SE 376 to be refurbished?

[atomicdanny]

Somebody repainted the Class 378 into SE dark blue livery in Train Simulator (there is no 376) and it looks really nice, so I think it'll look really good in real life as well.

That looks familiar!

 

[Neptune]

If there's a limited budget available then the one thing that doesn't need to be done is the livery, I simply fail to understand why so much money is wasted so often on nothing other than cosmetics

Paint warranties run out which I guess must be the case with the 376’s as they haven’t been touched since they were built.

 

[fgwrich]

Air con and slightly brighter lighting is pretty much all that's needed on the insides

Being a member of the Electrostar family, I wonder if they have the ducting readily installed and it would be a case of inserting the air conditioning modules into the roof? They already have the standard *Star roof cut outs, currently occupied by a presumably a pressure vent system.

 

[aleggatta]

Being a member of the Electrostar family, I wonder if they have the ducting readily installed and it would be a case of inserting the air conditioning modules into the roof? They already have the standard *Star roof cut outs, currently occupied by a presumably a pressure vent system.

The ventilation modules can be swapped out for Air con modules, however I'm not sure if there was something about under sized wiring to the modules not being able to support air con? in all other respects, they are the same shells and main electrical equipment as the other Electrostar variants.

 

[Wolfie]

Being a member of the Electrostar family, I wonder if they have the ducting readily installed and it would be a case of inserting the air conditioning modules into the roof? They already have the standard *Star roof cut outs, currently occupied by a presumably a pressure vent system.

It is likely that use of standardised modules would have been cheaper than bespoke just for this class so you may well be right.

 

[Doomotron]

That looks familiar!

I wonder why...

PS: You've made some really nice reskins by the way; I particularly like the SE stuff, like the 365, 321 (even if it's the DTG one!) and HST/47, as cursed as it may be!

 

[atomicdanny]

I wonder why...

PS: You've made some really nice reskins by the way; I particularly like the SE stuff, like the 365, 321 (even if it's the DTG one!) and HST/47, as cursed as it may be!

I've seen the word "Cursed" mentioned a lot in regards to livery, is it just for trains that don't usually carry that livery?

 

[Doomotron]

I've seen the word "Cursed" mentioned a lot in regards to livery, is it just for trains that don't usually carry that livery?

I'd say in this case it's a train that is wearing a livery that it really shouldn't have, in the same vein as an A4 in GNER livery (somebody photoshopped that).

 

[SolomonSouth]

They already have an HVAC system. Not the best I'll admit but I'd be surprised if they ripped out the old one for a completley new system. I thought the Railway was broke :/

Nah, according to the eversholt page: https://eversholtrail.co.uk/fleet/class-376/ it doesn't have a HVAC system.
The 375, however: https://eversholtrail.co.uk/fleet/class-375/ does.

 

[gmaguire]

A refurbishment of the 376 would be very welcome. The paint lost its shine years ago and they’re horrible inside. Air conditioning would be fantastic, they’re quite uncomfortable during even warm weather. Currently they have fans which are very loud and seem to not do very much.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jul 2022 ==

Also, if you look at the front of a 375, the yellow warning panel is arched at the top to flow over the gangway. I think they should implement the same arch on the 376 even though there is no front gangway to improve the appearance. If the front of the train is like a face, then the top of the warning panel is like its eyebrows. Currently the 376s look a bit like they’re pulling a silly “I’ll look very serious” face.

Conversely, the very similar 378s have arched windscreens.

 

[SolomonSouth]

That’s good. I actually rather like the trains and certainly prefer them to Networkers. While I believe the Networkers are tattier, I’m relieved to see no mention of a refurbishment of those as I’d like for them to be replaced within the 2020s.

The 376s seem tattier to me, at least tattier than the 465/9s

A refurbishment of the 376 would be very welcome. The paint lost its shine years ago and they’re horrible inside. Air conditioning would be fantastic, they’re quite uncomfortable during even warm weather. Currently they have fans which are very loud and seem to not do very much.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jul 2022 ==

Also, if you look at the front of a 375, the yellow warning panel is arched at the top to flow over the gangway. I think they should implement the same arch on the 376 even though there is no front gangway to improve the appearance. If the front of the train is like a face, then the top of the warning panel is like its eyebrows. Currently the 376s look a bit like they’re pulling a silly “I’ll look very serious” face.

Conversely, the very similar 378s have arched windscreens.

