What train is this?

[Lrd]

Hello all, was wondering if anybody could tell me what this train is? As I haven't got the foggiest!

Linky.
(The big red 8car.)

Many thanks.
Lewis

 

[wessex]

Gatwick Express?

link

most likely a crosscountry train

link

 

[Kingfisher200262]

Hello all, was wondering if anybody could tell me what this train is? As I haven't got the foggiest!

Linky.
(The big red 8car.)

Many thanks.
Lewis

Class 460 EMU?

 

[sprinterguy]

Yep, Wessex and Kingfisher are right: That is definitely one of the former Gatwick Express Class 460 "Juniper" trains. Since the absorption of Gatwick Express services into the (London-Bournemouth???) route, they got farther afield than their original intended area of operation. EDIT: Swapped with 442s.

 

[Lrd]

Thought it was, but was not sure, also, couldn't get that view.

Thanks!

 

[sprinterguy]

most likely a crosscountry train

link

Oh if only Crosscountry had Voyagers that long! You were right with your first guess.

 

[westcoaster]

Yep, Wessex and Kingfisher are right: That is definitely one of the former Gatwick Express Class 460 "Juniper" trains. Since the absorption of Gatwick Express services into the London-Bournemouth route, they got farther afield than their original intended area of operation.

Why would gatwick express trains be on the Bournemouth line, class 442's from the bournemouth route have actually replaced the class 460 on gatwick express services , some 460's are in store at chart leacon depot, some are still used when needed, and there are a couple of trips to the seaside each day for the 460's.

 

[ainsworth74]

Oh if only Crosscountry had Voyagers that long! You were right with your first guess.

Exactly my thoughts!

 

[wintonian]

Can't help I'm afraid but there is a 3D desiro south of the Northam depot:
(Google plug in needed)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Southampton+Central+Station,+Blechynden+Terrace,+Southampton&aq=4&sll=51.081373,-1.315168&sspn=0.000819,0.002411&gl=uk&ie=UTF8&hq=Southampton+Central+Station,&hnear=Blechynden+Terrace,+Southampton+SO15+1,+United+Kingdom&t=f&ecpose=50.90291036,-1.3933124,10.51,46.641,76.852,-0.005&ll=50.903109,-1.392979&spn=0.000995,0.00284&z=19

 

[sprinterguy]

Why would gatwick express trains be on the Bournemouth line, class 442's from the bournemouth route have actually replaced the class 460 on gatwick express services , some 460's are in store at chart leacon depot, some are still used when needed, and there are a couple of trips to the seaside each day for the 460's.

I was under the impression that Gatwick Express services had been, or possibly are shorty going to be, absorbed into the standard London-Bournemouth (Might be thinking of Brighton??) service pattern, i.e. losing the dedicated airport shuttle, and hence there was a mixed bag of 442s (Now Gatwick Express liveried) and 460s on the route, until the 460s are all off lease. Apologies if this is wildly inaccurate, it's just the impression I had, as third rail land might as well be a million miles away for me.

A quick bit of map reading and it does become clear that Bournemouth has nowt to do with the Gatwicks.

 

[Kingfisher200262]

Yep, Wessex and Kingfisher are right: That is definitely one of the former Gatwick Express Class 460 "Juniper" trains. Since the absorption of Gatwick Express services into the London-Bournemouth route, they got farther afield than their original intended area of operation.

There's something weird about this though. I was impressed how apparently recent the Google image was, compared to the usual, so I checked on Google Earth. If you look at Eastleigh works on Google Earth, you'll find the red roofed 460 there, with a date stamp in the bottom left corner of the map of 1st January 2005.

Apart from the fact that the trees are all green, suggesting that the photo can't have been taken in January, I wonder why a Gatwick unit would have been at Eastleigh that long ago.

Methinks that's a recent pic.

 

[Daniel]

I was under the impression that Gatwick Express services had been, or possibly are shorty going to be, absorbed into the standard London-Bournemouth service pattern, i.e. losing the dedicated airport shuttle, and hence there was a mixed bag of 442s (Now Gatwick Express liveried) and 460s on the route, until the 460s are all off lease. Apologies if this is wildly inaccurate, it's just the impression I had, as third rail land might as well be a million miles away for me.

Different routes... Gatwick is on the London - Brighton line, not London - Bomo!

 

[westcoaster]

Gatwick express was absorbed into the southern franchise on the London- Brighton route.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's something weird about this though. I was impressed how apparently recent the Google image was, compared to the usual, so I checked on Google Earth. If you look at Eastleigh works on Google Earth, you'll find the red roofed 460 there, with a date stamp in the bottom left corner of the map of 1st January 2005.

Apart from the fact that the trees are all green, suggesting that the photo can't have been taken in January, I wonder why a Gatwick unit would have been at Eastleigh that long ago.

Methinks that's a recent pic.

There is a southern 455 two roads across, I think maybe refurb time.

 

[sprinterguy]

Gatwick express was absorbed into the southern franchise on the London- Brighton route.

Ah, that's it, Brighton, not Bournemouth. South coast seaside towns, beginning with "B". I should have stuck by my original thought to just stay quiet...What goes on in third rail country is regularly beyond my understanding.

 

[Lrd]

The watermarks on the images say 2009. Or 2008? Thinking more 2009 though...

 

[Malderon]

On my daily trips to East Croydon I havent seen any 460s running any services other than Gatwick Express (and peak service on to Brighton from gatwick) although it is mainly 442s now (although still a mixture). I cant imagine what one is doing that far west!

