12-car 450s

[Oracle]

I had the pleasure of catching a 12-car ex-Pompey to waterloo at Winchester this morning at 0722...I have seen ECS trains before but none in service. I think that there was another at Woking later, probably on the Pompey Direct or Alton as booked? Are there any other 12-cars booked?

On another note the 0639 to Weymouth from Ashurst (New Forest) "Gateway to the New Forest National park" was a 450, and it seems several of today's Poole stoppers through ANF were 450s!

 

[thefab444]

12 450s are booked regularly throughout the SWT network, so I'm afraid they are not notable at all. To give you an idea, here's all the SX 12 450s due through Waterloo up until 7pm:

In
0455 from Southampton Central, arr 0634
0612 from Alton, arr 0718
0630 from Haslemere, arr 0734
0550 from Portsmouth Harbour, arr 0743
0644 from Alton, arr 0749
0707 from Woking, arr 0754
0654 from Basingstoke, arr 0757
0543 from Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh, arr 0759
0706 from Basingstoke, arr 0804
0710 from Haslemere, arr 0809
0732 from Woking, arr 0817
0714 from Alton, arr 0820
0746 from West Byfleet, arr 0824
0724 from Basingstoke, arr 0827
0623 from Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh, arr 0832
0747 from Woking, arr 0834
0711 from Havant, arr 0839
0802 from Woking, arr 0844
0744 from Alton, arr 0850
0713 from Portsmouth Harbour, arr 0853
0655 from Portsmouth Harbour, arr 0911
0847 from Woking, arr 0938
0939 from Haslemere, arr 1040
1024 from Basingstoke, arr 1136
1039 from Haslemere, arr 1140
1703 from Clapham Yard, arr 1713, ECS
1624 from Basingstoke, arr 1734
1450 from Poole, arr 1736
1545 from Portsmouth Harbour, arr 1743
1742 from Clapham Yard, arr 1752, ECS
1615 from Portsmouth Harbour, arr 1754
1644 from Alton, arr 1759
1555 from Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh, arr 1808
1624 from Portsmouth & Southsea, arr 1814
1804 from Clapham Yard, arr 1814, ECS
1656 from Havant, arr 1827

Out
0650 to Woking, ECS
0725 to Woking, ECS
0745 to Portsmouth & Southsea
0753 to Alton
0802 to Woking, ECS
0809 to Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh
0812 to Clapham Yard, ECS
0813 to Basingstoke
0815 to Haslemere
0818 to Northam Depot, ECS
0828 to Clapham Yard, ECS
0830 to Clapham Yard, ECS
0842 to Basingstoke
0845 to Portsmouth & Southsea
0845 to Clapham Yard, ECS
0853 to Alton
0854 to Clapham Yard, ECS
0900 to Portsmouth Harbour
0916 to Haslemere
0930 to Portsmouth Harbour
0949 to Clapham Yard, ECS
1056 to Clapham Yard, ECS
1152 to Clapham Yard, ECS
1212 to Clapham Yard, ECS
1453 to Alton
1730 to Portsmouth Harbour
1753 to Basingstoke
1755 to Alton
1800 to Portsmouth Harbour
1802 to Woking
1810 to Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh
1812 to Basingstoke
1823 to Basingstoke
1830 to Portsmouth Harbour
1832 to Basingstoke
1846 to Portsmouth Harbour

Unfortunately, a number of the Waterloo - Poole/Brockenhurst services are booked 4 450, but on the bright side, the 1235 Waterloo - Weymouth is now booked a 5 444 instead of a 4 450.

 

[Oracle]

Thanks for that..the last time I was on a 12-car was probably back in 1996 when I caught the Greyhounds at around 16.35 back to Southampton from Waterloo. Yes, that far back!

 

[Geezertronic]

They also run the 350's in 12 car formations ex Euston as well

 

[Oracle]

I mentioned elsewhere that yesterday the first Waterloo ex-Southampton Central (0502 Southampton Airport Parkway0 was a 12-car, and as the preceding Eastleigh terminator was presumably cancelled, a special Stop Order was made for the combo to stop at St Denys and then Swaythling..making it two minutes or so late at Southampton Airport. That must have been a sight at Swaythling!

 

[Matt Taylor]

Why would that be? 12 car formations are very common on the Portsmouth direct line and on the Botley line, there are a number of stations where only the front four coaches are available for boarding/alighting.

 

[Oracle]

I was on a 10-car 442 that stopped especially at Swaythling once on a Down service. Obviously the guard dealt with accordingly, but you don't expect to see a 12-car picking you up first thing in the morning when you thought it would be a 2-car DMU? Or am I being obtuse?

It does seem though now that 12-cars are more common than in the past presumably because of deliveries?

 

[Juniper Driver]

The last slam door I ever worked was a 12 car with 3417 in the middle.

The first desiro I worked was a 12 car.Don't really know how I managed.

 

[156499]

The last slam door I ever worked was a 12 car with 3417 in the middle.

The first desiro I worked was a 12 car.Don't really know how I managed.

I know on the West Highland Line they use the rear door at Corrour, Loch Eil Outward Bound, Locheilside, Lochailort and Beasdale on the West Highland Line when its a 2-car 156 when its a 4 set they use the middle doors which is the ones at both cab ends.

 

[thefab444]

It does seem though now that 12-cars are more common than in the past presumably because of deliveries?

Well, the last Desiros were delivered more than two years ago now.

12 cars have always been pretty common.

 

[Juniper Driver]

True isn't it.Although when I learnt the Desiro's there were very few 444's about.