455's at Reading - how rare?

[Bigfoot]

Yes, but not in any large numbers until firstly they are successfully modified to multiple with SWT's 455s, and secondly when there's somewhere to berth them at Waterloo. I can only assume this is why they are building a temporary bridge across the orchestra pit to allow P21/22 to come into use at the next timetable change. That way platform utilisation near the main suburban side (i.e. around P5/6/7 etc) can be altered.

Think you mean p1 to 4... 5 onwards can take a 10 car.

 

[swt_passenger]

Think you mean p1 to 4... 5 onwards can take a 10 car.

No I really do mean they can move the present main suburban services over by a couple of platforms (with a knock on effect to all the other platform normal allocations) while they work on the physical extensions of P1 to P4 for ten car, (ie utilisation can be temporarily altered) starting with P1 and P2. There still isn't confirmation of how or if they will extend all platforms in that part of the station anyway, originally they thought at least P1 might have to be abandoned, to allow room for the S&C in the throat immediately outside P1-P4 to be re-arranged.

In any case, the 10 car platforms don't actually start at 5 upwards, P5 itself is only 8 car, P6 can take up to a 9x23m DMU, and P7 although OK for 10x23m (444 or 158/9) is not yet what you'd call 'full length'. P8 is the first platform suitable for a 12x20m train. P5-6 will need to be lengthened to at least 10 car in the future as well, probably 12 car.

The long term platform allocations are planned to be different anyway, with something like P1-6 for main suburban, P7-18 for mains, and P19-24 for the Windsor side. Clearly that will have to lead to corresponding changes to the track layout in the immediate vicinity of the station, and possibly out towards the various crossovers approaching Vauxhall, and the only logical way I can see that being done is to shift the Windsors first to make room in the rest of the station. We are probably in for about 5 or 6 years of gradual alterations, working left to right across the whole layout, starting at the low numbers.

 

[Juniper Driver]

I worked 450015 DESIRO on a Chessie (Probably for the first time.) the other Saturday.Filling in for a driver who doesn't drive desiros.

 

[hassaanhc]

The SWT Twitter feed, in reply to another comment, were suggesting that the 1924 Waterloo to Dorking is to be a 450 for a few weeks to allow work to be done on 455s :?. Yesterday was reported to be the third consecutive day a 450 was on that service.
I'll be going for a general bash later on so I'll see if that diagram is using a 450 once again :P

Thanks to Real Time Trains, the diagram works out as:
5J35 13+10 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to London Waterloo
2J35 1336 London Waterloo to Hampton Court
2J42 1424 Hampton Court to London Waterloo
2D41 1509 London Waterloo to Guildford
2G52 1637 Guildford to London Waterloo
2M51 1746 London Waterloo to Chessington South
2M58 1839 Chessington South to London Waterloo
1D57 1924 London Waterloo to Dorking
1D66 2035 Dorking to London Waterloo
2J67 2136 London Waterloo to Hampton Court
2J74 2224 Hampton Court to London Waterloo
1D73 2309 London Waterloo to Dorking
5Y69 00+04 Dorking to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs

(Maybe this thread should be renamed? Something like "SWT stock allocations" or something as it has done off topic from the 455 to Reading? :? )
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Links to the Twitter comments:
https://twitter.com/PointlessLauren/status/497089525475467264
https://twitter.com/Mitty_15/status/497085044654358528

 

[vikingdriver]

I worked 450015 DESIRO on a Chessie (Probably for the first time.) the other Saturday.Filling in for a driver who doesn't drive desiros.

I thought everyone bar Salisbury had Desiros as basic traction!

 

[southern442]

That particular service I saw it on does stop at Longcross as well!

It seems the stock for it works in as a service from Weymouth
1W62 1320 Weymouth to London Waterloo due 1620 P.12
2C91 1635 London Waterloo to Reading due 1758
2C60 1812 Reading to London Waterloo due 1934
Then working as the 1952 Weybridge, 2133 return into P.13 and 2P77 2315 London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour due 0054, after which it seems to sit in the platform until the morning (struggling to work out the morning portion of the diagram but that doesn't seem to be important :?)

Deviating from the main topic, but would this diagram 2W13 0612 Waterloo-Weymouth be a 450 by any chance as it stops at nearly every station on the line and misses only 10 stops! Surely they wouldn't put a 444 on this?

