SWR Class 458 to be retained

[Juniper Driver]

The 442 plan based on the full 2019 timetable proposals was Portsmouth fasts and IIRC a positioning move on the mainline to or from Bournemouth or Poole at start and end of service. But 8 pairs from 9 in service would only cover the 2 tph fasts plus turnaround time, so the Portsmouth stoppers would have had to remain 450 operated.

“Removing as many 450s as possible“ from the route was never really expected.

Thanks!

 

[Siemens Staines]

If the allocation shown via RTT is correct, then 458514 is back in service today after a very long time out of use;

Realtime Trains - 2R05 0615 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[spark001uk]

Quick question, always wondered about these whenever I see them, I assume they're retractable snowploughs? Have they ever been used?

 

[swt_passenger]

Quick question, always wondered about these whenever I see them, I assume they're retractable snowploughs? Have they ever been used?

I think they’re fixed permanently and are obstacle deflectors

 

[Pep and co]

Are we all the 458s that are currently not in service/stood down at Wimbledon or are they stabled elsewhere?

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

I caught a 458 form Feltham on Friday, it was the 10:05 to Waterloo. It was a 2 set formation but was short of 10 coaches. Have they already started removing carriages to form 4 car units? It was definitely short formed as demonstrated by people having to move up the platform at Feltham and Twickenham to board

 

[dingdinger]

I caught a 458 form Feltham on Friday, it was the 10:05 to Waterloo. It was a 2 set formation but was short of 10 coaches. Have they already started removing carriages to form 4 car units? It was definitely short formed as demonstrated by people having to move up the platform at Feltham and Twickenham to board

458 units are still 5 coaches they haven't removed anything as of yet

 

[Goldfish62]

I caught a 458 form Feltham on Friday, it was the 10:05 to Waterloo. It was a 2 set formation but was short of 10 coaches. Have they already started removing carriages to form 4 car units? It was definitely short formed as demonstrated by people having to move up the platform at Feltham and Twickenham to board

They're all 5 coach units usually coupled to make 10 coaches, but there were a number of short formations today, which is brilliant (not) on a Twickers rugby day.

 

[spark001uk]

Quite a few 5 vice 10 running around of late.

 

[Pep and co]

R

458 units are still 5 coaches they haven't removed anything as of yet

RTT suggest that the 10:05 Feltham to Waterloo was a single five car set. Would explain shifting the passengers down the platforms.

 

[43096]

They're all 5 coach units usually coupled to make 10 coaches, but there were a number of short formations today, which is brilliant (not) on a Twickers rugby day.

There were just 16 (of 34 remaining) 458s in service today. As there were at least 3 diagrams short-formed, that is presumably all that were available for service: availability of less than 50% is frankly diabolical. FirstGroup's "scorched earth" maintenance policy rearing its head again.

 

[WarrenTManager]

There were just 16 (of 34 remaining) 458s in service today. As there were at least 3 diagrams short-formed, that is presumably all that were available for service: availability of less than 50% is frankly diabolical. FirstGroup's "scorched earth" maintenance policy rearing its head again.

20 required. 21 available.

 

[43096]

20 required. 21 available.

Evidently there weren’t 21 available as only 16 were in service.

 

[Goldfish62]

20 required. 21 available.

What's happened to the other 15 (or 13) units?

Incidentally, three short formations on Reading services again yesterday.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Thanks for the replies, must have been asleep and missed the fact that it was a single unit. All fits in with the 5 car stop position at Feltham. Also explains how busy it was

 

[Stigy]

Quick question, always wondered about these whenever I see them, I assume they're retractable snowploughs? Have they ever been used?

Look like lifeguards which, as @swt_passenger indicated are there to prevent obstacles coming in to contact with the leading wheels and thus preventing a derailment.

 

[spark001uk]

Look like lifeguards which, as @swt_passenger indicated are there to prevent obstacles coming in to contact with the leading wheels and thus preventing a derailment.

Or at least they would be, if they were in the down position.!

 

[Bigfoot]

Or at least they would be, if they were in the down position.!

They are in the down position. There is pretty much the same distance between the bottom of the life saver and the top of the running rail on those compared to all other stock. It's designed to deflect large objects, the size that could get under a wheel and derail it but that are small enough to pass under the very front of the train. The purpose is not to remove everything from infront of the train.

 

[swt_passenger]

Or at least they would be, if they were in the down position.!

They are in the down position. There is pretty much the same distance between the bottom of the life saver and the top of the running rail on those compared to all other stock. It's designed to deflect large objects, the size that could get under a wheel and derail it but that are small enough to pass under the very front of the train. The purpose is not to remove everything from infront of the train.

Thanks for confirming, I had checked a few front end views as well before my earlier reply.
Here’s a 458/5 from wiki:

British Rail Class 458 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

…and for comparison a 334 from wiki:

British Rail Class 334 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[spark001uk]

Ah OK, thanks for clarifying. I must admit at first glance it does look as if it's intended to be hinged downwards.

 

[Benno]

458534 is now off lease.

 

[Goldfish62]

458534 is now off lease.

Why has it gone off lease given SWR's rolling stock shortage?

 

[Benno]

Why has it gone off lease given SWR's rolling stock shortage?

It has ran out of C4 (heavy maintenance) miles.

 

[spark001uk]

It has ran out of C4 (heavy maintenance) miles.

Guessing it won't be too long before others do as well then?

 

[43096]

It has ran out of C4 (heavy maintenance) miles.

Meanwhile, SWR are short-forming 458 diagrams. As usual, it's for the convenience of the TOC and screw the punters.

 

[fgwrich]

It has ran out of C4 (heavy maintenance) miles.

I was quite surprised to see this one retire so early (being one of the not to be converted units) but that will explain it. Potential for a quick C4 to prolong its life or shortly to find its way to Long Marston?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I was quite surprised to see this one retire so early (being one of the not to be converted units) but that will explain it. Potential for a quick C4 to prolong its life or shortly to find its way to Long Marston?

If there was potential for a C4 they wouldn’t have already off-leased it.

 

[D365]

If there was potential for a C4 they wouldn’t have already off-leased it.

What's to say that a short-term contract isn't possible?

 

[Goldfish62]

It has ran out of C4 (heavy maintenance) miles.

Ah, right. Thanks.

 

[WarrenTManager]

I was quite surprised to see this one retire so early (being one of the not to be converted units) but that will explain it. Potential for a quick C4 to prolong its life or shortly to find its way to Long Marston?

To get all the material together for a C4 now would be very hard, the contract for the last round of C4s having been completed, a new contract would need to be tendered and awarded and the material overhauled, some parts having a lead time of months for the quantity needed, so I doubt quick will be a word used.

The work now will be starting to get motor wheelsets removed from the last C4 unit 8501 reconfigured with 100mph gearing I would think. 8534 had its C4 with 5 car conversion, 460004 (which 1/2 became 4/5 of 8534) was the only ex-460 to need one. 8006/8012/8013/8014/8015/8017/8021/8022/8023 also had a C4 as well as conversion but have more miles left in them than 8534, 8534 being unit 1 and the others being in the group units 25-36.