Class 180 at Old Oak Common

[WillPS]

Every little helps - if it frees one 158 to turn a couple of Liverpool - Nottingham services from two cars to three (or a couple of Cardiff - Portsmouth services from three cars to four) then its worth it

Quite why EMT haven't set up any 3-car hybrids yet I don't know. It's mad that your journey in peak time will either be rammed (2-car) or have loads of room (4-car). The obvious medium seems to be 'comfortably loaded', which I'd say 3-car would be.

 

[tbtc]

Quite why EMT haven't set up any 3-car hybrids yet I don't know. It's mad that your journey in peak time will either be rammed (2-car) or have loads of room (4-car). The obvious medium seems to be 'comfortably loaded', which I'd say 3-car would be.

Beats me too!

I can see the logic in their "two coaches from Norwich, four coaches on the Nottingham - Liverpool service" plan. However, until there are sufficient 158s (or, rather, until the 156s come from Northern to take over Skeg duties etc) then a three coach operation seems the best way forward.

FGW manage three coach 158s on the Cardiff - Portsmouth, London Midland managed it with three car 150s on the Snow Hill lines (in both cases I am talking about having a driving car as the "middle", rather than the luxury of having a centre car like Northern do on their Blackpool North - Halifax - York service). I can't see why there'd be any problem with EMT doing this too (unless I am missing something)?

I've used the 15.42 from Sheffield to Manchester a few times when needing an afternoon train to the dark side of the Pennines because that tends to be four coaches (not sure if from Norwich or only from Nottingham) - we shouldn't have to pick and choose though

 

[WillPS]

I suppose the third car can't be split and reformed as easily. Still, if planned properly they could just ensure the three car units are in the West at the times they're needed.

 

[MCR247]

But if you have 3 car hybrids, you then have less units and EMT don't have enough and if they can only run services as 4 car from Nottingham north, then they haven't got enough 158s to do it

 

[sprinterguy]

MCR247 is right. To form all the 158s used on Liverpool to Norwich into semi-permanent three carriage trains would take exactly the same amount of trains as making all the trains between Liverpool and Nottingham four carriage trains. So unfortunately, it can’t be done, otherwise as a temporary measure I think that it’d be a pretty good move.

 

[lm321412]

A 4 coach 158 is perfect for the flexibility in the event of deleys (which happens a lot on Liverpool - Norwich due to its length and lack of priority)

In the event of late running, you can have two of the four coaches run back to Liverpool or wherever; as apposed to a 3 coach 158 you cannot do that.

 

[Pumbaa]

You are more likely to one day see a 456 on the Lymington line than a 508, they are old and I doubt are by wanted SWT.

Good job 456s are penned in to move to SWT as well then as part of the 10-car operation plan Next week we'll find out exactly whats happening.

 

[387star]

ofc! a 456 on the line would be perfect!

 

[MCR247]

They won't be used on it though

 

[jopsuk]

Does the 456 plan for 10-car operation involve any rebuilding, or will it be a simple matter of 455+455+456? After all, the rival plan (of which it may be neither go ahead!) involves some fairly heavy reconfiguration and even rebuilding of the 458/460 fleets- I believe this includes putting new ends on to allow passengers to use the inter-unit corridor connector.

 

[trawler]

Hull Trains Class 180 do use Old Oak for all Exams. Each week one set visits the depot and this takes about 4 days to complete. There is one there now. The remaining 3 days its spare at either Hull or Ferme Park. Day to day attention mainly takes place at Hul with 2 sets there on an evening. This includes cleaning, CET, washing, fuelling, running repairs, diagnostics etc (Transferred from Crofton). Another set receives more basic attention at Ferme Park on an evening.

 

[MCR247]

Does the 456 plan for 10-car operation involve any rebuilding, or will it be a simple matter of 455+455+456? After all, the rival plan (of which it may be neither go ahead!) involves some fairly heavy reconfiguration and even rebuilding of the 458/460 fleets- I believe this includes putting new ends on to allow passengers to use the inter-unit corridor connector.

They are for different things aren't they? I thought the 456 plan was for inner suburban and the 458/460 plan for outer suburban. The 456 plan is 455+455+456