Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress

[westcoaster]

If the air conditioning fails in one coach the coaches either side are supposed to supply the coach which has failed using preconditioned air.

I have no idea whether it's effective or not because like Comutor I'm always at the pointy end.

I had a coach today recieving pre conditioned air due to hvac failure, it was a lot colder than the coaches either side.

 

[Bald Rick]

I have had one 700 trip with an a/c failure, on Monday. It was in first class so possibly more obvious. Interestingly the standard part of the coach was fine. As was the rest of the train (which, yes, I had walked the length of!).

But these things happen. The a/c has inconveniently just broken in my car. I'd also rather have a trip on a 700 with broken aircon in one coach than a trip on a 319 with no aircon at all.

 

[asylumxl]

I have had one 700 trip with an a/c failure, on Monday. It was in first class so possibly more obvious. Interestingly the standard part of the coach was fine. As was the rest of the train (which, yes, I had walked the length of!).

But these things happen. The a/c has inconveniently just broken in my car. I'd also rather have a trip on a 700 with broken aircon in one coach than a trip on a 319 with no aircon at all.

Depends how fast the train is moving. A 319 at speed with windows open is rather refreshing.

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[tsr]

From experience using TL 700s in the winter and spring which have just gone, it always felt to me that the heating has been on far dodgier ground than the air cooling has ever been.

Frankly it was always rare for me to find a 700 which was consistently heated to a comfortable level, if at all. I had a number of uncomfortable overnight journeys on cold and clammy 700s. At least a lack of heating doesn't matter on overnight services at the moment, but in January it is most unpleasant.

On the other hand, I tend to find that most of the cooling functions of the air conditioning work OK. First Class does indeed always seem to be at a different temperature, but this is no different to various other units of a completely different manufacturer and vintage - 171s are notorious for First Class being the only part of the train with working air con!

 

[spark001uk]

Depends how fast the train is moving. A 319 at speed with windows open is rather refreshing.

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Received proof of that Tuesday when it was sweltering hot, I went to get on a Sutton looper in the core (2V45 I think it was), down as a 700 but they'd replaced it with 8/319. As you say, once it got a few mph up outside the core, it was surprisingly cool. The 1st class in the /4 unit wasn't too bad either, although they could've lined the seats up better to the windows!

 

[jon0844]

Received proof of that Tuesday when it was sweltering hot, I went to get on a Sutton looper in the core (2V45 I think it was), down as a 700 but they'd replaced it with 8/319. As you say, once it got a few mph up outside the core, it was surprisingly cool. The 1st class in the /4 unit wasn't too bad either, although they could've lined the seats up better to the windows!

Problem is when the train stops, or comes out from a depot/siding to form a service after having sat all day in the sun - windows closed to be washed etc.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Problem is when the train stops, or comes out from a depot/siding to form a service after having sat all day in the sun - windows closed to be washed etc.

In the days of full 321 services on the Euston line - in hot weather - a driver would be sent to Camden early to open up the doors on both sides of all units berthed midday / off peak to circulate the air and cool them down before dropping into Euston for the pm peak workings , ditto at Bletchley.

A small thing - which was probably not noticed by the passengers , but we did try ....

 

[class387]

In the days of full 321 services on the Euston line - in hot weather - a driver would be sent to Camden early to open up the doors on both sides of all units berthed midday / off peak to circulate the air and cool them down before dropping into Euston for the pm peak workings , ditto at Bletchley.

A small thing - which was probably not noticed by the passengers , but we did try ....

On Thursday afternoon I saw 319s parked in Cricklewood with all the doors (both sides) and windows open, probably to cool them down for the evening peak.

 

[physics34]

Depends how fast the train is moving. A 319 at speed with windows open is rather refreshing.

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yep, when the 365s were on the cambridge fasts, it was lovely to get the fresh air rather than the stuffy air you get inside most air conditioned stock..... was pretty noisy though.

 

[Hadders]

There's nothing quite like a 365 on a hot day at 100 mph on the fasts with all the windows open.

 

[Abpj17]

A 700 today managed to have none of the toilets working (and fresh air from open windows doesn't really help if you're a hayfever sufferer!)

