Golden Spanner Awards 2020

[CyrusWuff]

The January issue of Modern Railways has just landed on my doormat, which means it's Golden Spanners Awards time. I'm not going to reproduce the whole thing here (not least because it runs to 14 tables this year), but here's an extract from the summary:

• Most reliable ex-BR DMU : SWR 159/1
• Most reliable ex-BR EMU : GTR 455/8
• Most reliable ex-BR InterCity : LNER IC225
• Most reliable first gen new IC : EMR 222
• Most reliable second gen new IC : LNER 801
• Most reliable first gen new DMU : GTR 171
• Most reliable second gen new DMU : Northern 195/0
• Most reliable first gen new EMU : WMT 350/3
• Most reliable second gen new EMU : c2c 387

Notes:

• Pacers have been merged into the ex-BR DMU table this year
• Ex-BR DMUs are everything up to the 158s and 159s
• Ex-BR EMUs are everything up to the 321s (including the Renatus units) and 456s
• Ex-BR InterCity comprises the various HSTs, IC225s and Chiltern's Mk3 sets
• First gen New IC comprises 180s, 22x and 390s
• Second gen new IC is the IET fleets
• First gen new DMUs starts with the 165s and ends with the 185s
• Second gen new DMUs currently comprises the Civity and FLIRT fleets
• First gen new EMUs starts with the 323s and Networkers and ends with the Capitalstars (378s)
• Second gen new EMUs starts with the 379s, 380s, 387s and 395s

 

[Domh245]

Presumably Desiro Cities, Aventras and 385s fall under third gen emus? Which are notable by their absence from that summary

Also interesting to see that the Southern 455s have beaten the SWR versions

 

[Energy]

Most reliable first gen new IC : EMR 222

Bit of a suprise, would have expected Pendolinos to win.

 

[Railweigh]

195 most reliable 2nd gen new DMU - was it the only one in the category?

 

[87015]

Given how few miles they do, c2c 387s must be putting in some ridiculously high figures in reality. Near ideal conditions for it admittedly, but for a very low mileage fleet to be in the running is impressive.

 

[samuelmorris]

Evidently they send out the print copies well before the digital edition is released. No sign of it on the app uyet!

 

[AverageTD]

Presumably Desiro Cities, Aventras and 385s fall under third gen emus? Which are notable by their absence from that summary

Also interesting to see that the Southern 455s have beaten the SWR versions

Can't say I'm surprised to see SWR stock dropping off the list.

 

[CyrusWuff]

195 most reliable 2nd gen new DMU - was it the only one in the category?

It's only 195s and 755/3s (755/4s haven't been in service for long enough to qualify).

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Presumably Desiro Cities, Aventras and 385s fall under third gen emus? Which are notable by their absence from that summary

Also interesting to see that the Southern 455s have beaten the SWR versions

The Desiro City and Aventra fleets fall under 2nd Gen. The 379s, 380s, 387s and 395s are also included in that category as a bridge between 1st and 2nd.

Given how few miles they do, c2c 387s must be putting in some ridiculously high figures in reality. Near ideal conditions for it admittedly, but for a very low mileage fleet to be in the running is impressive.

Yup. Much the same as one of the SWT slamdoor fleets (can't remember if it was the 421s or 423s off the top of my head), which achieved in excess of 205,000 miles per casualty in its last year due to the low mileage. The 387s have racked up a moving annual average of 173,636 miles per technical incident (3 minute delay), down from 206,709 MTIN last year.

 

[dgl]

159's still at the top of the ex-BR DMU's, not surprising.

 

[Wyrleybart]

It's only 195s and 755/3s (755/4s haven't been in service for long enough to qualify).

Are you sure ? I am positive the 755/4s went into traffic months before the 755/3s.

 

[superalbs]

Are you sure ? I am positive the 755/4s went into traffic months before the 755/3s.

Correct, my first log of one was 410, about a week after the sets begun.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Dec 2020 ==

I presume 397s and 745s are both '2nd Generation New IC'?

