Class 458 Cab Design

[Doomotron]

This is a question regarding the visual design, not the inside of the cabs. When the 458s and 460s were rebuilt, they received a new cab design which featured 'wings' of sorts on the sides. Do these serve any purpose or are they just for looks?

 

[43096]

This is a question regarding the visual design, not the inside of the cabs. When the 458s and 460s were rebuilt, they received a new cab design which featured 'wings' of sorts on the sides. Do these serve any purpose or are they just for looks?

The 458s had them from when they were built.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Always presumed it was just a design feature before they ever saw service. In those terms ahead of its time perhaps, but given SR practice as was, viz inter unit gangway connection, the overall front end design was perhaps more of a hinderance, hence said gangway was always unavailable to joe public in original guise, and was certainly over complicated when it came to deploying same in comparison to the standard drop bolts and tubular bar that was the main stay of internal gangways on 400 stock. I took attached when first delivered, just for record.

 

[swt_passenger]

This is a question regarding the visual design, not the inside of the cabs. When the 458s and 460s were rebuilt, they received a new cab design which featured 'wings' of sorts on the sides. Do these serve any purpose or are they just for looks?

The change was only really at the lower part of the front corners, the forward extension at the corners was reduced in size at the bottom third or so, the lighting units were also changed and moved outwards. But about the top half of the ex 458, around the outer side of the windows, is the same as it always was. The 460 though had removable GRP fairings and their usually hidden cab fronts needed significant changes to match the ex 458 units.

 

[WarrenTManager]

460 DM conversion almost complete on the left. 458 being stripped at conversion on the right.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2024 ==

the lighting units were also changed and moved outwards.

totally this. The new gangway flexitors needed the space.

 

[swt_passenger]

…The new gangway flexitors needed the space.

Ah, so that‘s what they’re called! Thats a great photo that shows exactly where the original shape was cut.

 

[AlistairCowell]

Changing from a ‘Darth-Vader’ front end on an ex-460 to become an exact-copy of the new Class 458 front end would be more complicated that being converted from a Class 458/0. Did they replace with an all new cab or did they convert the Darth-Vader front to become the class 458/5 cab anyway, but obviously with different instructions from those of the Class 458/0s?

As far as I know, the ex-460s were dealt with first, they have their differences from the former 458/0 counterparts, such as ribbon glazing, smaller windows on the doors, etc.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

As far as I know, the ex-460s were dealt with first,

Certainly some were, as these needed to be injected in to service (as 5 cars) before any of the /0's could be taken out of service and sent North for the rebuild.

 

[Doomotron]

The change was only really at the lower part of the front corners, the forward extension at the corners was reduced in size at the bottom third or so, the lighting units were also changed and moved outwards. But about the top half of the ex 458, around the outer side of the windows, is the same as it always was. The 460 though had removable GRP fairings and their usually hidden cab fronts needed significant changes to match the ex 458 units.

460 DM conversion almost complete on the left. 458 being stripped at conversion on the right.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2024 ==


totally this. The new gangway flexitors needed the space.

I'm not sure if I've understood this correctly, but would I be right in assuming that the side extensions/wings were not removed because they were structurally integral to the body, rather than it being an intentional design choice?