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HST retirements and secondary deployments.


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Given the creeping electrification of the Scottish network and the continued desire to expand that, I'd expect to see bi-modes replacing the HSTs in due course. By which time I'd also expect the wires to have reached Perth and probably Dundee at least.

 

We're some way from electrification reaching Inverness though.

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4 hours ago, Gary704 said:

Probably a couple of things worth mentioning. I would be unlikely that Transport Scotland go down the 222 route.

It has been proven elsewhere that the 22x class are less fuel efficient and more polluting than a Class 43 (even two of them), the MTU has a remarkable engine management system.

 

TS have made it clear that decarbonisation is the way forward.

HST replacement will not be diesel.

 

A final point and a personal opinion (!), the quality of the refurb is excellent. Obviously there are limitations ( the corridor connection shows its heritage) and corrosion will be an issue, but there is at least 10 years left in the old girls yet.

 

Gary

 

The patchwork roofs still leak on newly delivered.

 

PIS, Cab to Cab, Bell buzzers, I could go on.

 

Don't believe anyone's hype

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3 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Given the creeping electrification of the Scottish network and the continued desire to expand that, I'd expect to see bi-modes replacing the HSTs in due course. By which time I'd also expect the wires to have reached Perth and probably Dundee at least.

 

We're some way from electrification reaching Inverness though.

 

Why not 3rd rail?

 

Seen photos of 3rd rail stuff in Scotland.

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Probably a couple of things worth mentioning. I would be unlikely that Transport Scotland go down the 222 route.

It has been proven elsewhere that the 22x class are less fuel efficient and more polluting than a Class 43 (even two of them), the MTU has a remarkable engine management system.

 

TS have made it clear that decarbonisation is the way forward.

HST replacement will not be diesel.

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How long are the refurbs supposed to last?

 

Presumably if (some of) the Scottish sets became surplus within their expected lifetime they could be redeployed to join the GWR fleet if required?

 

I have ridden on the GWR sets quite a bit, and from a passenger point of view think they are great. There are a number of additional long distance diagrams more sets would be useful on to replace  158 sets.

 

cheers

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The refurbs are as good as you are going to get given Doncaster workshops are for wagons !  The XC sliding door stock has taken longer than planned due to the demand of getting right from the get go. The first XC01 was less than impressive but XC04 was delivered and then given an exam and put into traffic, sadly the powercars are overworked and do not have enough down time - only spares available with sets of stock at works , this in part rectified  by two power cars having been released and bought to XC standards.   These will continue for the foreseeable future  as they are the only trains that are bulk people movers ( at other times to now!)   But cannot see any new contractor to the routes having more given a brand new plank seated train is not much more and at the start of its corrosion life.  I suspect this will be the way TS will go.  The  questionable value for money of OLE projects will I think see my self propelled hybrids rather than a "coathanger fitted plank with weasels." 

 

A shame that some of the TS sets are faulty - I guess after 40 years the newness has worn off. Hopefully you can enjoy them for a while, 10 years is a long time in politics...

Robert       

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4 hours ago, frobisher said:

 

Third rail and snow is not a good mix, just saying...

 

Doesn't appear to stop the Eletro Diesels!

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15 hours ago, Eddie R v2.0 said:

If money was an issue, then hopefully someone in power would look at doing “bits” of electrification. For example, Blair Atholl to Kingussie area and Aviemore to Inverness. As I understand it, the Azumas can pan up/down on the move so the switch over would be easy enough. 

I don't know the line, but if bits of the HML are to be electrified then the project should do the whole lot. The most expensive single part of any electrification is the grid connection, which discontinuous electrification would do nothing to alleviate (would be more likely to make it worse). I think the next biggest thing is bridges, which given the sparse nature of the population round there there won't be many of (relatively speaking, it is a long way). And being mostly single track the wires themselves will be relatively cheap.

 

I think Perth will be reached relatively soon, so you never know, maybe Inverness will see electrification before Bristol TM...

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12 hours ago, MJI said:

 

A 73 on a branch somewhere:D

Don't think the CS 73/9s still have 3rd rail shoes fitted.

 

ORR will not permit new 3rd Rail installations on the NR network.

 

If the TS HSTs are well received and reasonably reliable then you would expect them to be retained in the new franchise with perhaps a nod to replacement before the end of the decade, if not then a DMU replacement might be seen as preferable if available (eg Class 175 or 222). It will depend on how flush the Scottish Government is when it writes the ITT next year.

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  • 1 month later...

The delivery of HA21 on the 5th May marked the passing of the half way point for the delivery of ScotRail HST trailers. Long way to go yet, I don’t think Wabtec will achieve their August target (like all their other missed target dates) but I’d like to be proved wrong.

 

Brian.

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  • 4 months later...

HA21 (they’ve been renumbered to match the 40xxx trailers since my last post) is now on its way to ScotRail from Doncaster, this means 21 out of 24 four car rakes delivered. Wabtec have again failed to meet the August deadline they set themselves for completing the four car rakes. There’s still a long way to go with this project, I don’t see it being completed until well into 2021, the Stonehaven (Carmont) accident right-off replacement rake adding to the completion time scale as well.


Brian.

 

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The very last days of the EMR Paxman VP185 powered class 43s are being superbly  chronicled on Twitter by driver/lensman @HiPa_IC125_ & a few others. His photo below, one of a series of classic Nocturnes from Neville Hill depot.

 

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On 29/09/2020 at 17:10, turbos said:

HA21 (they’ve been renumbered to match the 40xxx trailers since my last post) is now on its way to ScotRail from Doncaster, this means 21 out of 24 four car rakes delivered. Wabtec have again failed to meet the August deadline they set themselves for completing the four car rakes. There’s still a long way to go with this project, I don’t see it being completed until well into 2021, the Stonehaven (Carmont) accident right-off replacement rake adding to the completion time scale as well.


Brian.

 

21 out of 26. The Carmont write-off will not be replaced is the latest information on that situation and though they may change their minds I'd say it's unlikely this late in the project.

 

So 20 out of 25 you might say; 80% complete.

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23 hours ago, hexagon789 said:

21 out of 26. The Carmont write-off will not be replaced is the latest information on that situation and though they may change their minds I'd say it's unlikely this late in the project.

 

So 20 out of 25 you might say; 80% complete.

There’s also the trailers to make 5 coach rakes still to be done so as a percentage I think it’s just over 72% complete.

 

Brian.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 03/10/2020 at 11:11, turbos said:

There’s also the trailers to make 5 coach rakes still to be done so as a percentage I think it’s just over 72% complete.

 

Brian.

Assuming that goes ahead, I've seen a few rumours it might not. But then I've also seen rumours ALL sets will be made up to 2+5 and rumours that TGS vehicles will be the fifth trailers to improve the bike accommodation, so who knows?! ;)

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On 02/10/2020 at 11:57, hexagon789 said:

21 out of 26. The Carmont write-off will not be replaced is the latest information on that situation and though they may change their minds I'd say it's unlikely this late in the project.

 

So 20 out of 25 you might say; 80% complete.


given the number of spare vehicles, and how long before those spares get nibbled, I think thats a bit short sighted.

Unless long sight concludes post Covid, railways are going to shrink.

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