Is the end is nigh for class 442*

[Patchamboy1]

I was at hassocks today and I saw two bright red class 387 with red seats and Gary doors on trial runs,
I'm guessing this will be the end for the "flying pigs" over the coming months,
I would much prefer to see the continued use of the 442's to free up 377's to see the end of the 313's, but southern has just released the 313,s for £1 per month per train, hahahaha, What's people's thoughts?

 

[Starmill]

My thoughts are that you are in for a bumpy ride, bringing up 442s at a time like this on this particular board...... (!!!!!!!)

I wouldn't worry too much though because your main antagonist tbtc probably just had a heart attack at the thread title!

 

[The Ham]

WHAT, NOOOO! Not the end of the 442's, what will be able to talk about on here if everyone's favourite unit for improving to fit the problem is no longer an option?

 

[krus_aragon]

As I not you are a new member, let me give you a heads-up: future uses for the 442 fleet has been a recurring topic on this board, sometimes with a lot of tongue-in-cheek. You may know that the Invitation to Tender for the new Transpennine franchise suggested that they could be converted to loco-hauled use, but the winning bidder has decided not to use them.

So that means they're still available for any other poster's mad ideas...!

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Once all the 387s are in service the only place the 442s are likely to go is the scrapyard. Don't know if the intermediate (non-motorcar) coaches could be converted into locohaul stock (even if it's possible it might not be financially viable). It would be nice to see them do a couple of "farewell" tours between Weymouth and Waterloo when they're finally retired

 

[Stats]

WHAT, NOOOO! Not the end of the 442's, what will be able to talk about on here if everyone's favourite unit for improving to fit the problem is no longer an option?

I thought the Hitachi AT300 was the answer to life, the universe and everything now?

 

[The Ham]

I thought the Hitachi AT300 was the answer to life, the universe and everything now?

The answer has always been (4)42! It's the question which is the difficult bit, but apparently there's a super computer around here somewhere working on that.

 

[ExRes]

Could this be merged with the current 'Nuclear powered train' thread ?

 

[D365]

It's ironic though, that the one time SpacePhoenix can give a sensible and actually reasonable answer, is when it comes to one of the forum 'joke' topics!

 

[klewer]

I thought they were being upgraded for 140mph running on HS1 with a B&Q extension lead running between the shoegear and the OHLE?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

There is another possibility, they could be gutted down to the bare shells (anything polluting removed) and then sunk as an artificial reef (kinda like what happens to the old New York Subway cars)

 

[sprinterguy]

There is another possibility, they could be gutted down to the bare shells (anything polluting removed) and then sunk as an artificial reef (kinda like what happens to the old New York Subway cars)

Which would solve the "Dawlish problem" at the same time! Capital thinking there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I thought the Hitachi AT300 was the answer to life, the universe and everything now?

Only after it has been categorically proven that you absolutely cannot use 442s on the service.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Don't know if the intermediate (non-motorcar) coaches could be converted into locohaul stock (even if it's possible it might not be financially viable).

The DfT certainly felt it was possible to the extent of specifying them as available for potential use in the Transpennine franchise (not much third rail to play with up there).

 

[D365]

Which would solve the "Dawlish problem" at the same time! Capital thinking there.

What do you know, I've actually read that kind of a suggestion before. Just park them on the southernmost tracks and slide them in from there...

Seeing as us Northerners don't want any spare capacity, especially if it has originally found life in or had anything to do with 'The South'. But we don't want empty carriages hanging about either

Only after it has been categorically proven that you absolutely cannot use 442s on the service.

That's got to be one of the rules of RailUK. New build is always a last resort. Even try to use a Class 373 first.

 

[RepTCTC]

Which would solve the "Dawlish problem" at the same time! Capital thinking there.

Wouldn't have thought passengers west of Dawlish would be keen on the six month line closure while Network Rail built the launch ramp.

 

[sprinterguy]

That's got to be one of the rules of RailUK. New build is always a last resort. Even try to use a Class 373 first.

And even after the new trains have been built and have entered service, continue to fly in the face of reason and suggest that 442s/373s are still going to be introduced as "capacity enhancement".
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Wouldn't have thought passengers west of Dawlish would be keen on the six month line closure while Network Rail built the launch ramp.

