Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress

[radamfi]

They normally only change at City T/L northbound, southbound the change is still at Farringdon, but they could run through to City T/L on AC if needed.

It gives them two bites of the cherry. If an 8 car fails they have the option of taking it out of service and sticking it in the Smithfield sidings. That would cause the least delays all round.

That makes sense, but why did they change voltage at Farringdon northbound in the past?

 

[ijmad]

That makes sense, but why did they change voltage at Farringdon northbound in the past?

The overhead wires were only extended to City Thameslink in 2009. Before that they only ran as far as far south as Farringdon so they had to change there.

 

[swt_passenger]

The overhead wires were only extended to City Thameslink in 2009. Before that they only ran as far as Farringdon in a southerly direction so they had to change there.

They weren't energised fully to City Thameslink for quite a while afterwards though. IIRC the Network Change Notice to turn both lines on wasn't completed until after they stopped running certain DC units, that caused a gauging issue?

Seems it was all energised in 2012, we had one of those involved discussions in this thread: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=59531&page=3

A number of posts came up with all sorts of wibble suggesting northbound changeover in City Thameslink would never happen. However, as I've now been reminded having read the NCN the problem is that a failed train at Farringdon northbound cannot be recovered when the 24 tph timetable is running, because the following train fouls the crossovers between Farringdon and City. That is the fundamental reason behind normal changeover at City T/L.

The Network Rail 'party line' is in this NCN: http://archive.nr.co.uk/browse docu...005 completion of overhead line extension.pdf

 

[ijmad]

They weren't energised fully to City Thameslink for quite a while afterwards though. IIRC the Network Change Notice to turn both lines on wasn't completed until after they stopped running certain DC units, that caused a gauging issue?

Seems it was all energised in 2012, we had one of those involved discussions in this thread: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=59531&page=3

A number of posts came up with all sorts of wibble suggesting northbound changeover in City Thameslink would never happen. However, as I've now been reminded having read the NCN the problem is that a failed train at Farringdon northbound cannot be recovered when the 24 tph timetable is running, because the following train fouls the crossovers between Farringdon and City. That is the fundamental reason behind normal changeover at City T/L.

The Network Rail 'party line' is in this NCN: http://archive.nr.co.uk/browse docu...005 completion of overhead line extension.pdf

You always come up with the detail! Very interesting

 

[trainmania100]

319446/447 on some TL services today
Currently
Brighton 1744
Preston Park 1747
Hassocks 1752-1753
Burgess Hill 1756-1757
Keymer Jn 1758
Haywards Heath 1802-1803
Copyhold Jn 1804
Balcombe Tunnel Jn 1809
Three Bridges 1811-1812
Gatwick Airport 1815-1817
Earlswood (Surrey) 1821
Stoats Nest Jn. 1827
Purley 1828
East Croydon 1832-1833
Windmill Bridge Jn 1834
Norwood Junction 1836
Bromley Jn 1839
Crystal Palace 1841
West Norwood 1847
West Norwood Junction 1848
Tulse Hill 1852
Herne Hill 1855
Loughborough Jn 1857
Elephant & Castle 1900
Southwark Bridge Junction 1901
Blackfriars Jn 1902
London Blackfriars 1904-1908
City Thameslink 1909-1910
Farringdon 1913-1914
St Pancras International 1917-1918
Dock Jn North 1920
Kentish Town 1921
Carlton Road Jn 1922
West Hampstead South Jn 1924
West Hampstead Thameslink 1925-1926
Hendon 1929
Silkstream Junction 1930
Radlett Jn 1936
St Albans City 1942-1943
Harpenden Jn 1947
Harpenden 1948-1949
Luton Airport Parkway 1954-1955
Luton 1957-1958
Leagrave 2001-2002
Leagrave Jn 2002
Harlington 2006-2007
Flitwick 2010-2011
Bedford South Jn. 2021
Bedford 2026

 

[Ianno87]

They weren't energised fully to City Thameslink for quite a while afterwards though. IIRC the Network Change Notice to turn both lines on wasn't completed until after they stopped running certain DC units, that caused a gauging issue?

Class 465/466s were out of gauge with the OLE, due to their NRN radio antennas. They were regular appearers at City Thameslink (and Smithfield sidings) on the peak City Thameslink-Beckenham Jn (etc.) services, which became cross-core services in the Key Output 0 timetable change in March 2009.

 

[387star]

Where are new logos being applied

It's a slow process lots with the old logos saw one with some coaches devoid of any and unless I imagined it one with the white stripes missing to dull the livery further but a graffiti attack clean up perhaps

 

[spark001uk]

Well it seems to be even heavier on the 377s this week. I just changed at Croydon and in the space of 15 mins I saw:

1W25 - 517/509
2W31 - 514/522
2W34 - 518/520
1W27 - 5??/5?? (viewed from a distance)
Then at Farringdon another pair:
1W31 511/513

That's some dent in the 700 diagrams!
Is it that it's more convenient to run them since more of them are filling Lover's, or are there still 700 issues?

