Class 387

[HowardGWR]

So lucky up north, we had lovely 377's, replaced with 387's (which most passengers consider an excellent upgrade) to be replaced with the horrible 700's - no thanks, don't want them but we got them anyway. Enjoy!

Could you summarise what is better about the class 387 than the class 700 (or what is worse about the 700 if that is easier)?

Edit: I can remember the Conservative publicists trying to sell Margaret Thatcher, from Grantham, as 'a northerner'.

 

[47802]

Could you summarise what is better about the class 387 than the class 700 (or what is worse about the 700 if that is easier)?

Edit: I can remember the Conservative publicists trying to sell Margaret Thatcher, from Grantham, as 'a northerner'.

Nothing wrong with the trains themselves but I imagine swapping an outer suburban/medium distance interior for a Metro style interior isn't going down well with many longer distance Thameslink users, of course you get ironing board seats on both versions, I notice there are no compliants about the ironing board seats on the GWR units yet is that because they look better than the Thameslink and Gatex ones

 

[reddragon]

Of course the fact that an 8-car 110mph aircon 387 is replacing a 2-car slow 165 without aircon where seats are not seen let alone available to sit on must be a factor there!

 

[superalbs]

From my experience, the door buttons seem to be a little stiffer, perhaps a sign that Bombardier have finally decided to alter the design and make sure they don't keep falling off?

 

[theblackwatch]

Ah good, both sets will be out and about during the evening peak.

I can see some bashers jumping on the 19:15 to Ealing Broadway, for a +5 to catch the other set back.

Rather surprised that the second set's 'evening peak' working is actually after the evening peak. To get both pairs in gives a 19.44 arrival back at Paddington, which is a bit too tight for my liking when I have to be on the 20.00 off King's Cross to get home....

 

[sarahj]

387 124 and sister unit in GWR green, but no markings, at Brighton today. Headed north at around 14.09

 

[jon0844]

From my experience, the door buttons seem to be a little stiffer, perhaps a sign that Bombardier have finally decided to alter the design and make sure they don't keep falling off?

Yes they seem to have fixed the problem after about two years. Nice to see they considered it so unimportant, despite the accessibility issues for just about everyone.

 

[swt_passenger]

387 124 and sister unit in GWR green, but no markings, at Brighton today. Headed north at around 14.09

That must be a typo for 134? 124 is an existing Thameslink one that you have in service.

 

[sarahj]

That must be a typo for 134? 124 is an existing Thameslink one that you have in service.

oooppps


unless, it's been painted.

 

[D365]

Yes they seem to have fixed the problem after about two years. Nice to see they considered it so unimportant, despite the accessibility issues for just about everyone.

It's a different part from the supplier isn't it? Have any of the Electrostars built after the 379s suffered the same problem or was it just a forum myth from the time?

 

[Minstral25]

Could you summarise what is better about the class 387 than the class 700 (or what is worse about the 700 if that is easier)?

Edit: I can remember the Conservative publicists trying to sell Margaret Thatcher, from Grantham, as 'a northerner'.

I think 47802 got it, swapping an outer suburban interior for a metro interior.

Yes the seats on a 387 are hard but the space around the seat is much better, the seats are wider and the leg room greater (important when you are just above average in size), also provision of arm rests and tables. Arm rests on longer journeys keep your space a little more private and if you aren't crammed in narrow seats without leg room then the journey is more relaxing.

Tables of course enable work to be undertaken and coffee/food to be rested, again a very useful provision on a 40-50 minute journey.

I think the 387 are a very elegant solution, supplying capacity in a civilised manner and will be a fantastic servant on GWR especially replacing the Turbo's (which we also have at Redhill) and for "Northerners" on GN to Kings Lynn. I and many others will miss them from Thameslink.

The 700's will be functional and get us from A to B, but they will not endear themselves and will make journeys by train a chore rather than a pleasure. I hate it when they turn up (probably explains my grumpy mood today)

 

[AM9]

The 700's will be functional and get us from A to B, but they will not endear themselves and will make journeys by train a chore rather than a pleasure. I hate it when they turn up (probably explains my grumpy mood today)

Well if it affects you that much now, either get over it soon otherwise you will be confronted with a 100% chance of a train that makes you 'grumpy' every day.

 

[Expression357]

c2c have 6x 387/3 on order. Plan for the 6x is two 12 cars for peak. Off peak usage not yet known

Am reliably informed off-peak use will be nil and that annual mileage per 4-car is limited to circa 50k.

 

[Class377/5]

Am reliably informed off-peak use will be nil and that annual mileage per 4-car is limited to circa 50k.

I thought that was the case. 100% availability is very high but if they are only used in peak then that's understandable.

 

[samuelmorris]

I don't envy you, the Great Western electrification should have happened years ago. I struggle to imagine what the Great Northern must have been like in the 70s before the suburban electrification was complete.

A little off-topic but there was really no need to leave the situation as long as it has - I keep thinking of the commuter potential of Heathrow Connect units as 'recent' forgetting it was over a decade ago now, DMUs doesn't need to equate to 'short train', it just has in practice.

