Class 387

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Most of you will know this but the new GWR timetables are finally out and still feature all of the 387 workings with the volt sign as they do currently.

Just a thought:
Does anyone else wish 387s hadn’t left Thameslink?

 

[superalbs]

Most of you will know this but the new GWR timetables are finally out and still feature all of the 387 workings with the volt sign as they do currently.

Just a thought:
Does anyone else wish 387s hadn’t left Thameslink?

Not at all. The Class 700s are far superior units, with a nice declassified First Class area at the rear, offering at least some increased level of comfort over the truly awful ironing boards.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Not at all. The Class 700s are far superior units, with a nice declassified First Class area at the rear, offering at least some increased level of comfort over the truly awful ironing boards.

The “ironing board” seat is the Fainsa seat, found on board 377/6, 377/7 and 387 trains. The 700 uses a nasty cheap version of the seat which is much harder than the actual Fainsa seat.

 

[superalbs]

The “ironing board” seat is the Fainsa seat, found on board 377/6, 377/7 and 387 trains. The 700 uses a nasty cheap version of the seat which is much harder than the actual Fainsa seat.

No? They are the same seat.

 

[Domh245]

The “ironing board” seat is the Fainsa seat, found on board 377/6, 377/7 and 387 trains. The 700 uses a nasty cheap version of the seat which is much harder than the actual Fainsa seat.

The seats in the 700s are made by fainsa... They just have different amounts of padding.

 

[superalbs]

The seats in the 700s are made by fainsa... They just have different amounts of padding.

Never noticed any difference, they're both rock hard.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No? They are the same seat.

The seats in the 700s are made by fainsa... They just have different amounts of padding.

They are not. The Quantum M100 is a harder clone of the Fainsa seat. They also have different heights and thickness of both the actual seat and padding.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

If you look carefully at the seat backs you’ll notice that they have different moulds/shapes!

 

[superalbs]

If you look carefully at the seat backs you’ll notice that they have different moulds/shapes!

No.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2861/12209556284_21763f773e_b.jpg
http://www.greaterlondonphotos.co.uk/uploads/5/3/0/0/53002413/gwr-class-387-interior_orig.jpg
You'll notice that they are the same seat.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2861/12209556284_21763f773e_b.jpg
http://www.greaterlondonphotos.co.uk/uploads/5/3/0/0/53002413/gwr-class-387-interior_orig.jpg
You'll notice that they are the same seat.

A key difference is that the Quantum M100 has a smooth rounded bottom.

Unlike the QM100 the fainsa seat is more like two separate parts, the back and the seat.

 

[superalbs]

Two different parts. Because they're the same seat.

 

[Fred43123]

I'll probably be murdered for this, but I don't find the seats uncomfortable. As I'm 6ft tall at least they are supported and make you sit upright. On the 387s at the table seats there's plenty of legroom..

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

http://www.quantumseating.com/M101-Range-Regional-Seat-pg31.aspx

Read this?

 

[superalbs]

Read this?

Why??

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

View attachment 40327
Two different parts. Because they're the same seat.

I’m talking about the mould.
See how it curves under?

Btw Fainsa no longer make their seats they only offer Metro seats and “Sophia” seats which are the type you get on Swiss local trains. Quantum spotted how they stopped making them and a lightbulb happened.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Why??

To prove it exists and is not a Fainsa seat.

 

[superalbs]

I’m talking about the mould.
See how it curves under?

Btw Fainsa no longer make their seats they only offer Metro seats and “Sophia” seats which are the type you get on Swiss local trains. Quantum spotted how they stopped making them and a lightbulb happened.

Fainsa still do make that seat, sadly, and are churning it out for the 385s, 156s, and probably some others sadly.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Czyux-EXUAEDHnE.jpg

The above link shows a Quantum M101.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I could swear 387s have taller seats than 700s though!

 

[superalbs]

I could swear 387s have taller seats than 700s though!

Could be how they are mounted.

 

[Domh245]

It'd be a bold move by Fainsa to claim that they make seats that, according to you, they don't...

Here is a PDF featuring a Thameslink 387 captioned COMRAIL Thameslink, and here is a PDF featuring a 700 also captioned COMRAIL Thameslink (and for that matter, IEP 2nd class)

 

[superalbs]

It'd be a bold move by Fainsa to claim that they make seats that, according to you, they don't...

Here is a PDF featuring a Thameslink 387 captioned COMRAIL Thameslink, and here is a PDF featuring a 700 also captioned COMRAIL Thameslink (and for that matter, IEP 2nd class)

Strong Points:
Seating Comfort

 

[Fincra5]

Not at all. The Class 700s are far superior units, with a nice declassified First Class area at the rear, offering at least some increased level of comfort over the truly awful ironing boards.

That won't last forever lol.

 

[superalbs]

That won't last forever lol.

Sad.

 

[swt_passenger]

Does anyone else wish 387s hadn’t left Thameslink?

It has never been a possible option, because the Thameslink core service has to use ETCS based ATO as fitted to 700s. So I expect most typical forum users will have always understood TL 387s to be a very short term solution.

 

[class387]

They are not. The Quantum M100 is a harder clone of the Fainsa seat. They also have different heights and thickness of both the actual seat and padding.

Not true. The Quantum has more padding than the Fainsa. But this is irrelevant anyway as both the 387 and 700 are fitted with Fainsa seats. The only application of Quantum seats in the UK so far are in the Renatus 321s.

 

[APUK002]

Must admit I’m not entirely aware of why this change is happening or if it is permanent, but I suspect that one reason is that as said above, whilst the platform staff sort the connecting doors at places like Royston, GN don’t have any platform staff at Cambridge (where the majority of splitting /attaching takes place) so drivers end up doing it. This increases the already massive amount of delays caused at Cambridge.

I imagine that with all the coupling issues with the 387s on GN lately trying to prevent delays and to simplify the process as much as possible, especially over the winter period, will be part of the reason.

Can’t see passengers being overly amused about this one, wonder how long it will be until the first passcomm activation at one of the village stations..

Lol at last bit!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Not true. The Quantum has more padding than the Fainsa. But this is irrelevant anyway as both the 387 and 700 are fitted with Fainsa seats. The only application of Quantum seats in the UK so far are in the Renatus 321s.

Ok, when I said the 700 seats were Quantums I was actually referring to what someone else told me in another thread!

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is also a variant of the Fainsa with better padding and a contoured base used in the ScotRail 385s and the GWR 387s (ScotRail shouted about it being better than the regular type when they had the exhibition at Waverley - I've sat on both next to each other and it's a definite improvement). It's much more comfortable than the original - so much so that they are in my view much more comfortable than the Class 800 Standard seats.

 

[class387]

There is also a variant of the Fainsa with better padding and a contoured base used in the ScotRail 385s and the GWR 387s (ScotRail shouted about it being better than the regular type when they had the exhibition at Waverley - I've sat on both next to each other and it's a definite improvement). It's much more comfortable than the original - so much so that they are in my view much more comfortable than the Class 800 Standard seats.

In my view all of the 'ironing board' type seats, including the original Fainsa, are more comfortable than the 800 seats.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In my view all of the 'ironing board' type seats, including the original Fainsa, are more comfortable than the 800 seats.

I would probably agree, having done a fairly long journey on a Class 700 and Southern Electrostar (new type), though I would prefer the IC spacing with armrests if someone is going to sit next to me.

The Class 387 (a posh suburban EMU) has a far, far better Standard interior than the supposedly InterCity Class 800.