Class 319 on ECML

[traji00]

About half an hour ago (~18:10) I was on a bus in Holloway (London), about to pass under the East Coast Main Line.

In addition to a usual Class 365 going northbound, I spotted a 8-car Class 319 heading southbound towards Kings Cross (leading unit had the grey/blue ex-Thameslink livery, rear unit was FCC livery).

Are 319's being tested on the ECML?

(if this has been mentioned before, I'm sorry...)

 

[Failed Unit]

About half an hour ago (~18:10) I was on a bus in Holloway (London), about to pass under the East Coast Main Line.

In addition to a usual Class 365 going northbound, I spotted a 8-car Class 319 heading southbound towards Kings Cross (leading unit had the grey/blue ex-Thameslink livery, rear unit was FCC livery).

Are 319's being tested on the ECML?

(if this has been mentioned before, I'm sorry...)

They often visit Hornsey for certain types of maintenance, so my money is that is what it was doing on the ECML

 

[DavidBusDriver]

Yep, at about 17:00 I saw the front end of 319430 in Hornsey yard, which would have made it the leading end of the movement, so had probably been in for maintenance as stated already.

Unique unit that one, thought it was at Hornsey for a re-vinyling as it is looking rather grubby at the moment

 

[387star]

430 looks terrible! saw it at Brighton this summer with FCC 'tempoary' vinyls all peeling off. Same can be said for ex Southern units FCC don't seem to bothered about these trains... I give up asking if there is any news on those repainted or even refurbished!

 

[Aictos]

Yep, at about 17:00 I saw the front end of 319430 in Hornsey yard, which would have made it the leading end of the movement, so had probably been in for maintenance as stated already.

Unique unit that one, thought it was at Hornsey for a re-vinyling as it is looking rather grubby at the moment

430 as explained on the recent Meet the Directors web forum was only being refurbished inside at Hornsey and there are no plans afoot to reliveried it!

 

[swt_passenger]

430 as explained on the recent Meet the Directors web forum was only being refurbished inside at Hornsey and there are no plans afoot to reliveried it!

Given the supersonic pace of the 'electrification programme' there'll be no point, as they're going to need a relivery into Northern orFGW in two years...

 

[ungreat]

319's are common at Hornsey now,theres almost always a couple on the depot when I've been in to get my unit/s

They return back their usual haunt via the freight line near where HS1 crosses the ECML just outside KX

 

[westcoaster]

Said working is 5M77 hornsey to cricklewood although it can and does sometimes get extended to bedford, 430 will look quiet odd refreshed inners and still the old blue silver thameslink livery outside.

 

[387star]

Just been looking at the latest meet the manager sessions for FCC. A Mr Peter Skuce KEEPS asking about the 319s!!

To sum up all 319/2s will remain in Southern livery, 430 will remain in Thameslink and any 319/0s not yet in FCC livery will remain in Southern (I think the majority of the latter are in FCC livery)

No reason is given. Good news is that 319/2 refresh is complete? or will be soon with the old buffet converted to standard seating as we know. These seats appear to be the same as fitted to 319/3s unlike the chapman seats the rest of the train is fitted with.

I am not sure if any 319/0s have been refreshed. It would appear that the 9 319/4s not refurbished under the main scheme are now being treated going by 430. How many of the 9 outstanding have now been refurbished or will 430 be the (final?) last?

AFAIK 319429-31/438-39/443-45/447 were the 9 untouched internally when the main 319/4 refresh was completed. Aside from 430 all these units were amongst the first vinyled in to FCC livery if I am correct. 430 was amongst the first touched up by Thameslink shortly before that franchise ended?

 

[466.networkers]

ml - Peter Skuce is a member on these forums ....

As for the subject - I thought 319s were cleared to run on the GN route in an emergency?

 

[387star]

Oh right I didn't know. I'm glad because he asked many of the questions I would have asked!

 

[Aictos]

319's are common at Hornsey now,theres almost always a couple on the depot when I've been in to get my unit/s

They return back their usual haunt via the freight line near where HS1 crosses the ECML just outside KX

North London Incline if I remember. however for some reason I always thought they used the Harringay Curve and went that way to the MML.

Given the supersonic pace of the 'electrification programme' there'll be no point, as they're going to need a relivery into Northern orFGW in two years...

Yes that's probably going to be accurate enough!

As for the subject - I thought 319s were cleared to run on the GN route in an emergency?

I've checked my Sectional Appendix which states that 317s/318s/321/322s are cleared between London and Doncaster and seeing as 319s are from the same family, although it doesn't show them as being cleared for the route, I can't see why they wouldn't be cleared.

Although I guess in order to do so, they need Network Rail to clear the class to run under it's own power on the ECML.

 

[westcoaster]

They are routed hornsey-NLL-WLL- volitaire junc-brixton-loughborough junc- then as per the tl route north, with the 319's being cleared or not I'm not sure but I do know that 319's and 325's have the same body as each other, just different cab/front ends, so if a 325 is cleared a 319 should have no problem.

 

[Crossforth]

Given the supersonic pace of the 'electrification programme' there'll be no point, as they're going to need a relivery into Northern orFGW in two years...

If the electrification goes ahead though :?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

A lot of surveyors have been out and about on the Chat Moss line recently, can't say if it's related though.

 

[ungreat]

I would imagine that the 319s cannot run the length of the ECML due to their 3rd rail shoe gear.The 313s are similarly restricted

 

[Fincra5]

That reminds me of 319s on the WCML losing shoe gear because of the ballast being too high