 

[Trainspotter74]

Well it seems to be even heavier on the 377s this week. I just changed at Croydon and in the space of 15 mins I saw:

1W25 - 517/509
2W31 - 514/522
2W34 - 518/520
1W27 - 5??/5?? (viewed from a distance)
Then at Farringdon another pair:
1W31 511/513

That's some dent in the 700 diagrams!
Is it that it's more convenient to run them since more of them are filling Lover's, or are there still 700 issues?

Very interesting. Thanks for the information.

I had heard that they were due to go soon so maybe they are just giving giving them a final runout. I have found the pattern of operation of the 377s to have been quite consistent. They have been forming 2W25, 1W25, 2W31, 1W27 and 1W31 since mid May (and has the contesponding return journeys and so on). I wonder if they will cascade the remaining units gradually or all at once.

 

[skyhigh]

Just noticed that 700014 has both the old and new logos applied...

 

[samuelmorris]

Another anecdote - yesterday saw fairly impressive delays across the board on my various travels, but Thameslink was actually one of the better performers, only 4 minutes delay across three journeys. London Underground, c2c and Greater Anglia all fared worse than that, often significantly so.

One of said journeys involved use of a 700, for which the audio announcements were accurate, but all the displays were sitting on 'This train is not in service' - again one of those moments where you really think they ought to switch the displays off rather than give out misleading information like that. I presume the driver doesn't get a preview of what the displays are currently showing?

 

[jon0844]

Just noticed that 700014 has both the old and new logos applied...

ThamesLink/Thames link

 

[sd0733]

Have just passed 700122 at Peterborough being delivered presumably to Hornsey.
On the logo front this unit is not fitted with any Thameslink logos at all.

 

[AM9]

Another anecdote - yesterday saw fairly impressive delays across the board on my various travels, but Thameslink was actually one of the better performers, only 4 minutes delay across three journeys. London Underground, c2c and Greater Anglia all fared worse than that, often significantly so. ...

I suspect that anecdotes like that are regarded as untrue or at least exaggerated and certainly unwelcome by some of the regulars of this thread.

 

[spark001uk]

319446/447 on some TL services today...

Is there something special about this pair then?

 

[westcoaster]

Is there something special about this pair then?

No but this is the first booked 319's to brighton in a while.

 

[Class 466]

I've been informed the 700 cascade will resume shortly. I can't give exact details, but get your 319s quick!

 

[John1975]

5 x RLU will enter service Monday.

I believe 9 x 319 will be departing in due course.

 

[43074]

5 x RLU will enter service Monday.

I believe 9 x 319 will be departing in due course.

700040/041/045/013 and 039 (IIRC) have been at Cricklewood all week, presumably it's these units?

 

[Trainspotter74]

700040/041/045/013 and 039 (IIRC) have been at Cricklewood all week, presumably it's these units?

Do you know if these will replace the remaining 377s which are running on the Bedford to Brighton line of which there are 5x8 car units or replace some of the 319s?

 

[John1975]

Not sure which units it will be, but the positioning moves are as follows:

Saturday
5W00 15+55 Three Bridges Depot to Bedford CS
5W02 16+47 Three Bridges Depot to Cricklewood Depot

Sunday
5W99 17+21 Three Bridges Depot to Bedford CS
5W00 19+21 Three Bridges Depot to Cricklewood Depot
5W02 20+21 Three Bridges Depot to Cricklewood Depot

 

[EMD]

I will miss the 319's... I can't believe I actually said this!

 

[D365]

I will miss the 319's... I can't believe I actually said this!

I can't believe it wasn't MatthewRead!

 

[falsie]

For anyone wondering about why TBD doesn't have room for deliveries of the new units?? it's full of broken ones.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Which IMO just shows why we should be keeping the 319s, they work lol.

I hope genuinely that the units settle down but its a sad situation when the key depot or 1 of them is chock full of sets that are buggered?

 

[MatthewRead]

I will miss the 319's... I can't believe I actually said this!

I will miss them to:cry:

 

[physics34]

For anyone wondering about why TBD doesn't have room for deliveries of the new units?? it's full of broken ones.

Software issues rather than mechanical i believe

 

[MikePJ]

Any hints on when they might start on the GN routes?

 

[MCR247]

Which IMO just shows why we should be keeping the 319s, they work lol.



I hope genuinely that the units settle down but its a sad situation when the key depot or 1 of them is chock full of sets that are buggered?

So should we just never replace trains ever?

 

[jamieP]

Any hints on when they might start on the GN routes?

Fingers crossed Monday 4th September. 0656 and 0733 ex PBO. 1742 and 1812 return.