PPM - Class 139 at stourbridge

[noddy1878]

Does anyone know how often they swap the units over? I understand they used to be swapped over on a Thursday just after 1400. Is this still the case?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I think it's Sunday when they are swapped over now.

Unless, of course, one fails in which case an extra swap will be made asap.

 

[noddy1878]

Thanks for that. I'll be up that way a week Thursday and will have to hope it is the one I need, 139001.

 

[Scud]

I'm not sure what's exactly up with 139001 but it's not been in use since 1st Jan. 139002 has been doing the honours & is in use again tomorrow. Too early to tell what next week will bring but hopefully you'll get No.1 when you up there.

 

[Arriva158]

I'm not sure what's exactly up with 139001 but it's not been in use since 1st Jan. 139002 has been doing the honours & is in use again tomorrow. Too early to tell what next week will bring but hopefully you'll get No.1 when you up there.

Have to admit that if one does fail they don't have far to go to get a set swap!

 

[Scud]

I stand corrected, 139001 is in use today, 139002 sits standby.

 

[tom1649]

If they both fail, is a Class 153 still an option, or do they cancel the service?

 

[fgwrich]

If they both fail, is a Class 153 still an option, or do they cancel the service?

Nope - Bus replacement service.

Since the introduction of the 139s, the length of the track in Stourbridge Town station has been shortend - so its 139s now or bus...although to be honest, as the distance is really only less than a mile, you'd be better off walking!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Has it been shortened by that much though? The 139s don't take up very much of the available platform at Town.

Irrelevant anyway as there would be no spare 153 to cover the diagram, and I suspect they would have to rustle up a pilotman now anyway?

 

[dooton]

The track has not been shortened at Stourbridge Town - the old track connected to the buffers has been replaced and new buffers have been fitted. The track length is still the same though now. It was shorted during the replacement works but is back to normal now.

As for using a 153 - Both died last year and they went to a bus service, I think 153's all are used elsewhere now as I have see them hooked to 170's to Hereford and on Worcester Shrub Hill -Dorridge (I think) service.

 

[sprinterguy]

As for using a 153 - Both died last year and they went to a bus service, I think 153's all are used elsewhere now as I have see them hooked to 170's to Hereford and on Worcester Shrub Hill -Dorridge (I think) service.

No 170s on the Snow Hill line services, although there is one diagram for a three carriage 150+153.

There is one 170+153 diagram on the Hereford line, one 150+153 diagram on the Snow Hill line, one 153 in use on Coventry-Nuneaton, and most of the others are employed on Chase Line trains coupled to two carriage 170/5s.

 

[Crossover]

Quick question on this - is the spare unit stored in the "garage" at the end of the Town line platform at Stourbridge Junction?
Also, to swap them, do they have to take one out onto the mainline (well, line next to mainline) to get the second one out and the other back in? Do they also ever rotate them as I realise at the moment, only one set of doors gets used.

Went on 139 002 the other week when doing the LM Day Ranger jobbie - got talking to one of the members of staff briefly as we wondered what the constant beeping noise was - it appears the vigilence alarm goers off every like 10 seconds on these!

Would quite like to take one of these only a flat level mainline and nail it...not that there would be much left of it or the driver by the end of that though!!!

 

[sprinterguy]

Yeah the spare unit is kept in the “garage” at Stourbridge Junction. I presume that swapping them does indeed involve one unit running forward onto the connection with the carriage sidings and main line, I can’t think of any other way of performing that manoeuvre.

 

[KiddyKid]

I understand that a new maintainance facility is to be built at SBJ for the class 139's. The land behind the Chiltern Portacabins has been cleared and some track materials have been moved onto the site. The advantage of moving the depot means the branch can be severed from NR and it can have road access through Stourbridge Front Yard (Chiltern Depot). With regard to the use of class 153 on the branch, the London Midland train crew no longer sign the route and the unit has been rostered to other work. Throughout the recent bad weather the PPM has worked well and at times was the only train to be seen at Stourbridge Junction.

 

[Scud]

The 139s are swapped by running the replacement one just over the points which exit the branch (operated by a ground frame) to just by the signal box. The other then runs in from the Town & into it's little shed. The replacement can then just run back into the platform for service.
KiddyKid's right, where although LM do have spare 153s sometimes, it's the fact that LM traincrew no longer sign the route or ground frame any longer.

 

[noddy1878]

Ah well! Looks like it'll be back to 139002 next week then. I'll post again next week to double check! Thanks for your help.

 

[Crossforth]

Does anyone have any pictures of the "garage"?

 

[sprinterguy]

Does anyone have any pictures of the "garage"?

Here's one: http://www.railwaypictures.co.uk/img3283.htm

And another here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/banburybob/3406551053/

 

[transportphoto]

If they both fail, is a Class 153 still an option, or do they cancel the service?

Two LM 153's are currently with NXEA covering for the 156 involved with the crash.

 

[Crossover]

Does anyone have any pictures of the "garage"?

Unfortunately I got pictures of seemingly everything but that at Junction!

Quick search on the Internet and I think this may be it (correct me if I'm wrong someone in the know :P)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/banburybob/3406551053/

Either way, the "garage" is a short distance along from the platform (possibly about the length of a 150?) away from the branch - the only way out of the branch is back to the signal box.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Here's one: http://www.railwaypictures.co.uk/img3283.htm

And another here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/banburybob/3406551053/

Lol at how we both came up with the same one...does look a bit better on the Flickr one...more colourful (though the prototype PPM is also rather colourful too!)

Another quick question - if they so desired, could they run them coupled together in service - the platforms are more than long enough for it at both ends...

 

[Crossforth]

Thanks guys is the prototype still in the shed?

 

[sprinterguy]

Thanks guys is the prototype still in the shed?

Not as far as I know . Once the two "production" people movers were in service, it got taken away.

 

[Crossforth]

ah shame, but it looks like you can still see into the shed to see the other unit with the chance of a cr*ppy photo

 

[sprinterguy]

ah shame, but it looks like you can still see into the shed to see the other unit with the chance of a cr*ppy photo

Yeah you can. The doors are shut most of time, but you can still see through from the platform and spy a bit of whichever unit is in the shed at the time.

 

[tom1649]

So for the record does anyone know when the last ever 153 working was on the branch?

 

[Crossover]

So for the record does anyone know when the last ever 153 working was on the branch?

Around June 2009 I believe
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Another thought - where do they stable the working unit on a night? Would I be correct in thinking the "garage" only has room for one unit?

 

[Scud]

So for the record does anyone know when the last ever 153 working was on the branch?

The last official Class 153 diagram on the branch was on Saturday 20th June 2009 & was operated by 153334 which returned to Tyseley that night.

I can't quite remember but I'm fairly sure that a 153 could & did return to the branch on a couple of guest appearances when there were no 139s available but that was soon stopped when 153s were allocated elsewhere & LM crews' route knowledge expired. I'm also sure that during this initial bedding in period a 153 was kept standby at Tyseley for this purpose..

 

[EWS 58038]

So if LM train crew can no longer do it... who's (company) driving the PPM?

 

[KiddyKid]

The crew are provided by Pre Metro Ltd, I think they might be a sister company of Parry People Movers. Frendly people but they must be getting stir crazy by now!!

 

[noddy1878]

Sorry to drag this thread up again but which unit is one the branch this week? Did thy swap them over? I'm hoping not because it means 139001 is on.