Class 175s to GWR

[RPI]

006 on passenger and 002+011 out and about again.
What's happened to 103 and 110; they are supposed to be ready to run.
I think they are all demob happy at GWR and waiting for nationalisation when everything works overnight.

The last 10 months has been a nightmare for passengers. Today Exeter-Penzance has 2 car 150, 2 car 158, 5 car IET, 9 car IET.
The 0732 out of Barnstaple is a 3 car 158 so the supplementary coaches will be busy

How are they demob happy? They're still running trains after December 13th, utter tosh!

 

[Dan G]

It was a joke

 

[FGW_DID]

What's happened to 103 and 110; they are supposed to be ready to run.

They are undergoing post works checks. We do exactly the same when our Turbos return, its nothing 175 specific.

 

[Apedlar12]

175004 out on the crew training / mileage runs between Exeter and Plymouth this afternoon, first time it has been used on those I believe.

 

[BillStampy]

175006 and 002 (2C05 from Plymouth) in service today.

175007 (first time for a while for this unit) and 011 are out today for their mileage accumulation.

 

[Apedlar12]

175006 and 002 (2C05 from Plymouth) in service today.

150216 now scheduled to replace 175002 on 2E11 at Plymouth.

 

[BillStampy]

150216 now scheduled to replace 175002 on 2E11 at Plymouth.

Looked to have been the original plan anyway. It was only allocated to go as far as Plymouth on 2E11 when originally allocated.

 

[northernbelle]

006 on passenger and 002+011 out and about again.
What's happened to 103 and 110; they are supposed to be ready to run.
I think they are all demob happy at GWR and waiting for nationalisation when everything works overnight.

The last 10 months has been a nightmare for passengers. Today Exeter-Penzance has 2 car 150, 2 car 158, 5 car IET, 9 car IET.
The 0732 out of Barnstaple is a 3 car 158 so the supplementary coaches will be busy

Fresh from Wolverton does not mean 'ready to run'. The sets have to complete post-overhaul inspection/snagging work and entry into service exams.

 

[fgwrich]

Fresh from Wolverton does not mean 'ready to run'. The sets have to complete post-overhaul inspection/snagging work and entry into service exams.

Indeed, and sometimes snagging work has to take place. The 442s required some to their internals when they left Wolverton for their new life on the Gatwick’s, 456s required coupler fixes after, I believe, some returned with coupler electrical boxes wired upside down, and one of the 150/2s had to return (207 I think?) had to have some of its floor replaced. So this is certainly not unheard of!

 

[Apedlar12]

Looked to have been the original plan anyway. It was only allocated to go as far as Plymouth on 2E11 when originally allocated.

I think like 150247 had to go onto Gunnislake to replace I assume a failed 150239, hence why 175002 took over for the section between Plymouth and Penzance.

 

[REVUpminster]

Can only see 002 in passenger service. Nothing else? The Paignton trip seems to have disappeared. A month since a 175 ventured to Newquay. Is it actually getting worse?

 

[Sporty60]

Can only see 002 in passenger service. Nothing else? The Paignton trip seems to have disappeared. A month since a 175 ventured to Newquay. Is it actually getting worse?

Since the withdrawal of the HST's and the influx of 175's at Laira are there additional personnel based there to manage what one imagines is an increased workload?

 

[REVUpminster]

Since the withdrawal of the HST's and the influx of 175's at Laira are there additional personnel based there to manage what one imagines is an increased workload?

A £75 million, eight-year Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement between GWR and Alstom is supposed to help. There should be more people at Laira

 

[XFeed]

A £75 million, eight-year Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement between GWR and Alstom is supposed to help. There should be more people at Laira

Is that boots on the ground full time or only occasionally when things not going great or even only Tech help from an Alstom office miles away ?

 

[3RDGEN]

Is that boots on the ground full time or only occasionally when things not going great or even only Tech help from an Alstom office miles away ?

The article in October Modern Railways states there's one Alstom representative on site working with Angel and GWR staff on failures/faults. Technical Support would be on an as required basis will limits since GWR didn't go for a full maintenance contract, GWR may have recruited extra depot staff to cover the longterm extra planned workload of the increased fleet size.

 

[jamieh27]

The article in October Modern Railways states there's one Alstom representative on site working with Angel and GWR staff on failures/faults. Technical Support would be on an as required basis will limits since GWR didn't go for a full maintenance contract, GWR may have recruited extra depot staff to cover the longterm extra planned workload of the increased fleet size.

175004 was on test the other day and from what I was told there was numerous faults when it got to Newton Abbot the toilet door was stuck.

 

[XFeed]

The article in October Modern Railways states there's one Alstom representative on site working with Angel and GWR staff on failures/faults. Technical Support would be on an as required basis will limits since GWR didn't go for a full maintenance contract, GWR may have recruited extra depot staff to cover the longterm extra planned workload of the increased fleet size.

