Northern rolling stock changes post electrification

[158722]

Correct. Situation is still the same although not sure of unit numbers.

Thanks for that. I did wonder if the nominated units had changed as 220/373/421 have all had C6/PRM work done, including TSGN livery. Not that it matters, saying not used on SE services.

 

[Class377/5]

Thanks for that. I did wonder if the nominated units had changed as 220/373/421 have all had C6/PRM work done, including TSGN livery. Not that it matters, saying not used on SE services.

C6 is independent of the operator/lease holder hence the netural livery. (GTR livery adapted well to LM initial needs).

 

[Paynetrain]

Can anyone tell me if all the remaining 319's thameslink still have that are purple (ex FCC) will be all be painted in the new white livery with blue doors, before they all move elsewhere or be displaced by 700's?

 

[childwallblues]

Can anyone tell me if all the remaining 319's thameslink still have that are purple (ex FCC) will be all be painted in the new white livery with blue doors, before they all move elsewhere or be displaced by 700's?

I would imagine that they receive the new livery when they visit Wolverton for refurbishment.

 

[urpert]

I would imagine that they receive the new livery when they visit Wolverton for refurbishment.

Yep - though there are plenty running around still in the SE with the new 'livery' but which haven't had the PRM modifications done.
There's also an odd one out which is grey but still with FCC pink doors (and generally in a bit of a mess).

 

[43096]

I would imagine that they receive the new livery when they visit Wolverton for refurbishment.

They aren't being refurbished. The work at Wolverton is a standard C6 overhaul, plus PRM-TSI modifications (disabled bog etc.).

 

[childwallblues]

Many thanks from me for those too, I was going to wait for the new NREA to come out in March or April for the gen, but I'm most grateful to graffiti my 2015 NREA with the updates.

Going by the book, I now need 9 319s with Northern. This number is totally unacceptable and needs action asap. Hmm, I might have to re-plan 4th January...



Anyway, thanks for the gen!

Liverpool Lime Street is the best place to get Northerns 319s. The only 319 diagram not operating from there is the Airport shuttle from Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[Techniquest]

Cheers, I do need to get up there and have a clearout on 319s, lots of Edge Hill and Wavertree Tech Park leaps!

 

[fowler9]

Cheers, I do need to get up there and have a clearout on 319s, lots of Edge Hill and Wavertree Tech Park leaps!

You can even have a fun little jaunt on a 319 out to Parkway down the slow line from Lime Street. You would get a tiny bit of track that was previously hard to get on a passenger service heading from Lime Street to Parkway as the train crosses to reach platform 4 at Parkway.

 

[Techniquest]

Ooh nice, I need that too!

*Replans February*

 

[childwallblues]

Cheers, I do need to get up there and have a clearout on 319s, lots of Edge Hill and Wavertree Tech Park leaps!

Preston services do not stop at Wavertree Tech Park - first stop Huyton.

 

[Techniquest]

Oh yeah, good point. Glad you said, I'll have to look at the pluses there to figure out the best moves.

Granted I'm not going up there just yet, but if I have my way I'll be up there before the end of January!

 

[fowler9]

Preston services do not stop at Wavertree Tech Park - first stop Huyton.

Plenty of 319's stopping at Wavertree though. The Wigans for example. I'm sure my most frequently used Preston, the one leaving Parkway just after five stops at Edge Hill and Wavertree though. Don't the Man Vics stop there to. If you get the 319 to Parkway and back it hangs around in Lime Street both directions that long that there should be other 319 departures and arrivals to be had.

 

[Bevan Price]

Plenty of 319's stopping at Wavertree though. The Wigans for example. I'm sure my most frequently used Preston, the one leaving Parkway just after five stops at Edge Hill and Wavertree though. Don't the Man Vics stop there to. If you get the 319 to Parkway and back it hangs around in Lime Street both directions that long that there should be other 319 departures and arrivals to be had.

I think that all Wigan, Warrington BQ & Man. Vic stoppers call at all stations between Lime St. & Huyton, including Wavertree Tech Park. (Except for a few peak hour trains)

The Airport expresses also call at Tech Park, then run fast to St. Helens Jn (where you have about 30 mins to wait for a train back towards Liverpool - as some people discover when they get on the wromg train at Tech Park)

 

[northwichcat]

319s don't seem to like the cold weather. Two failed yesterday and another has failed this morning on the Airport stopper, a 323 has been nabbed off the Alderley Edge services to fill in on the Airport stoppers.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

319s don't seem to like the cold weather. Two failed yesterday and another has failed this morning on the Airport stopper, a 323 has been nabbed off the Alderley Edge services to fill in on the Airport stoppers.

Southern jessies, the lot of 'em!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Southern jessies, the lot of 'em!

Aye, too bloomin' right they are...!

And they water the beer

 

[D365]

Aye, too bloomin' right they are...!

And they water the beer

Eh, watch it! I've followed the 319s up North and I haven't broken down just yet

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

319s don't seem to like the cold weather. Two failed yesterday and another has failed this morning on the Airport stopper, a 323 has been nabbed off the Alderley Edge services to fill in on the Airport stoppers.

It was not all that long ago when any faults on the 319's operating on the Northern Rail services brought forth "knowing" postings from our southern area members saying any faults were down to the Northern Rail depot staff being unfamiliar with the ideosynchrasies of the class.

