Class 379 Miscellanea

[STN commuter]

No 317/5's on Stansted Express services today. 317510 was on Stratford - Stansted.

Ah, right.

The only 317/6 on Express duties was 649 coupled to 889.

I saw it leaving SSD running as the 1745 as I was pulling in.

All other Express services 379 or 317/7 operated, bar 317890.

.....

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

379004 out today for it's first passenger run, coupled to 014.

 

[jopsuk]

idle wondering as I cycled in this morning- from the December timetable, how many more 379 units (as in, 10 will already be used on it- 3 sets of 3 plus a single spare, essentially) would be needed to run the entire Liverpool Street-Cambridge (and Ely/Kings Lynn) M-F service? Not that there's any need to replace the 317s.

 

[Kingfisher200262]

idle wondering as I cycled in this morning- from the December timetable, how many more 379 units (as in, 10 will already be used on it- 3 sets of 3 plus a single spare, essentially) would be needed to run the entire Liverpool Street-Cambridge (and Ely/Kings Lynn) M-F service? Not that there's any need to replace the 317s.

I think eighteen units (nine diagrams, all running as eight car) are required for the Stansted service (see earlier posts on page 20), leaving 10 for Cambridge services and a couple spare for maintenance.

I don't know how many diagrams are needed for Ely and Cambridge, but I'm sure the regulars here can shed light on this.

Slightly related to this, I've always wondered whether there might be some potential to split and join units on the WA. The Elys generally run as four cars and the Cambridges as eight, and they run about five minutes apart. If this ran as a twelve car between Liverpool Street and Cambridge, with four cars then continuing to Ely, would this not make sense and free up a valuable path? I'm sure Ely passengers could be corralled to ensure that they were in the leading four vehicles heading north.

 

[jopsuk]

Given the Kings Cross-Cambridge-Kings Lynn services almost all split at Cambridge, shouldn't be too much of a challenge for WA passengers to cope with the idea.

 

[Aictos]

I think eighteen units (nine diagrams, all running as eight car) are required for the Stansted service (see earlier posts on page 20), leaving 10 for Cambridge services and a couple spare for maintenance.

I don't know how many diagrams are needed for Ely and Cambridge, but I'm sure the regulars here can shed light on this.

Slightly related to this, I've always wondered whether there might be some potential to split and join units on the WA. The Elys generally run as four cars and the Cambridges as eight, and they run about five minutes apart. If this ran as a twelve car between Liverpool Street and Cambridge, with four cars then continuing to Ely, would this not make sense and free up a valuable path? I'm sure Ely passengers could be corralled to ensure that they were in the leading four vehicles heading north.

What services are you talking about? At present there is only 4 trains from Liverpool Street to Ely in the evening peak which are at 15:58, 16:58, 17:58 and 18:58.

I'm confused,

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

379025 named today as "Go Discover".
For those that wonder why it's been named as such, it's called Go Discover because that's Stansted Airports motto, and people go to Stansted to discover other places....

Let's hope if they name anymore that there are some proper names applied. 379005 for anyone that doesn't know, is named (quite simply!) "Stansted Express".

 

[317666]

Given the Kings Cross-Cambridge-Kings Lynn services almost all split at Cambridge, shouldn't be too much of a challenge for WA passengers to cope with the idea.

You would be surprised at the amount of people who still don't move forward if they're heading to stations towards Ely and Kings Lynn, happens every day...

 

[Kingfisher200262]

What services are you talking about? At present there is only 4 trains from Liverpool Street to Ely in the evening peak which are at 15:58, 16:58, 17:58 and 18:58.

I'm confused,

Sorry, I've completely lost the plot obviously. I was under the impression (mistakenly) that a Cambridge services closely followed a King's Lynn. Since I generally get a shiny new 379 Stansted Express train, I'm clearly dreaming and not paying attention!

 

[STN commuter]

379025 named today as "Go Discover".
For those that wonder why it's been named as such, it's called Go Discover because that's Stansted Airports motto, and people go to Stansted to discover other places....

Let's hope if they name anymore that there are some proper names applied. 379005 for anyone that doesn't know, is named (quite simply!) "Stansted Express".

Can't be worse than naming a unit "Tottenham Flyer"

 

[87015]

379028 out today, highest numbered one yet I presume. Still think the appear to be the best post-privatisation EMU going, think I've sampled the rest bar 380s although probably forgotten about some obscure class!

 

[Aictos]

Sorry, I've completely lost the plot obviously. I was under the impression (mistakenly) that a Cambridge services closely followed a King's Lynn. Since I generally get a shiny new 379 Stansted Express train, I'm clearly dreaming and not paying attention!

There is a XX15 Cambridge Cruiser from Kings Cross and a XX45 Kings Lynn Flyer from Kings Cross if only the currently singled sections between Ely and Kings Lynn could be doubled then you might as well extend the XX15s though to Kings Lynn and let the locals have a 30 minute service rather then a hourly service.

Splitting and Joining as is done on the Southern and West Coast may just help with the pathing capacity at Welwyn Viaduct so instead of pathing 2 trains though, you're pathing 1 train instead so I do like your idea.

 

[NXEA!]

They're beginning to drop onto Cambridge turns, I saw 006 and 018 pulling out of Liverpool Street at about 18.20 on said service.

 

[STN commuter]

They're beginning to drop onto Cambridge turns, I saw 006 and 018 pulling out of Liverpool Street at about 18.20 on said service.