I think that the one Alstom representative on site would not be a person who was regularly involved in the day to day maintenance of 175s at the end of their time at Chester as all those staff were transferred to CAF up to Shift Production Managers status. It could be a person who was involved in 175s earlier in their stay at Chester and then progressed up the promotion ladder and then remained with Alstom at the point of transfer to CAF ? I can think of one particular person who would be ideal.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Friday at 23:29 ==

175004 was on test the other day and from what I was told there was numerous faults when it got to Newton Abbot the toilet door was stuck.

Do we know any of the supposed numerous faults ?

Accessible toilet door stuck, I assume, is not uncommon at times but not as bad as a 197.

 

[REVUpminster]

Can only see 006 out today. one train out of 18. Paignton-Exmouth unusually has 4x2 150s. There are a 166s on Okehampton; that line must be doing well and Saturday is a busy day.

 

[BillStampy]

Can only see 006 out today. one train out of 18. Paignton-Exmouth unusually has 4x2 150s. There are a 166s on Okehampton; that line must be doing well and Saturday is a busy day.

002 is out too. Two units in passenger use today.

 

[Brush 4]

2 months to go.....

 

[REVUpminster]

002 is out too. Two units in passenger use today.

That's better. Came out after I looked. There are no IETs or XCountry trains today from Paignton. Apparently not booked today. Engineering works elsewhere.

 

[brad465]

Can only see 006 out today. one train out of 18. Paignton-Exmouth unusually has 4x2 150s. There are a 166s on Okehampton; that line must be doing well and Saturday is a busy day.

Wouldn't surprise me if the line is doing well post-Okehampton Interchange opening. The line is also supposed to get 3-car 175s so having 3-car Turbos on this line isn't necessarily excessive.

 

[Snow1964]

Fresh from Wolverton does not mean 'ready to run'. The sets have to complete post-overhaul inspection/snagging work and entry into service exams.

Yes things have changed since 1970s and 1980s when units that had bogies off, motors rewound, motor brushes and commutators fixed, doors off, seats reupholstered, fully repainted etc would leave works like Eastleigh, and have been put back together so well they could re-enter service hours later.

But on another note, there are still a few 175 units at Wolverton that have been there longer than the recent pair that moved to Laira, so wonder when next ones are due to leave. 6+ months seems long while now they have some experience of the type

 

[Apedlar12]

006 and 114 out today, both on passenger workings.

 

[BillStampy]

Considering two units seems to be working reliably on weekends now, are we going to see them brave 2 diagrams on a weekday soon as a phased reintroduction?
As in: two units on passenger diagrams and any other units that are available and are cleared by the team at Laira for their testing on the 5Z runs to get them tested and up to their 1000 miles.

 

[REVUpminster]

002 is on passenger. 007 visited Paignton and seems to have coupled up with 004 back in Plymouth 114+011 seem to be somewhere.

There is a distinct shortage of 150s today. None on Paignton-Exmouth, a 2 car on Barnstaple, one cancelled on Falmouth. I can't see why they can't run two 175s on Newquay now, unless they still don't have confidence in them.

 

[irish_rail]

002 is on passenger. 007 visited Paignton and seems to have coupled up with 004 back in Plymouth 114+011 seem to be somewhere.

There is a distinct shortage of 150s today. None on Paignton-Exmouth, a 2 car on Barnstaple, one cancelled on Falmouth. I can't see why they can't run two 175s on Newquay now, unless they still don't have confidence in them.

Because plenty of Newquay services are operated by Plymouth HSS drivers who don't yet sign 175s so no chance of 2 x175s on Newquay for time being.

 

[Siemens Staines]

There is a distinct shortage of 150s today. None on Paignton-Exmouth, a 2 car on Barnstaple, one cancelled on Falmouth. I can't see why they can't run two 175s on Newquay now, unless they still don't have confidence in them.

Of the 20 GWR 150s, 4 are away from Devon/Cornwall which has been standard for all of this summer.

150202 St Philips Marsh
150261 St Philips Marsh
150263 Wolverton
150265 Wolverton

Of the remaining 16, 15 have seen passenger use today with only 150266 inactive. 150233 looks to have failed at Falmouth and hence the cancellations. 150247 + 150248 are covering 2E04 etc which long term should be a 175 but recently has been covered by an IET, but not today for some reason.

 

[Express380]

002 is on passenger. 007 visited Paignton and seems to have coupled up with 004 back in Plymouth 114+011 seem to be somewhere.

There is a distinct shortage of 150s today. None on Paignton-Exmouth, a 2 car on Barnstaple, one cancelled on Falmouth. I can't see why they can't run two 175s on Newquay now, unless they still don't have confidence in them.

10:27 Exeter-Penzance Is 2X 150, I'm surprised they don't detach the rear one at Truro

 

[REVUpminster]

Because plenty of Newquay services are operated by Plymouth HSS drivers who don't yet sign 175s so no chance of 2 x175s on Newquay for time being.

They did have one 175 operating Newquay. Can they not swap duties for crew that have signed for 175s.