Class 180 in service

[monsento]

Not a regular poster just curious, having a little read on wikipedia not the best source of information it tells me that there are 16 180s and of those 16 great western have 5 and grand central have 5 where are the other six?

 

[anthony263]

Hull Trains have a couple as well dont forget

 

[cj_1985]

Last i checked only 14x Class 180s were built...

So...
5x with FGW
5x with GC and
4x with FHT

 

[WestCountry]

WP says 14, at least at time of this post. FGW and GC have five each, HT have four.

 

[ainsworth74]

There are only fourteen four are with Hull Trains and five each with Grand Central and First Great Western.

 

[asylumxl]

There are only fourteen four are with Hull Trains and five each with Grand Central and First Great Western.

This is probably for the best. If more examples were built, chances are our fire services would be massively overstretched.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

This is probably for the best. If more examples were built, chances are our fire services would be massively overstretched.

Hold it, they're not quite as flammable as 70s, or 143+144s are they?

 

[Nym]

Does someone here work for Alstom?

 

[jimm]

Does someone here work for Alstom?

If you mean me, no.

But having made who knows how many journeys on 180s over the years, I have amazingly survived intact and unsinged and never even experienced so much as the tiniest fire... unless you count a burst radiator hose one baking hot summer evening which triggered the fire alarm.

When was the last incident anyway? Not as recently as an EMT 222 going up in flames...

 

[No Fault Found]

unless you count a burst radiator hose one baking hot summer evening which triggered the fire alarm.

Not possible.

Probably a transmission oil heat exchanger pipe. These have all been modified now so not likely to happen any more.

 

[jimm]

Not possible.

Probably a transmission oil heat exchanger pipe. These have all been modified now so not likely to happen any more.

Well I was told at the time by an FGW employee whose view I have no reason to doubt that it was a radiator hose. It most certainly chucked out a lot of steam and the fire alarm went off. Whatever the case, nothing actually caught fire...

 

[No Fault Found]

The steam would have been the AFFF being sprayed from the fire ring over the hot turbo. Certainly wouldn't have been a coolant hose setting off the fire system.

Another probable cause could have been a blowing exhaust manifold setting off the fire bottles.

 

[Geeves]

Was it not to do with the oil drip trays being located so close to the engines they were spontaneously combusting? I know things are ridiculously tight under there

 

[SF-02]

What has the reliability been like? Picked up since the bad old days?

 

[ainsworth74]

Considerably, that being said there are apparently a few units that are resisting fettling no matter what's done to them (HT and GC both have one each from what I've been told).

 

[WillPS]

Have Grand Central refitted theirs at all, or are they still in the delivery fit out + vinyls which clash with the rest of the interior?

 

[Nym]

They have the headrests and vynl covers on the tables from what I remember, only been on a GC 180 once (for 4.5 hours...)

 

[No Fault Found]

Was it not to do with the oil drip trays being located so close to the engines they were spontaneously combusting? I know things are ridiculously tight under there

No. They don't have oil drip trays. They have a stone guard to prevent ballast damage but the temperature of the engine in that area wouldn't be enough to cause a fire. The only problems i can recall with fire are leaves on top of the engine around the manifold and transmission oil pipes bursting (and of course 180102's catastrophic failure)

 

[Crossover]

Have Grand Central refitted theirs at all, or are they still in the delivery fit out + vinyls which clash with the rest of the interior?

The interior is still, what I believe to be, First NW(?) - all purple and such like. They could probably do with some work to sort this and make them more like the HST's (which I have never been on but have seen) where it all looks a little less stark

 

[monsento]

ah they will all need a repaint when they drop the first name

 

[sonic2009]

GC 180s need a major refurbishment inside if I am to be honest. I travelled last week on one and I was surprised that they don't seem to have done much except install power sockets.

 

[Crossover]

GC 180s need a major refurbishment inside if I am to be honest. I travelled last week on one and I was surprised that they don't seem to have done much except install power sockets.

And even they have a habit of not working!!!

 

[Mikey C]

GC 180s need a major refurbishment inside if I am to be honest. I travelled last week on one and I was surprised that they don't seem to have done much except install power sockets.

Appallingly shallow overhead luggage racks as well for a non tilting train, I was amazed my small overnight bag didn't fit!