TPX Class 397

[Bullfield WEst]

This weekend I traveled to Scotland and back from the North West. On both journeys, there were very loud bangs which came from the vestibule direction (2 a few seconds apart). This was in coach "D". Any thoughts on what could be causing this, neutral sections etc?
A secondary question... Have these trains got the hardest seats (in standard class) on any train today?

 

[Bletchleyite]

This weekend I traveled to Scotland and back from the North West. On both journeys, there were very loud bangs which came from the vestibule direction (2 a few seconds apart). This was in coach "D". Any thoughts on what could be causing this, neutral sections etc?

Almost certainly the breakers when entering and leaving a neutral section, yes. They're really very loud on some of the CAF EMUs.

A secondary question... Have these trains got the hardest seats (in standard class) on any train today?

No, there are far harder, e.g. the Class 730 and 196. However, they are the notoriously uncomfortable Fainsa Sophia with the added metal bar feature, so I'd not sing their praises!

 

[signed]

No, there are far harder, e.g. the Class 730 and 196

Add 197 to that

 

[Bletchleyite]

Add 197 to that

197 have a different version of the Sophia, which isn't in my view particularly hard by modern standards and you can't feel the metal bar.

 

[driver9000]

This weekend I traveled to Scotland and back from the North West. On both journeys, there were very loud bangs which came from the vestibule direction (2 a few seconds apart). This was in coach "D". Any thoughts on what could be causing this, neutral sections etc?

Yes, you were hearing the VCBs mounted on the roof opening and closing at neutral sections. Coach D has 2 VCBs - a main breaker and an "Inter-vehicle" breaker (with this open the train has either 66 or 33% traction power available depending which end is leading).

 

[signed]

which isn't in my view particularly hard by modern standards and you can't feel the metal bar.

While I couldn't feel the metal bar, I found the seat extremely hard last time I rode it between Chester and Holyhead. Maybe it is because I am used to the relatively soft seats on TER/TGV...