They've handled it once before, they can do so again...

Can't we just push them off a barge as I'm sure I've seen a video of being done with the ex-NYC subway cars?

 

[higthomas]

Couldn't we just put a computer in and drove them really fast and hope they fall of the tracks at a convenient location hopefully missing anyone sitting on the beach?

 

[hwl]

I was at hassocks today and I saw two bright red class 387 with red seats and Gary doors on trial runs,
I'm guessing this will be the end for the "flying pigs" over the coming months,
I would much prefer to see the continued use of the 442's to free up 377's to see the end of the 313's, but southern has just released the 313,s for £1 per month per train, hahahaha, What's people's thoughts?

6 units will survive on peak only London Bridge services till 2018 (2x 2units and 2 spare) when enough 700s are available.

Surplus 377s due to introduction of are heading further north on Southern to form more metro 10car services hence 313 replacement wouldn't be on the agenda.

The poor performance of 442 causes many issues on the BML including some signalling equipment failure. The narrow end doors cause lots of dwell time and timetable issues.

 

[NSEFAN]

On a serious note, are there any railtours planned for these units? It would be good to see a 10 car try and make it to Weymouth (a 12 car class CEP/VEP/CIG set managed it before, and a 10WES car could probably do it if kept in notch 1 or 2 west of Poole )

 

[swt_passenger]

On a serious note, are there any railtours planned for these units?

Done in 2007. Why bother doing them again.

 

[whoosh]

Yes, some old New York subway cars (known as Redbirds because of their red paint) were dumped in the sea. It was to create an artificial reef, which is known as Redbird Reef.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redbird_Reef

And here:
http://www.12ozprophet.com/chino/red_bird_reef/


Plastic Pig Reef anyone?

 

[Domh245]

Well, they would have a hard time catching fire underwater!

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Done in 2007. Why bother doing them again.

Because not all of us were gricing back then.

I wonder what it would take to get one back in NSE colours if they really are headed for thr brakers yard...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Because not all of us were gricing back then.

I wonder what it would take to get one back in NSE colours if they really are headed for thr brakers yard...

If someone with more money than sense comes along, I quite like the idea of "defurbishing" a pair back to as-new condition (complete with compartments and buffet) to be used on railtours on the DC network... Perhaps with a 33/1 to drag them off the juice...

 

[JohnElliott]

If someone with more money than sense comes along, I quite like the idea of "defurbishing" a pair back to as-new condition (complete with compartments and buffet) to be used on railtours on the DC network... Perhaps with a 33/1 to drag them off the juice...

Even better -- Pullman interiors, and chocolate and cream livery.

 

[66Yorks]

Having not travelled on a delightful 442, what are they really like?......

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Having not travelled on a delightful 442, what are they really like?......

Dont know what they're like since Southern gutted them, but in NSE/SWT days they were brilliant, which is why people keep trying to find a use for them!

 

[Bigfoot]

Having not travelled on a delightful 442, what are they really like?......

God awful. Despite then being most people's ideal solution for every problem on the UK rail network, plus many sexual fantasies as far as I can tell.

As you can tell I can't wait to see them in my next razor and tin of beans...

 

[ScotGG]

Having not travelled on a delightful 442, what are they really like?......

The most comfy trains from Brighton to London by a long way.

 

[zn1]

when built they had their teething troubles, i always found the wessies comfortable, in my opinion they should have stayed on their original routes, the weymouth runs and pompey jobs..thats what they were built and designed for...they were NSE Flagships squadron units , high mileage, and once bedded in, traincrews and depot staff learnt their little habits were a good reliable fleet....

 

[AndrewE]

when built they had their teething troubles, i always found the wessies comfortable, in my opinion they should have stayed on their original routes, the weymouth runs and pompey jobs..thats what they were built and designed for...they were NSE Flagships squadron units , high mileage, and once bedded in, traincrews and depot staff learnt their little habits were a good reliable fleet....

These sorts of opinions, plus the fact that they are based on the MkIII bodyshell (which is still serving us well in HSTs), are why people are wondering whether they could be turned into a stop-gap fleet for routes in serious need of strengthening. Clearly only for Inter-city use (end doors only) but there are grossly overcrowded routes where the current stock would be best used to double the capacity of the semi-fasts and commuter services.