Best ride quality experience

[D2022]

Having seen the talk about the mk4 stock I'm curious as to what people would say their best and favourite vehicle is ride wise.

Mine would have to be Mk1 BSK no.W34540 on the Swindon and Cricklade. No matter how bad the track work was it rode beautifully! Until the little '
Accident' it was involved in, when it rode like a pacer with 4 flats and jelly suspension ...

 

[starrymarkb]

Smoothest ride in the UK is the 22x or 158 IME! I found the Eurostar and ICE (1 and T) rather smooth riding too

 

[Yew]

On smooth track the mk3 is hartt beat, but it really sufffers on lower quaility track. Personally I find 156's ride very well.

It would be interesting to see what 373's rode like on the ECML

 

[D2022]

On smooth track the mk3 is hartt beat, but it really sufffers on lower quaility track. Personally I find 156's ride very well.

It would be interesting to see what 373's rode like on the ECML

Mk3 is definitely a winner all round,

 

[ainsworth74]

I don't rate the Mk3 at all personally compared with Mk4s or 22xs (those are also my votes for smoothest ride).

 

[ert47]

First time I travelled on the 377s, I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it was! The '96 Stock on the Jubilee Line extension gets a worthy mention.

But by far, the smoothest ride I've had has been on most of the JR East lines around Tokyo. Can stand in the middle of the train without holding on (the majority of units have longitudinal seating, so plenty of space to fall over should you do so).

 

[fgwrich]

On smooth track the mk3 is hartt beat, but it really sufffers on lower quaility track. Personally I find 156's ride very well.

It would be interesting to see what 373's rode like on the ECML

I have to admit i don't agree with that. Here on the South Western routes, there's still aload of 60ft sections between Greatley & Salisbury. HSTs seem to glide along that nicely and smoothly with no noticeable difference, 159s do feel it. And if you get one with wheelflats like i did yesterday, They can feel it, and bounce bounce and bounce. Same goes for 158/159s vs HSTs on the Paignton Branch.

For me, whilst the Mk3 is still the benchmark, the best new unit / rolling stock with the best ride quality is the rather underated Adelante. Fantastic things, very well designed internally, with unbeatable ride quaility, smooth & quiet - The ultimate Mk3 Replacement. Alstom, Please just make the blooming things 90% more reliable!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Voyagers,HST, 323 and Coradia family (175/180)

 

[DavidBrown]

With the somewhat limited variety in this area, out of what we have it has to be the 159's without a doubt.

 

[junglejames]

Im trying my hardest to understand the number of votes for 22x. I can only assume youve only ever been on Super Voyagers. I find 220/ 222 awful, and its all down to the lightweight bogie design. The wheels dig into every nook and cranny going, and you can usually feel and hear it inside.

For me. A well maintained Mk3. Yes they sometimes gently sway a bit, but thats more preferable to a lot of other movements.
The 158 I also find has a fantastic smooth ride. As does the 175/ 180. Although not quite as good.

 

[sprinterguy]

Eurostars, 180s, 158s and 156s.

 

[Tibbs]

First time I travelled on the 377s, I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it was! The '96 Stock on the Jubilee Line extension gets a worthy mention.

But by far, the smoothest ride I've had has been on most of the JR East lines around Tokyo. Can stand in the middle of the train without holding on (the majority of units have longitudinal seating, so plenty of space to fall over should you do so).

The Nozomu Shinkansen is eerily smooth & quiet, you forget you're moving at who knows what speed!

 

[Yew]

I have to admit i don't agree with that. Here on the South Western routes, there's still aload of 60ft sections between Greatley & Salisbury. HSTs seem to glide along that nicely and smoothly with no noticeable difference, 159s do feel it. And if you get one with wheelflats like i did yesterday, They can feel it, and bounce bounce and bounce. Same goes for 158/159s vs HSTs on the Paignton Branch.
QUOTE]

Aha, im from te midland mainline, unfortunately on there HST's can get a bit bouncy compared to sprinters on some sections.

 

[Oswyntail]

Diving back into history, I am torn between two types where the suspension was so smooth you couldn't tell they were moving. These were: Mk3 sleepers between London and Edinburgh; and the 313s. Both exceptional.

