SWT 444s

[AlexS]

Our Northern 350s are fantastic units - very fast take off, very smooth ride, very quiet and plenty of room thanks to the 2+2 seating in a 2+3 designed train.

Shows what you can get if you provide a good amount of power to something!

 

[87015]

very fast take off, very smooth ride,

Had one last night in the wet, not quite so smooth! Mega slipping, managed to loose some 14 minutes between Cov and New St calling all shacks.

 

[Daniel]

I had a 350 on the 12:49 from Euston, non-stop to Rugby. Arrived 13 early!

 

[Jordy]

Our Northern 350s are fantastic units - very fast take off, very smooth ride, very quiet and plenty of room thanks to the 2+2 seating in a 2+3 designed train.

Shows what you can get if you provide a good amount of power to something!

Same applied to 185s really! Plenty of room, great acceleration - can keep to the normal Doncaster-Scunthorpe timetable stopping at all the stations!!!!

Jordy

 

[Kris]

Had one last night in the wet, not quite so smooth! Mega slipping, managed to loose some 14 minutes between Cov and New St calling all shacks.

Do they kangaroo hop like ours do if you take power in the wet?

Fellow drivers and management don't believe me but if you press the sanding button when trying to get away it does work. They say it only works when braking.

Pigs never used to work but the sanders on the 159's do as long as the sand boxes have been filled.

Calling all shacks. I'm a Canley kid - although I lived in one of those steel houses closer to Tile Hil. Is it weird now that they've closed Canley, Tile Hill and Berkswell crossings? I can't imagine it.

That pedestrian subway before Tile hill - I think it's roughly 99 milepost(Where Hathaways Cottage is) was pushed under the line as a pre-formed subway in solid concrete. First time in the World this was done.

 

[thefab444]

I thought that 442 acceleration was excellent, doors seemed quick to close too! Although thats probably as I come from diesel land so anything electric is quick to me!

Exactly, you should've tried ANF, often door problems there, opening them up on Platform 1, closing them on Platform 2.

Braking is ok, but on a few units you get that putrid smell of break fluid.

Yer 350s are pretty good.

No, 442s had **** poor accelleration in wet/ice, same applies to 444s...

 

[332 > 444]

Our Northern 350s are fantastic units - very fast take off, very smooth ride, very quiet and plenty of room thanks to the 2+2 seating in a 2+3 designed train.

Shows what you can get if you provide a good amount of power to something!

I also find the 'one' 360s run quite fast too, when i was on a 350 (fast Euston - Leighton B. - MK Central its speed was unbeliveable that i thought i was on a 390!

Alot of 444 hating on here lol.

 

[Tom]

Alot of 444 hating on here lol.

Of course.

 

[Dennis]

.....on a few units you get that putrid smell of break fluid.

Break fluid? Is that why availability is sometimes a problem; cause of many a failure I suspect.

 

[5872]

Break fluid? Is that why availability is sometimes a problem; cause of many a failure I suspect.

Is that in most units?ukerigh:

 

[Tom]

Did you get the joke?

Break fluid is what breaks them (like 444 040 at Bournemouth today)
Brake fluid is what helps the train stop

 

[westcoaster]

Do they kangaroo hop like ours do if you take power in the wet?

Fellow drivers and management don't believe me but if you press the sanding button when trying to get away it does work. They say it only works when braking.

.

i agree when they take power and you at a c.o.p u feel it sway side to side as you take power, i think it is something to do with the wsp my self, our 350's the drivers normally take you straight to 100% power, if you not strapped in :boxing: , the other week pulling in to hemel at 45mph at the start of the plat (25-30 mph for a 321) we still stopped where the 321's stop,

 

[Hentis]

Did you get the joke?

Break fluid is what breaks them (like 444 040 at Bournemouth today)
Brake fluid is what helps the train stop

Fallen trees do a much better job mind

Hentis

 

[Hentis]

Do they kangaroo hop like ours do if you take power in the wet?

Just recently a few 444's I have seen or been filming (I have no idea why) have been starting to move ,with the audible warble sound going off, why is that? , But then they stop for some strange reason..... They never used to do that!!

Also since day one when I firist ventured out on either a 450 or 444 they seem to accelerate away from Poole (London Bound) alot faster than the Wessies. thats always the thing that bugged me.

Hentis

 

[thefab444]

How many 444s need removing from service before 442s are broken out?

Cos I can think the only reason you are wanting £££ of money to be wasted is because there is glimer of hope Pigs will be back?

Heh... would be quite funny if a 460 was spot hired in instead...

 

[Julian G]

Heh... would be quite funny if a 460 was spot hired in instead...

The Bournemouth Airport Express

 

[thefab444]

Hmm... if they built some bays at Southampton Apt, stopped every train stopping there, and swapped 442s for 460s... could have a Southampton Express..... calling at Twickenham, Woking, Basingstoke and Southampton Airport.

 

[Tom]

Any reason why via Twickenham?

Winchester call would be good too.

 

[thefab444]

Yer good point... perhaps Richmond, for an interchange with the District Line.

No Winchester because... everything else stops there... and its less than 10 minutes on a fast train to Southampton Airport anyway.

Likewise, I'd be removing Woking stops from Weymouth trains... and probably Basingstoke stops from Poole trains.

Ahh... Weymouth - Dorchester South - Wareham - Poole - Bournemouth - Southampton Central - Winchester - Waterloo... wouldn't that be nice.

 

[Daniel]

Aye... down with Upwey!

 

[thefab444]

Bah, change at Weymouth is what I say... or walk from Dorchester West.

 

[Kris]

Exactly, you should've tried ANF, often door problems there, opening them up on Platform 1, closing them on Platform 2.

Braking is ok, but on a few units you get that putrid smell of break fluid.

Yer 350s are pretty good.

No, 442s had **** poor accelleration in wet/ice, same applies to 444s...

How long have we had break (sic) fluid? I thought trains always used air or electrodynamic brakes. The opposite of cars and buses etc - YOU WANT air in your system and not fluid.

That's why they fitted the valves on the compressor tanks of 400's to drain the moisture off. I call them ping pong valves when they keep tapping it sounds like a ping pong rally.

 

[Tom]

So thats what that pinging about is on the 421s on the Lymmie...