Class 185s post-TRU

[A S Leib]

which might then be able to run non-stop from Birmingham-Derby

I'd oppose that because of how useful Tamworth is for going from the southern West Coast Main Line to Sheffield and further northeast, though I'll admit those numbers aren't massive (78 passengers per day from Tamworth and Burton to Sheffield, with 3-4 tph from Derby).

 

[43074]

What about send all the 185s to XC, with XC sending the 170s to other operators currently using 170s that can strengthen their fleets and/or allow the oldest Sprinters to be binned off?

185s would be a poor fit for the XC 170 routes, there are Sprinter linespeed differentials between Birmingham and Peterborough which 185s wouldn't be able to use (because of their weight), and there are some significant speed restrictions east of Peterborough/over the Fens so they would be unable to keep to the timetable. 6-car sets also wouldn't fit in the bay at Stansted.

 

[brad465]

185s would be a poor fit for the XC 170 routes, there are Sprinter linespeed differentials between Birmingham and Peterborough which 185s wouldn't be able to use (because of their weight), and there are some significant speed restrictions east of Peterborough/over the Fens so they would be unable to keep to the timetable. 6-car sets also wouldn't fit in the bay at Stansted.

Okay, maybe go the other way round; send 185s to a TOC with 170s (like Northern and/or Scotrail), then send those 170s to XC.

 

[Allwinter_Kit]

Okay, maybe go the other way round; send 185s to a TOC with 170s (like Northern and/or Scotrail), then send those 170s to XC.

Not sure where Northern use 170s apart from trundling around between Leeds and York via Harrogate, where a 6 car 185 (whilst a welcome capacity uplift i'm sure) seems like a very thirsty and over-powered solution (although I don't know the route that well I don't believe it's particularly steep and - east of Knaresborough - mainly slowly donders between one station in a field and another).

The Leeds - York via Crossgates would be a better use of those wide vestibules (and well-known by 185s) but TPRU is moving those 2/3 car 195s to - presumably - 3/4 car 331s so has kind of already been dealt with.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Not sure where Northern use 170s apart from trundling around between Leeds and York via Harrogate,

A lot of the routes out of Hull, unless its changed recently

 

[Allwinter_Kit]

A lot of the routes out of Hull, unless its changed recently

Ah, I haven't been that way in a while but now you say it i do remember! Thanks!

Although I suspect the famously hilly East Yorkshire downs might also not make the fullest use of the 185s power....

 

[Russel]

Could any freed up 185's be used to double up every Scarborough service?

I thought we'd moved on from the dark days of single 185s being common on Transpennine but both out and return journeys I did between York and Scarborough today were single 185 which were full and standing...

 

[Egg Centric]

Seems to me we've not found anywhere convincing in the UK. But of course standard gauge is, well, the standard for most of the world and it should fit within most loading gauges.

They're about to convert the TAZARA to standard gauge but given how the air con holds up here that doesn't feel suitable. I'm not great at overseas lines. Is there something in the Andes maybe? Blue Mountains? Alps?

Surely there is a problem in search of this exquisite solution!

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I'm not aware that there is an intention to withdraw any Class 15x vehicles from service once the Class 175s are fully introduced. Whether the Class 185s would be suitable to replace two car Class 150s or Class 158s is a fair question, through.

Personally I'd convert the remaining two car class 150's to four car hybrids (in 150/1 [52], 150/2 [57], 150/2 [52], 150/1 [57] formation), with the remaining two car class 158's being converted into three car hybrids and used this way until they're ready to go in the bin / be replaced / be stripped of spare parts to keep rest of said fleet going / be sold to some foreign nation somewhere.

The class 150's are simply used as infill units (rural branches) or as hot spares incase a class 185 or class 195 is out of action or even for the Friday/Saturday night vomit comet express.

This would allow the areas which currently use the 158's to lengthen them. As awful as it is, it'd make sense to send a majority of class 158's to the East Midlands, South Western and Great Western due to staff familarisation and retaining a small, but reasonable number, to keep the services in the North East going.

As for the class 185 "Pennines", stick them on the Leeds - Wigan (which should be extended back to Southport), Leeds to Carlisle via Settle, Leeds to Nottingham, Sheffield to Scarborough and York - Blackpool services to free up said class 158's.