Class 387

[MatthewRead]

Of course they could consider throwing in the 319 flex units at some point as an alternative to work the stoppers. Oh hang I forgot you carn't have old crap like that for the people of the Thame Valley they will need to go further North!

Oh no they would be good because they were originally the choice when electrification was first announced and they could act as Bi-Modes to other partially electrified places on the GWR network.

 

[MatthewRead]

Or even the D-train. Would look rather fetching in GWR green!

The D-trains would be best suited in Devon on shuttles between Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter and Exmouth.

 

[Mordac]

The D-trains would be best suited in Devon on shuttles between Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter and Exmouth.

Current edition of RAIL says Vivarail is trying to sell the D-Trains for Thames Valley branches....

 

[Xavi]

The D-trains would be best suited in Devon on shuttles between Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter and Exmouth.

Yeah right 60 mph on 100mph mainline. Total nonsense.

 

[MatthewRead]

Yeah right 60 mph on 100mph mainline. Total nonsense.

Actually it's mostly 75mph

 

[317 forever]

They won't be in passenger service beyond Maidenhead until January - regardless of when the wires reach Reading.

Will 387s to Reading in January be Mon-Fri peaks only or could they be a regular Mon-Sat or even Daily service?

 

[Clarence Yard]

All day service, daily.

 

[D365]

To follow on from a posting in the Class 230 discussion:

When the Turbos get to Bristol en masse next January as a result of Didcot being electrified, 12 x cl.150/1 2 car units will head quickly north, following the 3 x 150/1 2 car units that should go this autumn. That puts the Northern cascade back on schedule with the final 2 cl.150/1 2 car units due to go, as originally planned, in December 2018.

There will be 15x units spare for operating the Okehampton service in 2018 without affecting the Northern cascade. That is without considering the 9 cl.153 units that GWR are handing back to the ROSCO next March.

Fingers crossed the next stage of electrification goes live without a hitch. It seems like the Class 387s have been very much trouble-free on their GWR somophore.

 

[Siemens Staines]

It would appear that GWR 387s are suffering from some malady this evening. On GWR journey check three of the Maidenhead diagrams are shown as 4 vice 8 - those evening peak diagrams that start with the 1609, 1642 & 1714 departures from Paddington.

Additionally tiger has been showing the xx45 Paddington - Hayes trains as 4 car, although that may be incorrect because they have not been showing on GWR journey check as short form.

 

[jimm]

It would appear that GWR 387s are suffering from some malady this evening. On GWR journey check three of the Maidenhead diagrams are shown as 4 vice 8 - those evening peak diagrams that start with the 1609, 1642 & 1714 departures from Paddington.

Additionally tiger has been showing the xx45 Paddington - Hayes trains as 4 car, although that may be incorrect because they have not been showing on GWR journey check as short form.

Or possibly an ongoing after-effect of all the problems on the GWMl overnight and this morning. Perhaps sets that were meant to be hauled back from Reading depot after maintenance haven't made it to the right place today.

 

[FGW_DID]

Or possibly an ongoing after-effect of all the problems on the GWMl overnight and this morning. Perhaps sets that were meant to be hauled back from Reading depot after maintenance haven't made it to the right place today.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there.

 

[spark001uk]

Just been informed that all GN 387s should now be facing the same direction, but with 1st class at the north end of the train!

Adam

Yes I noticed that when they passed, as 1st was facing south, and would have been north when they got back to Hornsey. I thought the idea was 1st class was nearest the gateline so the 1st class punters had less of a walk!? (Although I always wondered if it stemmed from LHCS days when it was quieter upon leaving town!)

 

[westcoaster]

387111 and 105 ventured back through the thameslink core today running as 5Z87 Hornsey to Hornsey via st pancras/Wandsworth road/north London line. Turning the unit around to face the right way.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K97553/2017/08/01/advanced

Pics sent from a friend.

 

[387star]

are the ex GN 317/321 all in service with Greater Anglia now? don't some of the 317 still carry FCC livery?

 

[Mordac]

are the ex GN 317/321 all in service with Greater Anglia now? don't some of the 317 still carry FCC livery?

All the ones that were meant to go. 321401, 321403, and 321404 are being converted into 320s for Scotrail.

 

[Class 170101]

387111 and 105 ventured back through the thameslink core today running as 5Z87 Hornsey to Hornsey via st pancras/Wandsworth road/north London line. Turning the unit around to face the right way.

I'm surprised they just didn't turn them via the Wimbledon Loop rather than take the tour via the WLL.

 

[westcoaster]

I'm surprised they just didn't turn them via the Wimbledon Loop rather than take the tour via the WLL.

Most likely the GBRF driver doesn't sign the loop. A quicker route would have been blackfriars, Wandsworth road (change ends) back to herne hill (change ends), back to blackfriars.

 

[317 forever]

In a change of plan, I did not ride a 387 from Paddington to Hayes & Harlington last Saturday after all. I decided that I'd prefer to ride one to Maidenhead or even Reading next year instead, as this is a newly electrified section.

 

[spark001uk]

In a change of plan, I did not ride a 387 from Paddington to Hayes & Harlington last Saturday after all. I decided that I'd prefer to ride one to Maidenhead or even Reading next year instead, as this is a newly electrified section.

If you're going to do a mai, I'd recommend the weekday 1936 off Pad (1N62) as that uses the down fast throughout, and usually bangs in the full 110. Did it in a shade over 18 mins from platform to platform when I got it one day last week.

 

[Mag_seven]

If you're going to do a mai, I'd recommend the weekday 1936 off Pad (1N62) as that uses the down fast throughout, and usually bangs in the full 110. Did it in a shade over 18 mins from platform to platform when I got it one day last week.

