My guess is that the 97s are allowed but at a lower speed and probably on limited runs (maybe higher track access charges as well).
Yes I belive the loco's have a lower maximum permissable speed which would not be any good for running to the current timetable despite it having plenty of slack in it anyway. My understanding is that all the extra weight comes from things like the emissions packs. Would be good if anyone could confrim those both 100% though.
Would there not also be extra weight from them being a metre longer than the 158s? Their bogies should certainly be lighter.
At the moment yes as far as we know.
I may be up there with a cycle, so I've plenty of desire to be all prepared in advance, I've not yet seen the cycle space on a 197 so it'll be nice to know what it's like ahead of the class coming my way.
Yes that's right they're pretty much always 197s now, at least on weekdays and Saturdays. The cycle space is similar to the 196 if I remember correctly.Have I understood correctly that basically all trains from Manchester to Llandudno/Holyhead are now 197s? I'm planning an adventure and it would be wise to be genned up
Oh brilliant, presumably on a North/South unit swap.
It's not so much that the 197s are too heavy it is that the 158s were built extremely lightly. They were attempting to fit the more luxurious air conned 23m express sprinter standard into a 20m basic 150 weight. This why for example the aircon is always been marginal or why 158s can't run on HOWL after the body bogie attachments were enlarged.
The aircon issue is to a very large extent exacerbated by the change of refrigerant that was legally mandated. The new type being much less efficient than the old.
The change in refrigerant definitely didn't help but the systems themselves are undersized to keep the weight and cost down.
On May 13th I saw a 197 just outside Chester with Crewe on it. So maybe they ran that shuttle that day.
My 8.32 East Didsbury to Shotton on 13/5/23 was still a 175.
There's still occasional other trains, but a majority of the services are 197s.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
I think they are just doing a set swap for the South Wales ones - info from the post below:Realtime Trains | 3Z97 0611 Carmarthen to Chester D.M.U.D. | 30/05/2023
Real-time train running information for 3Z97 0611 departure from Carmarthen to Chester D.M.U.D. on 30/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
Anyone know what this move is tomorrow? It calls at Landore and picks up a set at Cardiff. 197s returning to Chester for maintenance?
Yes that's almost certainRealtime Trains | 3Z97 0611 Carmarthen to Chester D.M.U.D. | 30/05/2023
Real-time train running information for 3Z97 0611 departure from Carmarthen to Chester D.M.U.D. on 30/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
Anyone know what this move is tomorrow? It calls at Landore and picks up a set at Cardiff. 197s returning to Chester for maintenance?
Correct, with a 3Z98 path coming the other way. I've heard the southbound one will be 110, 020 and 042.Realtime Trains | 3Z97 0611 Carmarthen to Chester D.M.U.D. | 30/05/2023
Real-time train running information for 3Z97 0611 departure from Carmarthen to Chester D.M.U.D. on 30/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
Anyone know what this move is tomorrow? It calls at Landore and picks up a set at Cardiff. 197s returning to Chester for maintenance?
As far as I'm aware yes!
014 016 019, they went down a few weeks ago.
Isn't most post-BR stock quite a bit heavier than the last generation of BR designs? Something to do with stricter crashworthiness requirements? I was going to suggest aluminium versus steel bodyshells might also be a factor, but actually I think both 158s and 197s are aluminium bodied - is that right?
I thought the poor aircon on the 158s was partly down to suitable equipment* not being available that would fit on the unit without it being out of loading gauge.
Which won't be until after they start the Holyhead - Cardiff services... which they should have already started on.
It seems like there will be a long wait until they appear on Manchester-Cardiff/West Wales.
Still waiting on the acceptance issues to be resolved to allow more to be accepted, to allow more to enter service to cover more routes.