If there are stock shortages due to an incident (happened on Friday), it seems Southern use the 442s for non Gex services and bring some of the 460s out of their semi retirement.

I know the 460s had some reliability problems but I still cant really work out if the 442s are much of an improvement. After all the 460s were specifically designed for the service. Hearing Southern talk about shortage of available carriages (of course usually Electrostar units they are refering to) seems strange when I think there are 460s just sitting around. Instead of running that 8 car electrostar as 4 car and that 12 car as 8 car, why not keep the 12 car as 12 car, run a 442 instead of the 8 card and pull a 460 for gatwick express. I know its not as simple as that due to the location of stock etc, but I still think the 442s would be more use on routes other than G_ex (then again I'm not sure G_ex is a good service at all)

 

[Dai.]

The watermarks on the images say 2009. Or 2008? Thinking more 2009 though...

2009 is the copyright, but some images may be a lot older than that, it's all about the new images coming down from satellites and when they pass over.

 

[90019]

2009 is the copyright, but some images may be a lot older than that, it's all about the new images coming down from satellites and when they pass over.

The closer in images are aerial photos, not satellite ones.

 

[me123]

Oh if only Crosscountry had Voyagers that long! You were right with your first guess.

Sometimes, train lengths appear wrong in Google Maps, so trains can appear longer or shorter than they actually are. This is because of the way images are stuck together, and because trains have a nasty habit of moving. Here's a very long train, Here's one posted on her fairly recently by "Stuart0742" apparently showing two trains in the same section of track, here's a one car Class 334, and here's one of Virgin's two-car Pendolinos!

Totally off track, but suffice to say that the suggestion of seeing an 8-car Voyager on Google maps wasn't as barmy as it sounds.

 

[swt_passenger]

It's definitely around 2006 or possibly even earlier I reckon, so the reason the 460 and 455 were there is because Alstom still had the works, and the classes went to Eastleigh for overhaul.

The extension to the Swan Centre in Eastleigh started in 2007 some time, and there's no sign of it - across the road to the east of the Fareham line junction.

(Had to do a double take when the Google page came up with Southampton Central all over the left hand side though...)

EDIT: Discovered elsewhere that the last SN 455 arrived at Eastleigh for overhaul in Jan 2006 - so I reckon 2005 is a better bet...

 

[tbtc]

Sometimes, train lengths appear wrong in Google Maps, so trains can appear longer or shorter than they actually are. This is because of the way images are stuck together, and because trains have a nasty habit of moving. Here's a very long train, Here's one posted on her fairly recently by "Stuart0742" apparently showing two trains in the same section of track, here's a one car Class 334, and here's one of Virgin's two-car Pendolinos!

Totally off track, but suffice to say that the suggestion of seeing an 8-car Voyager on Google maps wasn't as barmy as it sounds.

Sounds interesting, but your links just show me Blantyre (from a distance)

 

[Dai.]

The closer in images are aerial photos, not satellite ones.

Same thing applies. They don't send planes up that regularly to get images so it may be outdated.

 

[Pumbaa]

It's definitely around 2006 or possibly even earlier I reckon, so the reason the 460 and 455 were there is because Alstom still had the works, and the classes went to Eastleigh for overhaul.

Someone was getting somewhere!

Its perfectly possible to be there; 458s and 460s had regenerative braking work and trials done at Bournemouth 2007-2009, each one spent up to 4 days there. I would say pretty confidently that thats what the 460 is doing on shed.

 

[swt_passenger]

Someone was getting somewhere!

Its perfectly possible to be there; 458s and 460s had regenerative braking work and trials done at Bournemouth 2007-2009, each one spent up to 4 days there. I would say pretty confidently that thats what the 460 is doing on shed.

The linked pictures are of Eastleigh works though?

I seem to remember the regen trial 460s ran directly to and from Bournemouth - the dynamic trials were done down towards Weymouth, I think it involved one of the 3CIGs to provide a load on the third rail.

I'm sticking with the last months of Alstom before the works closed, so 2005 or 2006. And don't forget an earlier poster has found the same scene on Google Earth actually dated 2005!

 

[Pumbaa]

Apologies - I was under the impression it was Bournemouth! I agree with your point if indeed they're Eastleigh.

 

[westcoaster]

I'm going with the summer of 2005

Found this http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/features/eastleighfin.html

And this on the Weymouth regen tests http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/tocnews/gex460news_a.html

 

[me123]

Sounds interesting, but your links just show me Blantyre (from a distance)

Fixed now.

Another interesting feature shows that the photos were taken at different times. Have a look here, at Merryton station (on the Larkhall line, which reopened in 2005). Now look further down the line, at the B7078; you'll see the line fade into nothingness. And, finally, you'll see that Larkhall station has yet to be built. For those of you who do not know the area, I can assure you that the tracks to continue to Larkhall itself, and that there is in fact a station there; the trains don't run over the abandoned trackbed!

The pics further down the line must have been taken either early in 2005, or more likely before then as there's not even any sign of building works. But obviously the ones at Merryton were taken quite a bit later. There's no trains, so that suggests that it was before opening. Of course, the train could be in the out-of-frame section at Larkhall, or it could have been a Sunday (when there weren't any trains at first).

 

[tbtc]

Fixed now

Cheers - great finds

 

[me123]

I should add that most of them are other people's finds, and I'm just remembering and repeating them.

 

[bnm]

Here's on I've just found:

The 2+12 First Great Western HST

A bit unclear because of shadows, but zoom in and scroll and you can count the carriages!