Class 325's

[LucaZone]

Why are the 325 sets always Loco hauled?

The 325's were introduced to replace loco hauled parcel and mail traffic, and yet these EMU's are now ironically loco hauled again!

How come they dont run under their own power?

 

[P156KWJ]

not sure, as they are operated by GBRf (aren't they?) maybe the drivers don't sign 325s but sign whatever hauls them (47s / 86)

 

[mbonwick]

The main reasons they are loco hauled:
a. maintains driver knowledge of the traction used
b. drags over non-electrified routes
c. Failures

 

[class 313]

325s had problems with their motor coaches last year (and year before) IIRC

 

[D306]

*ahem*
http://trainpicz.fotopic.net/p52170911.html
http://trainpicz.fotopic.net/p52170910.html

 

[mbonwick]

I've seen them on their own as well.

In fact, I've seen more on their own that I have being dragged.

 

[thefab444]

Been quite rare for them to have been dragged since the 87s finished up.

 

[class 313]

*ahem*
http://trainpicz.fotopic.net/p52170911.html
http://trainpicz.fotopic.net/p52170910.html

Yes?

Two ishy photos of 325s.

 

[87015]

Been quite rare for them to have been dragged since the 87s finished up.

The drivers know quality! Half the drags were just because the driver wanted a go in a proper engine - alas no more...

Sure come Christmas time plenty will be dragged around for the additionals mails, seems to be too much for the 325s to be used more than once a day.

 

[D306]

Yes?

Two ishy photos of 325s.

where's the loco hauling them then?

 

[class 313]

where's the loco hauling them then?

I think you will find there was a long period when they were hauled by 87s. As said above. :roll:

 

[Krispo]

I think you will find there was a long period when they were hauled by 87s. As said above. :roll:

Thats true, but I think YOU will find that the OP was refering to now, and 9 times out of 10 they run under their own power.

 

[FusionRail]

Thats 2 pics of the same unit!

Ive seen a few dragged, roughly a 50/50 mix.

 

[class 313]

Thats true, but I think YOU will find that the OP was refering to now, and 9 times out of 10 they run under their own power.

Obviously LucaZone was referring to when they were but not knowing that they have stopped being hauled now. Hopefully LucaZone can back that up.

 

[Juniper Driver]

not sure, as they are operated by GBRf (aren't they?) maybe the drivers don't sign 325s but sign whatever hauls them (47s / 86)

I would have thought they would need to know something about them if they are hauling them.

 

[class 313]

not sure, as they are operated by GBRf (aren't they?) maybe the drivers don't sign 325s but sign whatever hauls them (47s / 86)

GBRf drivers sign 325s :roll:

It was only a 47 because the WCML was shut and they were diverted.

37411 did the mails late 2006 or early 2007...

 

[LucaZone]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the responses. Having done some more investigating myself as well, it would appear that I got the impression purely from the sheer number of people submitting to magazines photos the the 87's hauling them, rather than the units actually being loco hauled all the time.

Yes it appears that a nice co-incidence occured between the motor coaches being removed and overhauled for a period while the last of the 87's were kept in service before their deportation.

I guess 325's on their own arent as interesting to photograph for some!

Cheers anyway though

 

[westcoaster]

gbrf drivers do sign them, i think the loco was only used when it needed to be somewhere, or if it had recsued a set and needed to get back to london/warrington/glasgow,

has anyone noticed if the shoegear has been removed from these, and when/where did they go south of the river into dc land.

 

[class 313]

gbrf drivers do sign them, i think the loco was only used when it needed to be somewhere, or if it had recsued a set and needed to get back to london/warrington/glasgow,

has anyone noticed if the shoegear has been removed from these, and when/where did they go south of the river into dc land.

Theres a Royal Mail terminal just south of Tonbridge, they ran via Kensington Olympia I believe.

 

[LilLoaf]

hi not sure how 2 work this cos i jus joined

apparently the 325's are loco hauled fo several reasons
1 drivers havent been renewed on them since they went out of serivce the 1st time and if they don't drive a class for a certain amount of months they need to be retrained
however the drivers that did drive them are EWS drivers so they drove 90's while the 325's were out of service. Therefore they didn't bother retraining them so they jus stuck a 90, or 87 in one case that i noticed

hope that answers ur question ok.

 

[me123]

I haven't seen a loco near the ones in Glasgow/Shieldmuir for some time now.

 

[mbonwick]

hi not sure how 2 work this cos i jus joined

apparently the 325's are loco hauled fo several reasons
1 drivers havent been renewed on them since they went out of serivce the 1st time and if they don't drive a class for a certain amount of months they need to be retrained
however the drivers that did drive them are EWS drivers so they drove 90's while the 325's were out of service. Therefore they didn't bother retraining them so they jus stuck a 90, or 87 in one case that i noticed

hope that answers ur question ok.

Unlikely, given that it's fGBRF that have the mail contract...

 

[CraigS]

Theres a Royal Mail terminal just south of Tonbridge, they ran via Kensington Olympia I believe.

They did indeed run via Kensington Olympia. I believe a unit would run empty down to Tonbridge and loaded back to Willesden.

Used to see the mail units on SR Metals quite a lot, only managed to phot them a few times though.

 

[33056]

hi not sure how 2 work this cos i jus joined

apparently the 325's are loco hauled fo several reasons
1 drivers havent been renewed on them since they went out of serivce the 1st time and if they don't drive a class for a certain amount of months they need to be retrained
however the drivers that did drive them are EWS drivers so they drove 90's while the 325's were out of service. Therefore they didn't bother retraining them so they jus stuck a 90, or 87 in one case that i noticed

hope that answers ur question ok.

All the GBRf drivers that cover the mail trains are trained on 325s; AFAIK, no EWS drivers now sign 325s. Since the motor coaches have been put back into the sets, there has been very little loco haulage on the southern half of the WCML and virtually nothing since the 87s finished at the end of last year.

There was one turn for a 325 from Willesden to Tonbridge under EWS which ran during the day, I can't remember the exact headcodes and times just at this moment.