Err Down MAIN if you please.

 

[Techniquest]

If you're going to do a mai, I'd recommend the weekday 1936 off Pad (1N62) as that uses the down fast throughout, and usually bangs in the full 110. Did it in a shade over 18 mins from platform to platform when I got it one day last week.

Ooh, that sounds insanely fun! I must make a note of that!

 

[leomartin125]

If you're going to do a mai, I'd recommend the weekday 1936 off Pad (1N62) as that uses the down fast throughout, and usually bangs in the full 110. Did it in a shade over 18 mins from platform to platform when I got it one day last week.

I've done that one. Is great, until you quickly catch up to the HST in front, and that will be a problem now until they retire! Managed to hit 112 on the 387 to MAI the other day, only took to just outside Hayes & Harlington before the HST in front caused us to slow down to around 70...

 

[Mintona]

As a good HST will be doing 125 by Airport Junction, I'm not sure that was the reason for the hold up.

 

[Mag_seven]

I've done that one. Is great, until you quickly catch up to the HST in front, and that will be a problem now until they retire! Managed to hit 112 on the 387 to MAI the other day, only took to just outside Hayes & Harlington before the HST in front caused us to slow down to around 70...

I sampled a Class 387 stopper to Maidenhead the other evening - acceleration was so so good it had to "wait time" at every station. Hopefully GWR will reduce journey times accordingly when the full fleet is up and running.

 

[jon0844]

On GN you can really tell the difference between the 365s and 387s in terms of time keeping. I always thought the 365s accelerated well, but he 387s are something else.

While I expect that extra 'oomph' will be used to help recover lost time, I think the timetables could be tweaked slightly to speed up journey times if someone wanted to.

 

[cactustwirly]

I've done that one. Is great, until you quickly catch up to the HST in front, and that will be a problem now until they retire! Managed to hit 112 on the 387 to MAI the other day, only took to just outside Hayes & Harlington before the HST in front caused us to slow down to around 70...

Sure its a HST in front? A HST should be doing at least 100 by Hayes....
Sounds like a turbo in front.

 

[ScotGG]

I sampled a Class 387 stopper to Maidenhead the other evening - acceleration was so so good it had to "wait time" at every station. Hopefully GWR will reduce journey times accordingly when the full fleet is up and running.

Let's hope so and they aren't tempted to keep slow timings to improve stats

 

[bramling]

On GN you can really tell the difference between the 365s and 387s in terms of time keeping. I always thought the 365s accelerated well, but he 387s are something else.

While I expect that extra 'oomph' will be used to help recover lost time, I think the timetables could be tweaked slightly to speed up journey times if someone wanted to.

One may think so, indeed I thought same, however GPS measurements seem to show otherwise. The speed attained in particular locations is almost identical. Naturally there's a massive improvement compared with 317s and 321s though.

The 110mph capability of the 387s could prove beneficial if ever able to be utilised, but not if it simply causes them to catch up to all those late running class 700s!

The only other performance benefit they 387s may have is not having to be specifically aligned to platform monitors or mirrors, which at some locations could theoretically allow a more aggressive final approach to the stopping position. With the mirrors and monitors some drivers were are always more adept at this than others. At tight platforms there's not much difference however, or if the defensive driving policy dictates a cautious approach for example when a signal is on.

 

[jon0844]

That's a good point re platform monitors and onboard DOO monitors. 365s can be a little slow on approach to some platforms.

In the wet, 365s do suffer quite a bit of wheelspin and drivers presumably slow right down to avoid it. As such, in bad weather I expect 387s do that bit better.

I can usually tell what train will turn up based on whether it's on time or 1 or 2 minutes down. It's not a scientific test, but chances are the one that is on time (even early!) when I'm used to a service being delayed a bit will be a 387. So somewhere along the line (sic) it did better.

There are a load of reasons this could just be coincidental, like time of day, passenger loading and the driver's style!

 

[bramling]

That's a good point re platform monitors and onboard DOO monitors. 365s can be a little slow on approach to some platforms.

In the wet, 365s do suffer quite a bit of wheelspin and drivers presumably slow right down to avoid it. As such, in bad weather I expect 387s do that bit better.

I can usually tell what train will turn up based on whether it's on time or 1 or 2 minutes down. It's not a scientific test, but chances are the one that is on time (even early!) when I'm used to a service being delayed a bit will be a 387. So somewhere along the line (sic) it did better.

There are a load of reasons this could just be coincidental, like time of day, passenger loading and the driver's style!

You may very well have a point about wheelspin - most of my measuring has been dry rail simply to be able to make a fair comparison between the types.

On a partially related note, I hadn't realised until relatively recently that Electrostars only have three powered bogies, I'd always assumed it was six (*). I have wondered if three powered bogies distributed over three cars (Electrostar) is better or worse than four powered bogies over two cars (Networker), or maybe it doesn't make that much difference. I can imagine there is some benefit in not having the leading bogie powered, although from a driver's perspective this can be said to be rather inferior as it means they can't hear what their train is doing.

The best way to defeat wheelspin is of course to run longer trains! A 4-car train of any type will perform worse than an 8 or 12.

365s certainly have some spare power though - with a motor out, which has become increasingly common in recent years, no doubt a product of their extremely intensive usage and minimal time on depot, they can still more-or-less keep time.

(*thus making GTR's decision to place first class over one of the few motored bogies on the train even more questionable, let alone a certain poster who suggested it was to give first-class passengers a more "peaceful" journey - if true this is utter cr*p).