You cannot blame the cold weather on the depot staff.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Eh, watch it! I've followed the 319s up North and I haven't broken down just yet

But you do not deny the fact you water down the beer

 

[D365]

But you do not deny the fact you water down the beer

"I'm on a student budget" is all I can say to that
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It was not all that long ago when any faults on the 319's operating on the Northern Rail services brought forth "knowing" postings from our southern area members saying any faults were down to the Northern Rail depot staff being unfamiliar with the ideosynchrasies of the class.

London Midland have (arguably) been worse off for teething troubles. And that's at a depot which has had extensive experience with the similar Class 321 type.

 

[Stew998]

319s don't seem to like the cold weather. Two failed yesterday and another has failed this morning on the Airport stopper, a 323 has been nabbed off the Alderley Edge services to fill in on the Airport stoppers.

Wait until it snows and the doors jam.... Weren't these the units that took exception to the "wrong kind of snow" as well? They didn't enjoy a great reputation among passengers down here for their reliability (or anything else come to that).

 

[northwichcat]

Wait until it snows and the doors jam.... Weren't these the units that took exception to the "wrong kind of snow" as well? They didn't enjoy a great reputation among passengers down here for their reliability (or anything else come to that).

According to BBC Weather they'll be light snow before midnight tonight at Manchester Airport, so if that proves to be true we may find out later.

 

[BelleIsle]

Wait until it snows and the doors jam.... Weren't these the units that took exception to the "wrong kind of snow" as well? They didn't enjoy a great reputation among passengers down here for their reliability (or anything else come to that).

That was the 317s before them. In all my years with the 319s the only cold weather problems I ever had were saaaaaarf of the river.

 

[Class377/5]

It was not all that long ago when any faults on the 319's operating on the Northern Rail services brought forth "knowing" postings from our southern area members saying any faults were down to the Northern Rail depot staff being unfamiliar with the ideosynchrasies of the class.

You cannot blame the cold weather on the depot staff.

Actually it you can blame staff. Not having the units ready for the cold temperatures is completely the depots issue.

Will note the near freezing temperatures don't stop 319s down here and that only thick ice on the 3rd rail (not something Northern have to deal with) or snow causes issues.

 

[northwichcat]

Will note the near freezing temperatures don't stop 319s down here and that only thick ice on the 3rd rail (not something Northern have to deal with) or snow causes issues.

Just looking at the forecast for tonight.

When the overnight Liverpool to Manchester Airport service gets to the Airport it'll be -3°C and it'll be below freezing for 11 hours, light wind from a WNW direction, humidity of 91%.

In Greater London it's not expected to get lower than 1oC tonight, tomorrow it is expected to get just below freezing for only around 3 hours (while it's expected to below 0oC for 17 hours at Manchester Airport), but the humidity will be lower. Do the 319s on Thameslink even run overnight services at around 3am?

Could the prolonged subzero temperatures not experienced in the South and difference in humidity while below 0oC make a difference?

 

[AM9]

Do the 319s on Thameslink even run overnight services at around 3am?

The 319s have been running a broadly 1 hour service overnight between Bedford and Brighton for at least the last 15-20 years, (well maybe the last few months have been run by Electrostars).

 

[Class377/5]

Just looking at the forecast for tonight.

When the overnight Liverpool to Manchester Airport service gets to the Airport it'll be -3°C and it'll be below freezing for 11 hours, light wind from a WNW direction, humidity of 91%.

In Greater London it's not expected to get lower than 1oC tonight, tomorrow it is expected to get just below freezing for only around 3 hours (while it's expected to below 0oC for 17 hours at Manchester Airport), but the humidity will be lower. Do the 319s on Thameslink even run overnight services at around 3am?

Could the prolonged subzero temperatures not experienced in the South and difference in humidity while below 0oC make a difference?

The 319s have worked 24/7 for many years and in prolonged subzero temperatures. Also don't confuse London temperatures with South East either. Plently of colder spots on the traditional Thameslink route.

In fact one of the issues faced by the fleet has been low temperature extremes mixed in with a warm Core meaning the fleet gets differencing conditions all times of the day.

Of course having units for 25yrs means the fitters/depot know the units better so will have had more chance to adapt to them.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, a layer of snow did finally fall on the area of Manchester Airport last night and the rural surrounding area is not dissimilar to the rural area where I reside and the snow did in fact stick here, owing to the very low temperatures that always seem to be lower than found in the urban areas. Perhaps today will be a good day for evaluating the Class 319 units in this area.

 

[AM9]

I was on a 319 from St Pancras late last night when the snow was falling. It was a slow which unusually was diverted onto the fast lines between Carlton Road junction and back onto the slows at Radlett Junction. Although it was slipping a bit each time it pulled away from stops it only lost a couple of minutes to Mill Hill. An extended stop just north of there made us 11 minutes late overall.
The acceleration on the steady climb north was OK considering the railhead conditions and the driver was clearly feathering the power to avoid slipping as much as possible.
Despite electric stock being much less temperamental than steam, there is clearly still an art in coaxing the performance out of trains either when driving or preparing them. When the winter is over, the staff in the North-west should have learnt enough of the ways of the 319s to get good service out of them.