It didn't go quite as badly as it might have done, perhaps?
True. The unit could have failed requiring the service to be cancelled. However, I just knew something would go wrong last night.
The 379 will probably need a shutdown, format, firmware update and software reinstall!
Nope. There are bugs in the software relating to the SDO, to the extent that even the units on driver training runs have travelling fitters with laptops logging the faults and carrying out updates.
That said, it does appear that they have modified the doors in some manner for the driver training runs. Talking to a colleague today it appears that it is currently not possible to give a door release. All pressing the buttons does is to active the CCTV DOO monitors.
Colleagues said they saw two in a few minutes at Whittlesford yesterday evening- one southbound paused at the station (ie made a "dummy" stop), the one northnbound crawled through the station "so slow you could count the seats", causing their train to be fifteen minutes late.
The Cl379's are currently subject to speed restrictions due to concerns about clearance. Whittlesford is particularly severe with a 5mph restriction, though there are other slightly less severe restrictions at Broxbourne P2 (I think) and the back platform at Bishops Stortford. They are also currently barred from Stoke Newington.
However, I'm not sure the Cambridge was necessarily delayed for 15 minutes due solely to the Cl379. There have been delays as a consequence of the driver training runs, but nothing that bad. I wonder if the Cambridge was delayed anyway and so the Cl379 was routed out ahead of it.
Mindyou, I took a train this morning (317) and the doors stuck closed for five minutes or so at Whittlesford. Driver had to phone the engineers to get advice on how to sort it(according to what he told us over the tannoy). Isn't just the new trains that have problems.
317s are usually fixed with a hammer or a kick aren't they?
It depends. If it's just one door stuck closed I'd be inclined not to bother, but if it's stuck open it will need attention. Likewise if you can only get a partial door release and just 3 out of 4 obstruction lights, as maybe something has tripped and would need resetting.
Are the training runs to Cambridge at fixed times?
They do seem to be because there are specific driver training diagrams, and over the past three mornings I've been passing Cl379's at the same times and places. However, these workings are flexible so I wouldn't like to guarantee it.
O L Leigh
