SWR Class 458 to be retained

[Goldfish62]

What was this "thermal incident"?

Reported as dragging brakes and hot axle box. Required fire brigade attendance and the line closed in both directions.

 

[davews]

Presumably now 25 after 458534's thermal incident yesterday at Feltham.

I assume this is the one sat Feltham yard yesterday? I noticed the issue on RTT and the disruption it caused but SWR were a bit limited in saying what it was.

 

[gmaguire]

I assume this is the one sat Feltham yard yesterday? I noticed the issue on RTT and the disruption it caused but SWR were a bit limited in saying what it was.

At Putney I think it was announced as “a passenger being taken ill on a train”.

 

[43096]

I assume this is the one sat Feltham yard yesterday? I noticed the issue on RTT and the disruption it caused but SWR were a bit limited in saying what it was.

Everything I heard or saw said either “Broken down train at Feltham” or “Fire on a train at Feltham”.

 

[Goldfish62]

At Putney I think it was announced as “a passenger being taken ill on a train”.

The random excuse generator at work.

 

[AlistairCowell]

Presumably now 25 after 458534's thermal incident yesterday at Feltham.

I don’t think 458534 is destined for Class 458/4 conversion, surely.
Just 458401 to 428.

 

[Goldfish62]

I don’t think 458534 is destined for Class 458/4 conversion, surely.
Just 458401 to 428.

Correct, but I don't understand the relevance.

 

[45076]

Does anyone know what has happened to the former "Gatwick" trailer car taken out of the 458/4 conversions ? Presumably they will go for scrap as they are unlikely to be of use to anyone else, but have they actually been scrapped and if so where ? Alternativly, they may be in store somewhere, but if so, where ? The first two were removed at Long Marston, so might still be there, but I understand subsequent ones have been removed at Widnes and I don't expect they want them there cluttering up the place there.

I think they have sent for scrap

 

[43096]

I think they have sent for scrap

At least one was reported as being moved from Widnes to Long Marston.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

How many units have been delivered now?

 

[brownandrew15]

I count 7 that have come back from Widnes - 417, 407, 405, 423, 425, 428 and 424

 

[jwhite9185]

458407 just passed through Woking under its own power. Seats still wrapped up, much like most of the 701's that have passed through this year.

 

[spark001uk]

Presumably this working.
Interesting according to that to see it was in both Woking and Berrylands at the same time of 1253..!!

 

[SWT_USER]

What is stopping these from entering service? Presumably all drivers/ guards are already trained as these units have operated in 4/5/8/10 car formation over the years.

Given SWR are insisting on pressing ahead with capacity reductions these really do need to be in service as 8 car units ASAP. Hopefully they are managing this conversion better than they are managing the 701 debacle.

 

[Goldfish62]

Given SWR are insisting on pressing ahead with capacity reductions

SWR are going to cut more services?! At a time when so many services can't cope with passenger numbers as it is? Where have you heard this?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Dec 2023 ==

Hopefully they are managing this conversion better than they are managing the 701 debacle.

Unfortunately I doubt that's the case.

 

[DelW]

SWR are going to cut more services?! At a time when so many services can't cope with passenger numbers as it is? Where have you heard this?

Well, the 458/5s are slowly but steadily heading north for conversion, so unless SWR get either some 458/4s or some 701s into service, there will have to be more reductions in train lengths or numbers. Since they appear unwilling to introduce the former, and unable to introduce the latter, things will likely get worse before they get, er, less worse ("better" is probably asking too much where SWR are concerned).

 

[SWT_USER]

SWR are going to cut more services?! At a time when so many services can't cope with passenger numbers as it is? Where have you heard this?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Dec 2023 ==


Unfortunately I doubt that's the case.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. What I meant was every time another pair of 458/5's go off for conversation a 10 car service is replaced by (at best) an 8 car which results in reduced capacity.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Sorry, I should have been clearer. What I meant was every time another pair of 458/5's go off for conversation a 10 car service is replaced by (at best) an 8 car which results in reduced capacity.

And if it is replaced by an eight car, it can only be by replacing two eight-car services by four (or, at best, five) cars -

 

[SWT_USER]

And if it is replaced by an eight car, it can only be by replacing two eight-car services by four (or, at best, five) cars -

Yes - I can't imagine there are many 12 car services left to reduce in order take a unit to use elsewhere.