Yep, 025 ran a Cambridge service at around 17:50 from LST this evening. Which is odd, as I thought the full 18 units were going to be introduced on the airports before any went on to Cambridge services

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

Yep, 025 ran a Cambridge service at around 17:50 from LST this evening. Which is odd, as I thought the full 18 units were going to be introduced on the airports before any went on to Cambridge services

From what I've seen, the 10 units for Cambridge will be allocated first then Stansted Express services will sorted. Only 4 units left to be delivered now; 001, 002, 029 & 030.

 

[STN commuter]

In last evening's overhead lines fiasco I managed to jump on the 1625 (a 379), only for it to be delayed for ages leaving LST as someone had forced the doors open

 

[O L Leigh]

Interesting. Was the length of the delay directly related to the doors being forced or to the OLE damage?

O L Leigh

 

[STN commuter]

Interesting. Was the length of the delay directly related to the doors being forced or to the OLE damage?

O L Leigh

The driver said initially that someone had forced the doors and they were trying to fix it, but I suspect that may have then merged into not having a path ready. I think he later said he was waiting a signal, but I had probably gone into disgruntled commuter shutdown mode by then

 

[rockford]

I overheard a conversation at Stortford about pantograph issues with the new 379s - pretty sure the words 'pantograph cut off' were mentioned... Seems pretty drastic.
Anyone have any news?

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

I overheard a conversation at Stortford about pantograph issues with the new 379s - pretty sure the words 'pantograph cut off' were mentioned... Seems pretty drastic.
Anyone have any news?

That sounds like 379004's incident a few weeks back near Audley End. I've heard a few people say that the pan was cut off. Although I don't think it was- from what I saw it was strapped down. I'm pretty sure it was still attached to the train when it passed me (eventually!) at Tottenham that day.

 

[STN commuter]

Another bit of fun on the 06:15 ex SSD this morning.....

Driver arrives at the pointy end.

Driver - Computer, open the doors please...

Computer - I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that.....

Driver - I'll go in through the saloon door then.

Computer - I'm sorry Dave, I can't allow that.

Driver gets down on the tracks and climbs in offside door.

Driver - start up sequence please Computer.

Computer - I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that either....

Driver phones for help.

Help suggests powering computer down and restarting.

Computer - I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid.

Train shuts down.

We are now stuck on a dead train with emergency power only, so the doors are locked shut, and it's approaching the time the 06:30 is going to go without us, as it's clear the 06:15 is going nowhere.......

Driver manages to get enough working to open the doors and let us off.

We jump on the 06:30 and as it pulls out the driver of the 06:15 is still sitting there arguing with the computer.....I did get the impression that the computer age had passed the poor fellow by

(With apologies to Stanley Kubrick)

 

[jon0844]

To fix it you must go quietly into the disabled toilet and pull out all the toilet paper in a specific sequence - but make sure the computer doesn't notice and try and suck you out through the vacuum toilet...

 

[O L Leigh]

That sounds like 379004's incident a few weeks back near Audley End. I've heard a few people say that the pan was cut off. Although I don't think it was- from what I saw it was strapped down. I'm pretty sure it was still attached to the train when it passed me (eventually!) at Tottenham that day.

I believe the pan head inverted itself and became welded to the overheads which necessitated it being cut free.

If the unit required moving it would be necessary to be tie the pan down if it could no longer be locked down in the normal manner. The fact that you saw it strapped down is strongly suggestive that some portion of the pan was either badly damaged or missing.

O L Leigh

 

[STN commuter]

028 seems to be the rogue unit at the moment :cry:

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I had 379 028 ( paired with 379 020 ) for haulage from Tottenham Hale to Liverpool Street yesterday; it seemed to be working OK then...

 

[jon0844]

It's not good when you have a new fleet of trains and have to be proud to announce you had one (or two) that worked fine.

 

[Kingfisher200262]

I rode the 11.28 Cambridge service off Liverpool Street yesterday (Friday). 005 was at the London end, no idea what was the other unit forming an 8-car train (I know that 005 was working with 006 some time ago, but don't know if they're still together).

The train was 3/4 empty... it seems a real shame to be hauling all that empty metal around with the incumbent energy use that will be entailed; is there no opportunity to leave a unit on the buffers at Liverpool Street during the day for the lightly loaded services and pick it up later on in the day for the evening peak?

 

[transportphoto]

020 was up bound through Stratford SRA at about 1400-1415 today.

 

[Aictos]

I rode the 11.28 Cambridge service off Liverpool Street yesterday (Friday). 005 was at the London end, no idea what was the other unit forming an 8-car train (I know that 005 was working with 006 some time ago, but don't know if they're still together).

The train was 3/4 empty... it seems a real shame to be hauling all that empty metal around with the incumbent energy use that will be entailed; is there no opportunity to leave a unit on the buffers at Liverpool Street during the day for the lightly loaded services and pick it up later on in the day for the evening peak?

Bearing in mind Kings Cross is smaller then Liverpool Street, FCC between Monday and Friday stables a 365 in Platform 10 between the peaks which is the standby unit which I believe then couples to another 365 to form a peak working so Liverpool Street ought to cope with a standby unit at Liverpool Street if they don't already do so.

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

Bearing in mind Kings Cross is smaller then Liverpool Street, FCC between Monday and Friday stables a 365 in Platform 10 between the peaks which is the standby unit which I believe then couples to another 365 to form a peak working so Liverpool Street ought to cope with a standby unit at Liverpool Street if they don't already do so.

Standby unit for the West Anglia sits at platform 1 and is a 4 car 317.