More on-topic, door buttons even stiffer than those on 377/6 and 377/7 units? Those things are stiff enough as it is. Not sure I like that.

 

[Kite159]

I thought that was the case. 100% availability is very high but if they are only used in peak then that's understandable.

I'm guessing it will be one trip in the morning peak towards Fenchurch Street before heading to East Ham depot to sit in the sunshine before coming out in the evening to run to (say) Shoeburyness, and running ECS to Shoeburyness C.S.D. for the evening.

 

[GodAtum]

will the new trains new rolled out on the marlow branch?

 

[47802]

will the new trains new rolled out on the marlow branch?

Could be tricky that, given the Marlow branch isn't down to be electrified and it cannot cope with 4 car trains.

 

[RobShipway]

will the new trains new rolled out on the marlow branch?

There is a thread within the Infrastructure section on teh GWML Electrification:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2692962&highlight=Marlow#post2692962

I have not been able to find but there is a statement somewhere where GWR have stated that they will need to keep some 2 car 165 unit for the Marlow route and 3 car class 166 units for the Reading - Redhill/Gatwick service.

The Henley-on-Thames and Windsor routes will be electrified.

 

[swt_passenger]

There is a thread within the Infrastructure section on teh GWML Electrification:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2692962&highlight=Marlow#post2692962

There's a more focused discussion of Marlow branch electrification here:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=113919&highlight=marlow

It does surprise me that the question is still being asked though.

 

[RobShipway]

There's a more focused discussion of Marlow branch electrification here:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=113919&highlight=marlow

It does surprise me that the question is still being asked though.

It does me as well, as I thought that this question had been answered months ago, if not a year ago.

 

[Harbon 1]

More on-topic, door buttons even stiffer than those on 377/6 and 377/7 units? Those things are stiff enough as it is. Not sure I like that.

Christ we can't win can we

In other news, 387301 looks about ready (from wandering past the front) on the sale line, so to an uninformed guesser, it shouldn't be long before that heads down to C2C land.

 

[JaJaWa]

Christ we can't win can we

In other news, 387301 looks about ready (from wandering past the front) on the sale line, so to an uninformed guesser, it shouldn't be long before that heads down to C2C land.

What livery / internal colour scheme are these in?

 

[swt_passenger]

Christ we can't win can we

In other news, 387301 looks about ready (from wandering past the front) on the sale line, so to an uninformed guesser, it shouldn't be long before that heads down to C2C land.

Do you know yet if it will come south via Bletchley as all recent batches have?

 

[Harbon 1]

Do you know yet if it will come south via Bletchley as all recent batches have?

Unfortunately I just weld/bolt them together

I'm sure others will know more than I, a humble shop floor apprentice, will, but I can only assume they will take the same test routes etc as the previous batches.

 

[cactustwirly]

It appears the GWR 387s use the same voice as the turbos, except for the coach number announcements which are the same as the TL 387s

see:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhMsZsXbDmI

 

[samuelmorris]

Christ we can't win can we

In other news, 387301 looks about ready (from wandering past the front) on the sale line, so to an uninformed guesser, it shouldn't be long before that heads down to C2C land.

Well - my experience is certainly from having difficulty operating the doors on 377/6 and 387 units due to how stiff and also imprecise the button is - no real definitive 'click' like the long-standing button design used on almost every UK train since the 1990s (and retrofitted to many before that). Can't remember if they're different on the 700s - only contemporary non-Bombardier stock I get to use in normal travel at present. If anything it's the stiffness of the buttons that I attributed to them falling off so early, people were probably bashing them to get them to operate.

With regard to the DVA on the GWR units - it does sound odd to hear someone other than Julie Berry on an electrostar, but you can see why it's so prevalent, that voiceover is really bad :P No offense intended to the person that recorded it, but the intonation isn't very good in my opinion, it also sounds like it wasn't recorded very well.

Looking forward to the possibility of trying out the C2C units, but knowing my luck they won't operate any services in my area at the time I travel

 

[phoenixcronin]

It appears the GWR 387s use the same voice as the turbos, except for the coach number announcements which are the same as the TL 387s

see:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhMsZsXbDmI

My god, that voice is absolutely hideous. Very disjointed and without proper emphasis on the correct words.

Also, Julie Berry's coach number announcement seems to be cut, as she says "coach number x of 8" instead of "This is coach number x of 8"

 

[J-2739]

It appears the GWR 387s use the same voice as the turbos, except for the coach number announcements which are the same as the TL 387s

see:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhMsZsXbDmI

Ok, I'll never complain about Julie Berry again!! The acceleration of these things are glorious though, better than any other Electrostar I've seen.

 

[samuelmorris]

Ok, I'll never complain about Julie Berry again!! The acceleration of these things are glorious though, better than any other Electrostar I've seen.

Is that not just because they're on AC power versus the DC areas most Electrostars work? I'd have thought their acceleration characteristics should be the same as the 387/1s north of St Pancras.