 

[Mikey C]

Notes:

• Pacers have been merged into the ex-BR DMU table this year
• Ex-BR DMUs are everything up to the 158s and 159s
• Ex-BR EMUs are everything up to the 321s (including the Renatus units) and 456s
• Ex-BR InterCity comprises the various HSTs, IC225s and Chiltern's Mk3 sets
• First gen New IC comprises 180s, 22x and 390s
• Second gen new IC is the IET fleets
• First gen new DMUs starts with the 165s and ends with the 185s
• Second gen new DMUs currently comprises the Civity and FLIRT fleets
• First gen new EMUs starts with the 323s and Networkers and ends with the Capitalstars (378s)
• Second gen new EMUs starts with the 379s, 380s, 387s and 395s

It seems a bit odd to me to miss out the Networkers, Turbos and 323s from the BR section, as they are very much BR stock.

Ditto the 379s and 387s are incremental developments of the Electrostars surely, i.e. first gen, with the actual Aventras the start of the Bombardier second gen. It's hardly a surprise that the tried and trusted c2c 387s are more reliable than the Desiro Cities and Aventras!

 

[Energy]

It seems a bit odd to me to miss out the Networkers, Turbos and 323s from the BR section, as they are very much BR stock.

Agreed, the 165s and 158s only have about a year between them.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Are you sure ? I am positive the 755/4s went into traffic months before the 755/3s.

It's what the table in the magazine suggests, as there are no figures shown for the /4s for Period 7 last year.

It seems a bit odd to me to miss out the Networkers, Turbos and 323s from the BR section, as they are very much BR stock.

Ditto the 379s and 387s are incremental developments of the Electrostars surely, i.e. first gen, with the actual Aventras the start of the Bombardier second gen. It's hardly a surprise that the tried and trusted c2c 387s are more reliable than the Desiro Cities and Aventras!

I believe the logic is that the older designs are there to provide a yardstick for the newer ones to be measured against.

 

[samuelmorris]

It's what the table in the magazine suggests, as there are no figures shown for the /4s for Period 7 last year.



I believe the logic is that the older designs are there to provide a yardstick for the newer ones to be measured against.

This I believe is because 755s originally only had one entry, it was separated into distinct /3 and /4 figures later on once the /3s entered service.

 

[CyrusWuff]

This I believe is because 755s originally only had one entry, it was separated into distinct /3 and /4 figures later on once the /3s entered service.

That makes sense...Oh well, it should all be rectified for 2021's figures!

 

[Wyrleybart]

This I believe is because 755s originally only had one entry, it was separated into distinct /3 and /4 figures later on once the /3s entered service.

That explains it "Samuel". Surprised at MR staff for that. I was anticipating quite different performance and reliability statistics for the variants because the /4s have twice as many engines for just one extra car. Prior to entry into traffic I anticipated that a 755 would be able to limp home on "half power" but judging by the photos of locos hauling both the variants back to the "mother ship" it sems not to be the case.

 

[samuelmorris]

I don't think single-engine operation is permitted, though I don't actually recall why. I seem to recall hearing it was because of the potential disruption if the remaining engine were to fail, obstructing the line, given they had very poor reliability to begin with, but I'm not sure if that's actually true or not.

As of the most recent month's data, the 755/3 have lept ahead of the 755/4, being the only Stadler subclass to break the 10k MTIN barrier for the first time. All three other subclasses are languishing around 4000 still.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Am I the only one to note the irony that the EMR 222s, winner of the Golden Spanner in their class presumably reflecting high mechanical maintenance standards, also have very worn and neglected interiors?

 

[Backroom_boy]

Am I the only one to note the irony that the EMR 222s, winner of the Golden Spanner in their class presumably reflecting high mechanical maintenance standards, also have very worn and neglected interiors?

Not sure that's irony

 

[37057]

Am I the only one to note the irony that the EMR 222s, winner of the Golden Spanner in their class presumably reflecting high mechanical maintenance standards, also have very worn and neglected interiors?

I don't think worn out seats cause MTINs, unless it belongs to the driver!

 

[RealTrains07]

Very happy that the 350s have once again been given a golden spanner. More than deserved. Just proves how good the siemens team at Kings Heath are.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I don't think worn out seats cause MTINs, unless it belongs to the driver!

No, but I was trying to imply that it might be regarded as more relevant by the customer. They are a feature of every journey.

Not sure that's irony

That's true, it isn't, (trying to be brief, more accurate description would have been wordy) - but Alanis Morrisette would have thought it was!!!