Terrible mismanagement all round. No wonder SWR are bouncing back more slowly from the pandemic then other TOC.

 

[Goldfish62]

Sorry, I should have been clearer. What I meant was every time another pair of 458/5's go off for conversation a 10 car service is replaced by (at best) an 8 car which results in reduced capacity.

Ah right, got you! And agreed! It's getting ridiculous now.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yes - I can't imagine there are many 12 car services left to reduce in order take a unit to use elsewhere.

Terrible mismanagement all round. No wonder SWR are bouncing back more slowly from the pandemic then other TOC.

My fear is that we might have the cart and the horse in the wrong order. Maybe SWR are seeing a drastic loss of income which is driving these capacity reductions. Yes we are seeing crowded trains (it was ever thus) but are they filled with fully paid up annual season ticket holders or with people buying off-peak or one day tickets ?.

More likely the introduction of 701s and conversion of 458s is an unbelievable awful fiasco. But I am just wondering how much pressure is here to supply more trains ?.

 

[Goldfish62]

More likely the introduction of 701s and conversion of 458s is an unbelievable awful fiasco.

Add the 442s to that list. That SWR managed to introduce 5 484s into service seems like a miracle, but even there despite a huge investment in the Island Line it now has its worst ever service.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Add the 442s to that list. That SWR managed to introduce 5 484s into service seems like a miracle, but even there despite a huge investment in the Island Line it now has its worst ever service.

Lest we forget the 484s and the frequency ?.

 

[Defiance149]

Does anyone know what has happened to the former "Gatwick" trailer car taken out of the 458/4 conversions ?

They're going by road to Long Marston, four have left Widnes so far but IDs unconfirmed.

 

[Invincible]

Add the 442s to that list. That SWR managed to introduce 5 484s into service seems like a miracle, but even there despite a huge investment in the Island Line it now has its worst ever service.

Looking online the island line has had strikes, some flooding and signalling failure over the last 2 months, but on RTT the 484s now seem to be running OK.

I expect there will be extensive testing of the 458s to ensure the problems of the 442s do not get repeated,there was a problem with upgrading the 442s due to inconsistant wiring which stopped the upgrade.So far the 458 mechanical/electrical upgrade is mostly gear changes to run at 100mph.
Have the upgraded 458s been tested as 100 mph 12 car units over the PDL so eventually some 450s can be moved to other parts of SWR?

 

[Goldfish62]

Looking online the island line has had strikes, some flooding and signalling failure over the last 2 months, but on RTT the 484s now seem to be running OK.

Prior to the £27m upgrade the Island Line had a consistent 2tph, albeit at uneven headways.

Now it has 1-2tph if you're lucky and it's been realised that the passing loop reinstated at Brading is in the wrong location to allow a consistent 2tph to the pier.

That, my friend, is the well documented reason why despite the £27m investment the line has its worst ever service.

 

[Monty]

I think they have sent for scrap

Spare vehicles will be kept in storage by Porterbrook as a source of spares.

Looking online the island line has had strikes, some flooding and signalling failure over the last 2 months, but on RTT the 484s now seem to be running OK.

I expect there will be extensive testing of the 458s to ensure the problems of the 442s do not get repeated,there was a problem with upgrading the 442s due to inconsistant wiring which stopped the upgrade.So far the 458 mechanical/electrical upgrade is mostly gear changes to run at 100mph.
Have the upgraded 458s been tested as 100 mph 12 car units over the PDL so eventually some 450s can be moved to other parts of SWR?

Overspeed testing has been carried out between Eastleigh and Basingstoke.

 

[Bigfoot]

Have the upgraded 458s been tested as 100 mph 12 car units over the PDL so eventually some 450s can be moved to other parts of SWR?

I wouldn't want to do 100 on the direct, 90 can be hairy enough!

 

[ebennett07]

Have the upgraded 458s been tested as 100 mph 12 car units over the PDL so eventually some 450s can be moved to other parts of SWR?

I don't think any 458 refurb has had a 12 car formation yet. I've only seen 8.

 

[WarrenTManager]

I don't think any 458 refurb has had a 12 car formation yet. I've only seen 8.

Think 12 car tests are next month all being well.