Class 172 Production Progress

[oversteer]

172102 Was out on Friday of last week, 8/4/11 it worked 5Z72 0840 Derby to Marylebone and return 5Z74 1403 Marylebone to Derby. Here are photos of the unit at Small Heath Up goods loop and in platform 1 at Marylebone.

165034 needs a wash!

 

[KiddyKid]

172 103 spotted at Banbury at 14.30 this afternoon awaiting the road north...

 

[T163R]

172102 Was out on Friday of last week, 8/4/11 it worked 5Z72 0840 Derby to Marylebone and return 5Z74 1403 Marylebone to Derby. Here are photos of the unit at Small Heath Up goods loop and in platform 1 at Marylebone.

View attachment 4990

View attachment 4991

Isn't she cute

 

[RPM]

172103 was out on test on the Chiltern Line today. I caught it leaving Marylebone this afternoon:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmarks/5632239408

Its fully fitted out with seats, signs, vinyls etc unlike 172101 when it came down. The interior is much like a 165/0 in terms of decor.

 

[lm321412]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photography_by_tom/5623043096/in/photostream

It also made it to Tamworth on Friday, was extremely quiet!

 

[387star]

The windows make the unit look more like a 165.

Did Chiltern self fund these four or was the DFT involved?

If they press head with the refurbished locomotive hauled stock (any pics of these taking shape?) they will have quite some fleet

 

[Class172]

Any news on the LM 172s??
London midland may be ordering a second batch of 172s as well

 

[Blindtraveler]

More 172s for LM? presumably to iliminate 150 and maybe even 153 opperation? If they do then them and London overground wil have the youngest fleat on the network?

In terms of fareness, if another say, 20 172s are to be built then the first prioritty should be Northern?

 

[trains2064]

LM have an option in there francise agreement for another 26 Class 172 vehicles.

 

[jopsuk]

In terms of fareness, if another say, 20 172s are to be built then the first prioritty should be Northern?

I know people in the Northern area complain about getting cascades, but being level headed, it would be better to send them to LM- freeing LM's 150/153 fleet to Northern, to reinforce services already run with 150/153/155/156 and/or reduce the number of Pacers in service- and then have a serious look at a new, franchise-wide, DMU fleet for Northern.

Was there much moaning from the south back in the eighties when "the north" got a massive shiny fleet of Sprinters and pacers whilst the NSE continued with mainly slammers?

 

[sprinterguy]

In terms of fareness, if another say, 20 172s are to be built then the first prioritty should be Northern?

Basically what Jopsuk said. And in the interests of fleet standardisation, it makes sense for LM to receive the additional 26 vehicles to give a larger 172 fleet and oust the remaining 150s from the LM fleet, rather than LM retaining a small non-standard fleet of 150s and Northern having a small non-standard fleet of 172s.

As I’ve recently said in another thread, replacement of Northerns’ diesel fleet is a big problem caused by the complexity and diversity of the routes operated by the franchise that will require much more strategic consideration, taking into account planned and possible future electrification as well as a whole host of other factors, than simply replacing a stand-alone fleet of 150s on the self contained and easily defined Snow Hill lines. Better that Northern gain a greater number of Sprinter trains that they already have extensive dealings with whilst the units have some life left in ‘em.

 

[OxtedL]

Also throw into the mix that Southern are supposedly getting some more turbostars in the not hugely distant future...

 

[tbtc]

Also throw into the mix that Southern are supposedly getting some more turbostars in the not hugely distant future...

For what? Increased frequency on existing lines? (Oxted/ Marshlink)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I know people in the Northern area complain about getting cascades, but being level headed, it would be better to send them to LM- freeing LM's 150/153 fleet to Northern, to reinforce services already run with 150/153/155/156 and/or reduce the number of Pacers in service- and then have a serious look at a new, franchise-wide, DMU fleet for Northern.

Was there much moaning from the south back in the eighties when "the north" got a massive shiny fleet of Sprinters and pacers whilst the NSE continued with mainly slammers?

Despite living in Yorkshire I have to agree completely with you there.

Given the problems at Neville Hill with the tiny fleet of 321s, I'd much rather Northern* had a bigger fleet of standard DMUs (albeit 1980s ones) than a token sprinkling of 172s.

The add-on of 172s wouldn't even scratch the surface in terms of what Northern need, so I'd rather LM got any new 172s (with us getting some/all of the displaced 150/153s) and then the Northern* problem is dealt with at a later date properly.

(* - also affects FGW and ATW, of course, with their Sprinters/ Pacers - I appreciate we aren't the only ones in this position)

 

[sprinterguy]

(* - also affects FGW and ATW, of course, with their Sprinters/ Pacers - I appreciate we aren't the only ones in this position)

Replacement of the Pacer and Sprinter fleets can only be done one step at a time due to the vast total number of trains, but it would help if all those steps in the process of fleet replacement were strategically linked into each other to avoid, as you rightly point out, micro fleets. Electrify the Cardiff Valleys (with either displaced 315s or new 378 type three car units), and move Networker Turbos onto the Cardiff to Pompey runs by displacing them through the GWML Oxford electrification (freeing up 150s to take over Pacer duties), and the Pacer replacement issue quickly becomes largely confined to Northern. It’s going to be a slow, laborious process, but it can be done.

