3-coach trains on St Albans Abbey line

[aal7]

LM website is reporting 3 coaches instead of 4 on the St Albans Abbey line today. What stock do they have in the area that's 3-coach?

 

[ushawk]

Would have thought 1 coach of the 321 has been locked OOU for some reason. Unlikely a 323 has been sent down because of a lack of knowledge.

 

[sprinterguy]

Would have thought 1 coach of the 321 has been locked OOU for some reason. Unlikely a 323 has been sent down because of a lack of knowledge.

Indeed - It's a carriage locked out on unit 321413.

 

[aal7]

That explains it. Thank you.

 

[Class172]

Would have thought 1 coach of the 321 has been locked OOU for some reason. Unlikely a 323 has been sent down because of a lack of knowledge.

...and also the rather large ECS manoeuvre that would also be required.

Indeed - It's a carriage locked out on unit 321413.

I wonder what necessitated a whole carriage being locked out?

 

[CC 72100]

I wonder what necessitated a whole carriage being locked out?

Human fluids?

 

[455driver]

...and also the rather large ECS manoeuvre that would also be required.

I wonder what necessitated a whole carriage being locked out?

Door fault for one thing if its an end coach.

 

[plastictaffy]

It was confirmed on my work e-mail as a door fault on one of the coaches.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I had a door fault on a 321 fairly recently on a 321 set - myself and the driver decided to isolate the coach - a lot easier to do on a Dusty than on a 350!!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Unlikely a 323 has been sent down because of a lack of knowledge.

A 323 would never be used for that route, as the Bletchley drivers that do that route don't sign them. I've heard somewhere that a 321 is the only EMU type authorised on that route.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Only units cleared are 321 - and in the past 313 (+ wait for it - 310 , 303 - rights for which have lapsed)

Also 150 sets.

Always better to keep a train in service than a cancellations(s)

 

[plastictaffy]

That's right, before the 350's came, a 313 was used on the branch. Used to swap with a unit from Bletchley TMD. Thinking about it, I've heard stories about a certain driver who had one "on the floor" in the carriage sidings. And we have pictures on the messroom wall of 313's both on the branch and in the TMD.

 

[Urban Gateline]

It was confirmed on my work e-mail as a door fault on one of the coaches.

Although it was a fault, it wasn't a door fault! There was a problem with the floor where it started giving way in the gangway connection between the 3rd and 4th coach! At first two coaches were locked out of use and then it went to just one out of use. Now the unit is running as normal again!

 

[455driver]

Only units cleared are 321 - and in the past 313 (+ wait for it - 310 , 303 - rights for which have lapsed)

When were they cleared for it?
They were normally used around Glasgow and some were sent South to Manchester but I didnt know they worked that far South!

Edit-
Did you mean 304s which were a Midland unit?

 

[plastictaffy]

Although it was a fault, it wasn't a door fault!

Control up to their usual tricks then. "we don't know, lets just say it's a door fault....."

 

[33056]

Only units cleared are 321 - and in the past 313 (+ wait for it - 310 , 303 - rights for which have lapsed)

Also 150 sets.

Going back further (pre 1988), the "Abbey Flyer" was a first generation DMU (class 108?) which came from Bletchley every morning (03:30 Bletchley to Watford from memory) and went back again at night.

 

[sprinterguy]

Control up to their usual tricks then. "we don't know, lets just say it's a door fault....."

There was a door fault as well, to begin with, which is why two carriages were initially locked out of use. It just wasn't that problem that kept one carriage locked out all day.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

When were they cleared for it?
They were normally used around Glasgow and some were sent South to Manchester but I didnt know they worked that far South!

Edit-
Did you mean 304s which were a Midland unit?

In 1997 - when plans were afoot to increase the North London line to 4 tph all day with a fleet of 23 x 313 to cover the whole range of he DC, the West London line and the NLL (+ the Abbey) , permission was sought and granted to operate 313 sets (released from Scotrail , or 310 units - released from Central) - or to use some of the 117 fleet (hopelessly unreliable at this point) - however , the 313's were retained , as any unit which had DC /AC changeover issues was ideal for the branch.

This was when the NX group had a range of TOC's so mad ideas like 303 sets were permissible. They would have been ideal I thought .....