 

[YorkshireBear]

158s are fantastically comfy, the amount of times i fall asleep on one from sheffield to leeds or leeds to keighley is incredible.
Don't like mk4s too much but do like the mk3s. Voyagers and 185s rock too much for my liking.
Cordia units also both very good along with meridians. But 158s win it for me!

 

[317666]

I would say that the units with the best ride quality are the Sprinters, which are very smooth even on jointed track, and Desiros which just seem to float along.

 

[bronzeonion]

First time I travelled on the 377s, I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it was! The '96 Stock on the Jubilee Line extension gets a worthy mention.

But by far, the smoothest ride I've had has been on most of the JR East lines around Tokyo. Can stand in the middle of the train without holding on (the majority of units have longitudinal seating, so plenty of space to fall over should you do so).

The trackwork in central Tokyo is great thats why its so good, but when you stay on the train and go further out to say Hachioji on the Chuo line or Chiba on the Sobu/Yokosuka line you'll notice it becomes about average!

 

[NSE]

The 313s always surprise me (only done the FCC ones mind) for their age their ride really well. I like the FGW Mk3s and the 365's as well. I've never found them to be rough at all.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'd have to say a 350 / 444 or a HST. Voyagers are a close second.

Dare I say - Pacers don't ride that badly on welded rail, it only tends to be on poorer-condition track that it bounces.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Quite impressed with Class 333 units on the Airedale Line in West Yorkshire.

 

[fgwrich]

Im trying my hardest to understand the number of votes for 22x. I can only assume youve only ever been on Super Voyagers. I find 220/ 222 awful, and its all down to the lightweight bogie design. The wheels dig into every nook and cranny going, and you can usually feel and hear it inside.

For me. A well maintained Mk3. Yes they sometimes gently sway a bit, but thats more preferable to a lot of other movements.
The 158 I also find has a fantastic smooth ride. As does the 175/ 180. Although not quite as good.

I'll agree with that. Certainly noticeable on the 172s aswell, where the wheels dig into the track / pointwork. I also don't like that sort of knocking noise you seem to hear on the 220s, almost as if the skateboard bogies are wobbling like a Hornby model along the track.

I'd have to say a 350 / 444 or a HST. Voyagers are a close second.

Dare I say - Pacers don't ride that badly on welded rail, it only tends to be on poorer-condition track that it bounces.

As much as i like my 444s, unfortunatly i wouldn't put them in my top 3. Frustratingly, im not sure whether it's down to the Desiro or just NR's rather bizarre junctions / track in some places, but coming down off Battledown Flyover at full linespeed, to meet that awful kink at the bottom - they don't half lurch in the process. Shame really, as the Desiro is a fantastic unit, but that 'lurch' seems to annoy me.

 

[Charlie2555]

I have to admit i don't agree with that. Here on the South Western routes, there's still aload of 60ft sections between Greatley & Salisbury. HSTs seem to glide along that nicely and smoothly with no noticeable difference, 159s do feel it. And if you get one with wheelflats like i did yesterday, They can feel it, and bounce bounce and bounce. Same goes for 158/159s vs HSTs on the Paignton Branch.

Yeah, I always wondered why there was such a awful ride over that section on the West of England Mainline. The rest of the ride is pretty good but that bit is just like cu-clonk-cu-clonk-cu-clonk for several minutes!

 

[Lrd]

As much as i like my 444s, unfortunatly i wouldn't put them in my top 3. Frustratingly, im not sure whether it's down to the Desiro or just NR's rather bizarre junctions / track in some places, but coming down off Battledown Flyover at full linespeed, to meet that awful kink at the bottom - they don't half lurch in the process. Shame really, as the Desiro is a fantastic unit, but that 'lurch' seems to annoy me.

That always wakes me up! They need to sort that out.

There used to be a rather large lurch as we sped out of the tunnel at Southampton and moved over to platform 4, I knew that I had to get up at that point. It's been sorted now as the track was relaid a little while ago.

 

[Kali]

Might be just time tinting the memories, but I was always rather fond of the a/c Mk2s - possibly just a fan of the seats, though. Even if they bounced around the seat just absorbed it all anyway.