 

[TEW]

The long term platform allocations are planned to be different anyway, with something like P1-6 for main suburban, P7-18 for mains, and P19-24 for the Windsor side. Clearly that will have to lead to corresponding changes to the track layout in the immediate vicinity of the station, and possibly out towards the various crossovers approaching Vauxhall, and the only logical way I can see that being done is to shift the Windsors first to make room in the rest of the station. We are probably in for about 5 or 6 years of gradual alterations, working left to right across the whole layout, starting at the low numbers.

Part of the reason I've seen given for changing the the platform allocations is that extending P1-4 will mean the removal of some crossovers resulting in a less flexible layout. So in order to maintain the same level of service as today more platforms will be needed.

 

[swt_passenger]

Deviating from the main topic, but would this diagram 2W13 0612 Waterloo-Weymouth be a 450 by any chance as it stops at nearly every station on the line and misses only 10 stops! Surely they wouldn't put a 444 on this?

It was shown as a 444 in the most recent CWN's I have access to, from May last year. There's no fundamental reason a 444 shouldn't operate it - nearly every station sees 444s anyway - I suspect Redbridge and Millbrook are the most irregular 444 stops..

 

[southern442]

It was shown as a 444 in the most recent CWN's I have access to, from May last year. There's no fundamental reason a 444 shouldn't operate it - nearly every station sees 444s anyway - I suspect Redbridge and Millbrook are the most irregular 444 stops..

what about Surbiton, Walton and Weybridge?

 

[swt_passenger]

Part of the reason I've seen given for changing the the platform allocations is that extending P1-4 will mean the removal of some crossovers resulting in a less flexible layout. So in order to maintain the same level of service as today more platforms will be needed.

Yes I've heard that as well, explained as less parallel arrival and departure moves being available at the same time - but also highlighting the point that a simpler and longer layout would be far more reliable in the long term.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

what about Surbiton, Walton and Weybridge?

Why not? I've been on Alton trains run by 444s that stop at Esher and Surbiton?

 

[southern442]

Yes I've heard that as well, explained as less parallel arrival and departure moves being available at the same time - but also highlighting the point that a simpler and longer layout would be far more reliable in the long term.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---



Why not? I've been on Alton trains run by 444s that stop at Esher and Surbiton?

Oh yes, forgot about them. I saw one of those a few weeks back.

 

[Bigfoot]

No I really do mean they can move the present main suburban services over by a couple of platforms (with a knock on effect to all the other platform normal allocations) while they work on the physical extensions of P1 to P4 for ten car, (ie utilisation can be temporarily altered) starting with P1 and P2. There still isn't confirmation of how or if they will extend all platforms in that part of the station anyway, originally they thought at least P1 might have to be abandoned, to allow room for the S&C in the throat immediately outside P1-P4 to be re-arranged.

In any case, the 10 car platforms don't actually start at 5 upwards, P5 itself is only 8 car, P6 can take up to a 9x23m DMU, and P7 although OK for 10x23m (444 or 158/9) is not yet what you'd call 'full length'. P8 is the first platform suitable for a 12x20m train. P5-6 will need to be lengthened to at least 10 car in the future as well, probably 12 car.

The long term platform allocations are planned to be different anyway, with something like P1-6 for main suburban, P7-18 for mains, and P19-24 for the Windsor side. Clearly that will have to lead to corresponding changes to the track layout in the immediate vicinity of the station, and possibly out towards the various crossovers approaching Vauxhall, and the only logical way I can see that being done is to shift the Windsors first to make room in the rest of the station. We are probably in for about 5 or 6 years of gradual alterations, working left to right across the whole layout, starting at the low numbers.

I misinterpreted what you meant. However platform 8 is a 10 car 20m coach platform. If you have access to the latest traction bulletins and route learning packs. It is however not permitted to split stock due to signal sighting.

 

[swt_passenger]

I misinterpreted what you meant. However platform 8 is a 10 car 20m coach platform. If you have access to the latest traction bulletins and route learning packs. It is however not permitted to split stock due to signal sighting.

Platform 8 has changed over the last few years then, but no problem, the principle is still the same - many of the platforms are slightly different when you get into the weeds.

Not being staff unfortunately my info is well out of date, :cry: I'm going by Issue 6 of the platform lengths tables in the guards manual from back in 2006 - it still lists 442s and 170s of course...

 

[Juniper Driver]

I thought everyone bar Salisbury had Desiros as basic traction!

Not necessarily.Apparently there are problems with the seats and certain drivers being too short or too tall so they don't drive them.

Think you mean p1 to 4... 5 onwards can take a 10 car.

I think that is seven onwards.