 

[asylumxl]

A 700 today managed to have none of the toilets working (and fresh air from open windows doesn't really help if you're a hayfever sufferer!)

I have hayfever, but the tablets seem to take care of most of it. AC may be better in that regard, assuming pollen filters are fitted and effective.

 

[grid56126]

There's nothing quite like a 365 on a hot day at 100 mph on the fasts with all the windows open.

Andd passing a 91 at speed in the tunnels causing them to all close with quite a bang

 

[ChiefPlanner]

On Thursday afternoon I saw 319s parked in Cricklewood with all the doors (both sides) and windows open, probably to cool them down for the evening peak.

Good ! -

 

[jon0844]

Andd passing a 91 at speed in the tunnels causing them to all close wuth quite a bang

Yeah, but that's better than when the trains sucks in the effluent that's lingering in the tunnel.

 

[spark001uk]

There's nothing quite like a 365 on a hot day at 100 mph on the fasts with all the windows open.

Ditto with a 165 on the fast reading to pad, same thing just different fuel!

 

[SprinterMan]

New timetables for 2018 are now available:
https://www.transformingrail.com/download-timetables

Adam

 

[Ianno87]

There's nothing quite like a 365 on a hot day at 100 mph on the fasts with all the windows open.

Seconded. Plus the follow up of the smell of burning brakes on the approach to Hitchin (or of the driver is really on the money, Shepreth Branch Jn!)

 

[physics34]

New timetables for 2018 are now available:
https://www.transformingrail.com/download-timetables

Adam

Cool. I see some changes to the southern metro plans from a couple of weeks ago

 

[TheDavibob]

New timetables for 2018 are now available:
https://www.transformingrail.com/download-timetables

Adam

Wonderful.

I see Cambridge North isn't on the TL Mainline timetables - have they decided to cut the service back to Cambridge, or just neglected to put it on? There seems to be a perfectly reasonable amount of time for the semi-fasts to run to North, and surely North is a much better place to turn a 12-car train around...

 

[ijmad]

Wonderful.

I see Cambridge North isn't on the TL Mainline timetables - have they decided to cut the service back to Cambridge, or just neglected to put it on? There seems to be a perfectly reasonable amount of time for the semi-fasts to run to North, and surely North is a much better place to turn a 12-car train around...

Yep. Thameslink has 4tph to Cambridge where they terminate. All Cambridge North trains appear to come from Kings Cross.

BTW, there are other threads to discuss timetabling, like this one:http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=131730

 

[Deepgreen]

Ditto with a 165 on the fast reading to pad, same thing just different fuel!

At 100mph?!

 

[spark001uk]

At 100mph?!

Alright 90 then! Still nice and breezy!

 

[Deepgreen]

700111 had no discernible air conditioning yesterday afternoon.

 

[Hadders]

700111 had no discernible air conditioning yesterday afternoon.

I had a very pleasant journey home yesterday evening down the ECML in a 365 with the windows open!

 

[spark001uk]

I've done about half a dozen 700s today, first and standard, and can't say I was uncomfortable at any point temperature wise.
Would've done more but I seemed to run into an unusual number of 377/5s today, at least 3 pairs that I've seen. Or is that normal lately and I've just never had the bad luck? (not that they're that bad mind)

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I've done about half a dozen 700s today, first and standard, and can't say I was uncomfortable at any point temperature wise.
Would've done more but I seemed to run into an unusual number of 377/5s today, at least 3 pairs that I've seen. Or is that normal lately and I've just never had the bad luck? (not that they're that bad mind)

I've noticed a lot of 377/5 pairs and haven't seen any new 700s in service for a while.

 

[urpert]

I haven't seen any 700s for ages. They seem to have as good as disappeared from the Catford loop.

 

[Bungle965]

I've noticed a lot of 377/5 pairs and haven't seen any new 700s in service for a while.

I haven't seen any 700s for ages. They seem to have as good as disappeared from the Catford loop.

I thought that they had stopped accepting new 700s until problems with the ones at the minute had been sorted out?
Sam

 

[urpert]

I thought that they had stopped accepting new 700s until problems with the ones at the minute had been sorted out?
Sam

The funny thing is they have withdrawn them from existing diagrams.