 

[northwichcat]

Given the problems at Neville Hill with the tiny fleet of 321s

The problem with the 321s at Northern is that they can't work in multiple with 333s. While it's never the intention to run joined up 8 car EMUs in service a failed 321 can't be rescued by a 333.

 

[OxtedL]

For what? Increased frequency on existing lines? (Oxted/ Marshlink)

No, to relieve overcrowding on Uckfield during peaks. There's already enough stock to offer increased frequency on Uckfield, and with no obvious need on Marshlink (although could just be done), the stock just sits around most of the day.

The Sussex RUS recommends 10-car on Uckfield during CP5, already putting 12-car on East Grinstead. Its fun that we get all the investment but overcrowding is just as serious on services that are already much longer than most stuff in the north.

 

[sprinterguy]

I know full well that electrification is an expensive process to go about, but a brand new Turbostar isn’t cheap either: How much more would it cost to electrify the Oxted lines and use the existing 377 fleet more intensively to provide the service (A few more 377s would probably be required, but not as many as there are 171s) than to build more 171s for the route?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

the stock just sits around most of the day.

It’s good to know that new, perfectly servicable diesel trains are being put to such good use by our friends in the South, when in the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds Northern are sweating their assets off attempting to get as much use as possible out of two carriage Pacers and Sprinters that are woefully inadequate to meet demand. Ah well, the difficult mistress that is peak demand cannot be overlooked, and the extra capacity is needed at the busiest times.

 

[Class172]

This thread might be a bit more relavent: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=39510&page=2
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Also throw into the mix that Southern are supposedly getting some more turbostars in the not hugely distant future...

Why? what's the point, can't they just electrify the line

 

[sprinterguy]

This thread might be a bit more relavent: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=39510&page=2

I’m commenting in both this thread and that one at the moment! With the delivery of the 172s so closely tied to the cascade of the 150s, they seem to have both rolled into the same thing.

I would be interested when the first LM 172 with seats, presumably 172333, is going to arrive in the West Midlands. I presume it’s going through works after the Chiltern units, so should be ready pretty soon if contractor issues have been resolved?

 

[Orange Box]

I know full well that electrification is an expensive process to go about, but a brand new Turbostar isn’t cheap either: How much more would it cost to electrify the Oxted lines and use the existing 377 fleet more intensively to provide the service (A few more 377s would probably be required, but not as many as there are 171s) than to build more 171s for the route?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It’s good to know that new, perfectly servicable diesel trains are being put to such good use by our friends in the South, when in the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds Northern are sweating their assets off attempting to get as much use as possible out of two carriage Pacers and Sprinters that are woefully inadequate to meet demand. Ah well, the difficult mistress that is peak demand cannot be overlooked, and the extra capacity is needed at the busiest times.

Plenty of DMUs sit on Newton Heath and Neville Hill between the peaks, whats the difference to Selhurst??

 

[sprinterguy]

Plenty of DMUs sit on Newton Heath and Neville Hill between the peaks, whats the difference to Selhurst??

Which is why I included the final sentence to the effect that catering for peak demand is a necessary evil but unfortunately can leave trains sitting idle for a period of the day. It’s just that seeing “most of the stock just sits around all day” in writing seems so stark! It was meant slightly tongue in cheek; Additionally I don’t know what the situation is at Newton Heath, but there never seem to be that many spare units sitting around at Neville Hill during the middle of the day as a proportion of the entire fleet allocation.

 

[142094]

Plenty of DMUs sit on Newton Heath and Neville Hill between the peaks, whats the difference to Selhurst??

Most of the units at Neville Hill are working during the day, although doesn't mean passengers are on them. Better than sitting around in the depot perhaps. Harrogate line and Wakefield - Selby all shacks are two good examples.

 

[tonytrainsfree]

do someone know about the date for the 172 to come into Service becuse i do not know

 

[Class172]

do someone know about the date for the 172 to come into Service becuse i do not know

The LM ones? Don't know

 

[tonytrainsfree]

yes lm ones they have buy 3 172's from london overground 1 of the 172 has got no seats in but one has no seats in it

 

[MCR247]

What?

 

[sprinterguy]

yes lm ones they have buy 3 172's from london overground 1 of the 172 has got no seats in but one has no seats in it

You’re not making much sense. London Midland currently have 172331 and 172332 at Tyseley, both of which are, AFAIK, seatless.

 

[tonytrainsfree]

one of the london midland dose have seats i do know becuse i know one of the london midland staff and this is a link for therailwaycentre http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Picture%20of%20the%20Day%20index/Old_POD_Feb2011.html go down toPicture of the Day 15 February 2011

 

[sprinterguy]

That looks to me as if there is one bay of seating fitted behind the drivers’ cab, but the rest of the carriage is bare, which I believe is the situation as has been posted on here in the past, so seating is still awaiting fitting due to issues with the supplier.

 

[MCR247]

What about it? It is a picture of a 172 that by the looks of it has seats in the front and rear sections near to the cabs, which was said ages ago?