Yeah, they really need it. Hopefully they get it very soon

 

[Doomotron]

The 376s seem tattier to me, at least tattier than the 465/9s

That's because the 376s have never been refurbished or refreshed - they have not been touched in any way since they were introduced in 2004.

 

[Prestige15]

Any details about where and when it will take place.

My prediction would be Wolverton or Widnes.
Its unlikely but i do hope they also get rid of that middle cab window and make it more similar to the 378, Its filth!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jul 2022 ==

City Metro

Metrostar

 

[Doomotron]

Its unlikely but i do hope they also get rid of that middle cab window and make it more similar to the 378, Its filth!

The only reason the 378s don't is because it is the emergency exit. It will not be removed on the 376s.

 

[brad465]

That's because the 376s have never been refurbished or refreshed - they have not been touched in any way since they were introduced in 2004.

Indeed, their paintjob is a Connex legacy of all things. I wonder what the record for longest duration a particular class has gone without either internal and/or external refurbishment is, I suspect the 376s are at least up among the longest.

 

[FOH]

Indeed, their paintjob is a Connex legacy of all things. I wonder what the record for longest duration a particular class has gone without either internal and/or external refurbishment is, I suspect the 376s are at least up among the longest.

True testament to probably the single best thing Connex did. Air con (lack of) was probably, literally, the only miss

 

[brad465]

True testament to probably the single best thing Connex did. Air con (lack of) was probably, literally, the only miss

Also the lack of toilets, unless the trade off for more capacity is genuinely better.

 

[Doomotron]

Also the lack of toilets, unless the trade off for more capacity is genuinely better.

To be honest is the 1 hour journey cap wasn't in place because of the lack of toilets, we might have got them on Dover services... A terrifying thought.

 

[Jturner98]

Any details about where and when it will take place.

Probably Ilford

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jul 2022 ==

Indeed, their paintjob is a Connex legacy of all things. I wonder what the record for longest duration a particular class has gone without either internal and/or external refurbishment is, I suspect the 376s are at least up among the longest.

Think the London Midland 321s with the Network Southeast interior beats the 376

 

[Mikey C]

True testament to probably the single best thing Connex did. Air con (lack of) was probably, literally, the only miss

Debatable. Personally I would have much preferred them to have some higher density 375s for the medium length routes and just keep the Networkers for metro usage

 

[Recessio]

Any idea how extensive this refurb will be? I'd love to see Air Conditioning added, and the seat configuration changed to add more capacity on the routes. Perhaps something like the 345 or S8 stock layouts, a mix of longitudinal and transverse seating.

Or even just make these units identical to their siblings, the very successful 378 Capitalstars, by adding fully longitudinal seating, to really max the capacity on the network. If the 710s get away with it on the Enfield/Cheshunt lines, don't see why it wouldn't also be suitable on SE Metro.

 

[Chiltern006]

i’ve got a funny feeling that se will fit them with the same seats as the 707s (standardisation and all that)

 

[Mikey C]

i’ve got a funny feeling that se will fit them with the same seats as the 707s (standardisation and all that)

Why would they bother changing the seats though, when the existing ones - the original ironing boards! - are structurally very sound, and just need their rudimentary padding and covers replaced?

 

[ScotGG]

Yep no seats will be changed I expect. They're fine really and just need new covers. The trains themselves are nowhere near as tatty overall inside as the 465/466 (excluding the /9s) which have gone 30 years with barely any changes.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Yep no seats will be changed I expect. They're fine really and just need new covers. The trains themselves are nowhere near as tatty overall inside as the 465/466 (excluding the /9s) which have gone 30 years with barely any changes.

Agreed. The Networkers are in a dreadful state, and I disagree with “excluding the /9s”, as they’re also far worse than the 376s. I don’t want to see a refurbished announced for those though as it would suggest there’ll be no orders for a replacement fleet anytime soon.

 

[SolomonSouth]

Yep no seats will be changed I expect. They're fine really and just need new covers. The trains themselves are nowhere near as tatty overall inside as the 465/466 (excluding the /9s) which have gone 30 years with barely any changes.

I mean the 376s certainly need a refurb, and the BREL 465s at least did get the PRM refurbishments. 376s don't have toilets so I don't believe they got it

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Steve White (MD SE) told Modern Railways last month they are losing 1 million per day currently and thats before strikes skew things further so can you really see the DfT authorising anything more than a retrim.