Transpennine Express decide not to use MK3's on limited services

[Jamesrob637]

Mark 3s are amazing, probably because I'm 32 next month and was brought up with these vehicles (and French Corail/Swiss EWIV etc)

I went on the Chiltern 68-hauled LHCS last Saturday and it was amazing how much life is still left in these coaches. Possibly even better than Mark 4s??

By the way I can't wait to see these trains around Manchester at Xmas time!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I went on the Chiltern 68-hauled LHCS last Saturday and it was amazing how much life is still left in these coaches. Possibly even better than Mark 4s??

Mk4s are cheaply-built rough-riding rubbish with a cramped and unnecessary tilt profile, the Mk3 is definitely a better coach.

 

[childwallblues]

Stole my thunder. The veg have been doing a cracking job on the Wherry Lines of late assisting performance

Unsure what the Wherry Lines have to do with TPE.

 

[Bungle965]

Unsure what the Wherry Lines have to do with TPE.

Slam door Mk2s are in use with top and tail 37s on that line.
Sam

 

[childwallblues]

Slam door Mk2s are in use with top and tail 37s on that line.
Sam

OK Thank you.

 

[dk1]

OK Thank you.

Glad you got it in the end.

 

[scarby]

Anyone know when these services will commence? As far as I can see the services in mid-December on Real Train Times are still all pathed for DMUs.

 

[BMIFlyer]

Anyone know when these services will commence? As far as I can see the services in mid-December on Real Train Times are still all pathed for DMUs.

December timetable change, if all goes to plan.

They initially won't be timetables services - they will be using spare paths and won't carry passengers as they will be used for training.

Passenger carrying will commence hopefully in the new year. Besides, when in use they will continue to be pathed as a class 185 regardless, as the usage of the LHCS will be ad hoc.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Is there a path yet from Laira to move the set?

 

[absolutelymilk]

December timetable change, if all goes to plan.

Is this still the plan?

 

[yorksrob]

They could have done with using them between Sheffield and Manchester today. The two non-stopper trains an hour are absolute pandemonium.

Coupled with the fact that there's nowhere decent near Sheffield station to get breakfast.

 

[Ash Bridge]

They could have done with using them between Sheffield and Manchester today. The two non-stopper trains an hour are absolute pandemonium.

Coupled with the fact that there's nowhere decent near Sheffield station to get breakfast.

Indeed, 2x185s can't come soon enough on these South TPE services.

 

[yorksrob]

Indeed, 2x185s can't come soon enough on these South TPE services.

I certainly hope the next one is !

 

[Tracked]

They could have done with using them between Sheffield and Manchester today. The two non-stopper trains an hour are absolute pandemonium.

Coupled with the fact that there's nowhere decent near Sheffield station to get breakfast.

Was in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago, the 10:42 Cleethorpes-Man Airport from Doncaster was standing room only to Sheffield, and the crowd at Sheffield was really big, quite glad I was changing trains ..

 

[absolutelymilk]

Will these have power doors by the way?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Will these have power doors by the way?

No.

 

[yorksrob]

Was in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago, the 10:42 Cleethorpes-Man Airport from Doncaster was standing room only to Sheffield, and the crowd at Sheffield was really big, quite glad I was changing trains ..

Yes, I normally try and avoid those services for that reason.

 

[alexl92]

Mk4s are cheaply-built rough-riding rubbish with a cramped and unnecessary tilt profile, the Mk3 is definitely a better coach.

I'd rather ride on a Mk4 any day compared to anything TPE or Northern currently operate aside from a 158. I really can't stand the 185s.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

i would rather ride a 185 than a voyager. And that's speaking from someone who has worked both.

that said a voyager ride is far smoother than a 185 to be fair.....

 

[FQTV]

I'd rather ride on a Mk4 any day compared to anything TPE or Northern currently operate aside from a 158. I really can't stand the 185s.

I must admit that I'm really fond of the 185s.

No train is fun when it's full and standing, of course, and like a number of modern designs, they're terribly space inefficient, but as a seated passenger I am perfectly content.

I particularly like it when I'm in First and the engine is off, and the dominant noise seems to be airflow outside and internal ventilation.

Although it's only obliquely connected to the train type (though of course working environment does affect staff morale) I also like the Transpennine Express service in First. Maybe I'm lucky, but the hosts I get always seem to be extremely good. I had (I assume) a Scarborough-based chap the other day, who quietly and dead-panly had the entire saloon smiling and chatting to him.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fundamentally the problem with Class 185s is that they are two coaches too short, and the position of the "ballroom" the wrong side of First Class a little impractical, meaning there is de-facto only one bog for 2 and a bit Standard coaches. Other than that they are decent enough, basically just a 23m diesel version of the excellent Class 350.

