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FGW HST Refurbs
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devon_metro
Established Member
1 or 2.
Try the 0738 (10.00 Bristol) Paignton-Paddington if put in Laira the night before as it is frequently put on this diagram when in Laira.
First Class is nothing special though
Try the 0738 (10.00 Bristol) Paignton-Paddington if put in Laira the night before as it is frequently put on this diagram when in Laira.
First Class is nothing special though
Turbostar
Member
AFAIK, there's 3 at the mo, though only 1 is in service at present. The other 2 are at Laira depot, Plymouth.
Mart
Mart
Turbostar
Member
Apparently, we have 2 more refurb power cars arriving at Laira tomorrow morn.
Mart
Mart
devon_metro
Established Member
devon_metro
Established Member
Last time i checked LA69 was the only out. I imagine fGW are trying to keep it MTU too.
Turns out LA61 is out!
devon_metro
Established Member
No, LA61 does not. Newton Abbot 150 was on LA61 yesterday. This is a Valenta.
Turbostar
Member
As said before, & as Liam quoted, there's only LA61 & 69 running at the mo. If there's MTU's available, it'll run with them, otherwise a Valenta will run with it, as Liam saw yesterday. With the pre-refurb sets, some are full Valenta-powered, some are MTU/Valenta-powered, some are full-MTU powered. It's mostly the newly delivered power cars that run with a Valenta unit until they've been run in a bit. Once they've been run in a bit, Laira let them loose on their own (i.e. both power cars MTU). Hope that makes sense.
Mart
thefab444
Established Member
Got time for this? Or the return to Old Oak from Laira?
Turbostar
Member
Well, give it 3hrs, that's approx. 11am arrival at Laira, hour or so to drop off & maybe pick up, leave Laira approx. 1-2. The run doesn't hang about at Laira, so once it's dropped off stock, or in this case power cars, if it's booked to take stuff back, hook up, & away you go.
Mart
Mart
Turbostar
Member
Btw, we also got 'The Great Britain' steam special returning from Penzance to Taunton/Bristol Temple Meads tomorrow, so the chances are they'll want to get the stock move ahead of the special, so they def won't hang about.
Mart
Mart
Wrong. LA61 and LA62 are the refurbs, LA61 being the newest to traffic.
The situation FGW have found themselves in with HST powercars recently (no surprise really) means anything gets sent out with anything else.
Turbostar
Member
???? I didn't say LA61 & 62 wasn't refurb sets! Doh! Also, refurb sets DO go out with MTU's, unless there's an availability problem with the MTU's, hence why 43137 'Newton Abbot 150' was on LA61 yesterday, as seen by Liam.
Mart
devon_metro
Established Member
Its booked to leave Laira at 12.00 I'm looking for times as i will be at Horse Cove when it is bookd to pass. I'm likely to miss the down run sadly!
The steam charter doesnt then leave Plymouth till about 1600
LA62 is on the 1005 Padd-PNZ so looks like a nice shot at Horse Cove for me then
The steam charter doesnt then leave Plymouth till about 1600
LA62 is on the 1005 Padd-PNZ so looks like a nice shot at Horse Cove for me then
Turbostar
Member
Saw one of the refurb sets this eve around 6 when I was at work, Exeter bound. Must of been LA61, same as what Liam saw, as it had a Valenta on the back.
Mart
Mart
Nat the Ned
Member
47840 ran as 5F70 10:10 Laira TMD to Old Oak Common. It ran bang on time, I got a photo just after it left Laira. Am a bit confused to why a buffet car that had arrived new at Laira in the week was being taken away again though.
When I was at Reading 6th all seemed well the MTUs weren't we had a clag from 1 and another had a thrash dosen't look good!But it might in valenta engine side!
devon_metro
Established Member
The 1005 padd-pnz worked by LA62 had valenta on the front.
Turbostar
Member
devon_metro
Established Member
15.xx Penzance-Paddington
Turbostar
Member
As noted on therailwaycentre.com, another refurb set plus another car is due down in Laira today, brought down by the ever faithful 47840. 
Mart
Mart
Coming down on the 17.05 Paddington/Penzance yesterday I was surprised to see a newly refurbished buffet car in an otherwise unrefurbished set.Also any news on the future of the 180s.
Turbostar
Member
As well as the full refurb sets, you will get mixed sets as well for the time being. Not sure what's happening with the 180's, haven't heard or read anything lately.
Mart
Mart
devon_metro
Established Member
I think they are safe till November. I don't know what will happen without the Padd-Exeter stoppers! Can't imagine them having enough HSTs for it either.
Must have been the same set I boarded today at Exeter working the 16.00 Paddington/Plymouth,my first trip on one.As we passed Laira saw 2 more refurbished sets.
For what its worth here are my first impressions.
Unfortunately the very high Standard class seats used in the FGW Mk3 refurb have completely destroyed the forward view down the length of the coach,the only way to see anything through a window is to look through a narrow gap to your immediate left or right between each row of seats,a situation made worse by reflections on the glass(same as Voyagers) caused by a combination of the bright interior lights and the high reflective seat backs an image of which superimposes itself on the outside view confusing the eye.Many people used to the view from an unrefurbished FGW Mk3 are going to be hugely dissapointed with this aspect of the refurbishment.
The seats themselves have more than adequate comfort and legroom but what good is that if you cant see anything,ok maybe for the commuter dashing to/fro to work but no good on the longer distance services where the view of sea and countryside are an important part of rail travel.
Clearly the refurb has been designed with the commuter the priority,yet another nail in the coffin of long distance rail travel to the west.
thefab444
Established Member
What annoyed me about the windows was everything looked slightly orange...
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