Chiltern Class 68 / Mark 3 reliability

[philosopher]

Is it just me, or are these trains particularly unreliable? The 1100 which I think on Saturdays is a class 68 I was meant to use this morning from London Marylebone was cancelled due to a train fault. Just over a year ago, another class 68 train service I on was delayed by 15 minutes leaving Marylebone, again due to a train fault. I have only used (or attempted to use) a service formed by class 68 train 5 times in the last 2 years, so 2 out of 5 is not a great record.

On any other types of trains, train faults seem to almost never occur.

 

[87015]

Is it just me, or are these trains particularly unreliable? The 1100 which I think on Saturdays is a class 68 I was meant to use this morning from London Marylebone was cancelled due to a train fault. Just over a year ago, another class 68 train service I on was delayed by 15 minutes leaving Marylebone, again due to a train fault. I have only used (or attempted to use) a service formed by class 68 train 5 times in the last 2 years, so 2 out of 5 is not a great record. On any other types of trains, train faults seem to almost never occur.

Today’s 1100 was caped as the 168 broke (trying to split a multi only set isn’t a great idea). The engine was already swapped out as no train crew for its return working and was already on Wembley. The 1300 set was stabled up as per plan.

 

[philosopher]

Today’s 1100 was caped as the 168 broke (trying to split a multi only set isn’t a great idea). The engine was already swapped out as no train crew for its return working and was already on Wembley. The 1300 set was stabled up as per plan.

Real Train Times says it was meant to be a class 68 train. I assume they did not have the crew availability to run as a class 68 and the class 168 was a replacement train which subsequently broke down.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

Forget reliability - if what I saw the other day is picked up on by the ORR they will be pulled immediately.
One lad, couple of years older than me I reckon, walked into the GFW coach (10272), opened the bolt which “locks” the emergency slam door droplight with a carriage T Key, and proceeded to violently wave his arms about outside the windows. When I asked him - or confronted should be a better term - he said he was doing it for a photographer lineside. I alerted the guard at the next convenient opportunity and said person got removed from the train, and the guard said he would report it. Totally idiotic behaviour.

 

[contrex]

One lad ... opened the bolt which “locks” the emergency slam door droplight with a carriage T Key, and proceeded to violently wave his arms about outside the windows.

Totally unacceptable. Did the guard confiscate the key? It's idiots like that who give rail enthusiasts a bad name. There used to be a fashion (maybe still is?) for 'flailing' on railtours using stock with opening windows. I think at least one person lost their life on a tour, and we all know what happened at Wandsworth Common. I once saw a video of a Deltic tour leaving King's Cross, with idiots leaning their whole torso out of mark 2 door windows to fully extend their arms and exchange hand slaps with pals on the platform. Idiotic.

 

[XAM2175]

Real Train Times says it was meant to be a class 68 train.

It bears repeating that the timing load merely indicates the performance characteristics the planners have used to generate the train's timings. It can't be relied upon as an accurate prediction of what was meant to operate the service, let alone what actually will.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

Totally unacceptable. Did the guard confiscate the key?

I did inform the guard of the key however he was unable to confiscate it (BTP matter).

 

[CR165022]

It bears repeating that the timing load merely indicates the performance characteristics the planners have used to generate the train's timings. It can't be relied upon as an accurate prediction of what was meant to operate the service, let alone what actually will.

that being said, the 1100 is booked as a 68 set, having seen that service being a 68 many times