they sometimes use the buffet).

 

[Mike342]

the ATN 142s the seats are uncomfy cold damp no legroom

 

[asylumxl]

They have a buffet counter which is only ever used sporadically in the peaks, if at all. The usual service is a trolley, which on 10 car 444's can take a while to make it's way through, if it can pass all the standing passengers that is (which is why they sometimes use the buffet).

Stagecoach seems to like doing this. They do the same in 222s and just like the 444s, the trolley staff usually end up using the buffet counter anyway.