With the refurb they look even nicer, though I fear those white First Class seats will get mucky quickly (should have chosen dark grey I reckon), while Standard looks a little dated (reminds me of the old Deutsche Reichsbahn compartment coaches that were common on DB regional services and overnighters in the 1990s).

 

[Mordac]

185s are a bit marmite. Personally I love them, as do quite a few others: they're quiet (on the inside that is), and comfortable, big windows and good aircon--possibly the best DMU on the network. The only issue is the bad first class positioning. But a few other people seem to really hate them, with little in between. A lot of the haters are part of the end door mob, though.

 

[Devonman2014]

Is there a path yet from Laira to move the set?

Hi

Apparently this move is in the system for light engine by DRS to Plymouth

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R02208/2017/10/30/advanced

Followed by this path

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K12834/2017/10/31/advanced

For the pretendalino set to go north.

Info courtesy of a Facebook post

Mark

 

[Spartacus]

Thank you for something on-topic, rather than 185s, 221s, 350s, 158s & Mk4s!

 

[Bletchleyite]

A lot of the haters are part of the end door mob, though.

I used to be a member of the end-door mob until I rode a Class 380, then I realised that a train can very much have an InterCity feeling despite basically being a poshed-up suburban EMU.

Long coaches (23 or 24m) with doors at about 1/4 and 3/4 seems to work very well while retaining an IC type feel.

 

[Mordac]

I used to be a member of the end-door mob until I rode a Class 380, then I realised that a train can very much have an InterCity feeling despite basically being a poshed-up suburban EMU.

Long coaches (23 or 24m) with doors at about 1/4 and 3/4 seems to work very well while retaining an IC type feel.

It's always nice to have converts, although I'm surprised it was the 380s with their piddly tabled that made you change your mind. For me the best example of the genre are the TPE 350/4s.

The reason I like doors at thirds so much is that they make boarding much easier, especially for intercity services where many passengers are carrying luggage! Boarding a carriage at thirds, I can always choose to turn right or left if one of the directions is blocked by someone trying to lift a trunk into the overheads...

Intercity stopping patterns also mean that any inconvenience of the doors opening into the saloon is minimized, since stops are left frequent.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's always nice to have converts, although I'm surprised it was the 380s with their piddly tabled that made you change your mind. For me the best example of the genre are the TPE 350/4s.

I like 350s (other than 1st I'd rate /1, /3 and /4 the same), but until they take a row out on the airline side of the centre section (the pitch there is inhuman) they won't really have an IC feel to me.

I think what does it on the 380s is the long centre section (as they are 23m) and the mostly facing layout.

The reason I like doors at thirds so much is that they make boarding much easier, especially for intercity services where many passengers are carrying luggage! Boarding a carriage at thirds, I can always choose to turn right or left if one of the directions is blocked by someone trying to lift a trunk into the overheads...

Intercity stopping patterns also mean that any inconvenience of the doors opening into the saloon is minimized, since stops are left frequent.

Exactly.

 

[northwichcat]

It's always nice to have converts, although I'm surprised it was the 380s with their piddly tabled that made you change your mind. For me the best example of the genre are the TPE 350/4s.

The reason I like doors at thirds so much is that they make boarding much easier, especially for intercity services where many passengers are carrying luggage! Boarding a carriage at thirds, I can always choose to turn right or left if one of the directions is blocked by someone trying to lift a trunk into the overheads...

Intercity stopping patterns also mean that any inconvenience of the doors opening into the saloon is minimized, since stops are left frequent.

I never get the argument that single end doors at better on Intercity services than local services. You can have hundreds of people alighting an Intercity service at the terminus station with many of them needing to make connections to other services.

Also the number of doors is an important consideration. On a Northern local service disembarking can be slow whether it's a 142 (with 3 double doors) or a 156 (with 4 single doors), it's faster on a 150 (with 4 double doors.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

You only really get the benefit from double doors if they are wide enough for two people to go through them at the same time. On the Class 700 they are, on PEP EMUs they *only just* are, on Mk3 EMUs they aren't. The 150 clears quicker mainly because it's shorter and the doors are at thirds.

 

[northwichcat]

The 150 clears quicker mainly because it's shorter and the doors are at thirds.

It's longer than a 142 which usually takes longer to clear. The number of passengers is the biggest variable and Northern putting a 142 on the first service, a 150 on the following and a 156 on the third doesn't mean they'll be a massive difference in the total number of passengers on the 3 services.