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Greater Anglia's Stadler Flirt - Class 745 & 755


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Interesting Tim, thanks for sharing.

 

I can't help wondering though, with all the DDA (sorry that should be EA now) requirements we are required to abide by in station designs (e.g. step-free access), why there are different floor levels within the carriages! Makes you wonder how they got that past NOBO/ASBO scrutinizers?

 

Regards, Ian.

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My understanding is that the whole train doesn't need to meet the disability access regs. Only part of it does. That's why lots of European trains have low centre sections and steps up to other seats. It's only the UK that interpreted the rules that way!

 

Jo

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Why not make the floor the same height as the platforms? Most of them are a pretty standard height these days. Straight on, straight off, straight through? Modern bearings make smaller wheels possible too.

Euro platforms are silly, low things so I can see why they'd need them for those.

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Talking seats, anyone else carry on through the photostream to the interior of presumably one of the Italian trains?  That pair of seats squeezed between a bulkhead and a raised plinth with just about enough space for a person of very restricted growth would be highly uncomfortable with no-where to put your feet, especially my size 13s.

I have to say the Anglia Flirts do look the business and will be quantum leap for the rural Norfolk and Suffolk lines.

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These really do look superb - I hope they live up to the look, and give a bit of inspiration for Government/other operators as to what should be possible.
 

Talking seats, anyone else carry on through the photostream to the interior of presumably one of the Italian trains? 
 

Yes it's the FS one, it just looks appalling doesn't it* - a nice talking point next time somebody mentions how European train seating is always perfect and British ones are never so...


(* Although it looks like you could get a relaxing albeit unconventional position by stretching your legs out under the seat in front maybe....? :D)

 

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First class 745 seen in the wild:

 

post-1467-0-10774000-1538297136_thumb.jpeg

(Photo found on the web, no source given)

 

I can’t help but feel that for an intercity train the single, central doors are a strange choice. I’ll be interested to see the interior layout of these.

 

Tom.

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First class 745 seen in the wild:

 

attachicon.gif9457C52B-61B7-4ED2-9F92-466CB47AA3E8.jpeg

(Photo found on the web, no source given)

 

I can’t help but feel that for an intercity train the single, central doors are a strange choice. I’ll be interested to see the interior layout of these.

 

Tom.

 

It's just struck me that the 745 is almost an APT-P with articulation, single door access and a central "power car".  Even the body shape is not dis-similar.

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Interesting Tim, thanks for sharing.

 

I can't help wondering though, with all the DDA (sorry that should be EA now) requirements we are required to abide by in station designs (e.g. step-free access), why there are different floor levels within the carriages! Makes you wonder how they got that past NOBO/ASBO scrutinizers?

 

Regards, Ian.

Because the DDA requirements in the UK only apply to trains that are classed as "non-interoperable" . Everything else, that is intended to run on the interoperable railway is required to conform to the EU interoperability regulations, in this case for Persons of Reduced Mobility (PRM), and they take a more pragmatic (and sensible) approach to dealing with a much wider range of people than the overly prescriptive approach of the DDA.

 

Jim

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First class 745 seen in the wild:

 

attachicon.gif9457C52B-61B7-4ED2-9F92-466CB47AA3E8.jpeg

(Photo found on the web, no source given)

 

I can’t help but feel that for an intercity train the single, central doors are a strange choice. I’ll be interested to see the interior layout of these.

 

Tom.

Yeah, the 745s will also be doing the Stansted shuttle runs, replacing the Electrostars currently on the route 

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I don't know if it's been mentioned on here, but I've heard a rumour the power unit of the 755 is too heavy for the Sheringham line. Seems a bit odd, but I think it's down to axle weight (power unit essentially distributes its weight through 2 axles on the 755, conventional unit/loco is 4 or 6 axles) can anyone shine light on that?

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I don't know if it's been mentioned on here, but I've heard a rumour the power unit of the 755 is too heavy for the Sheringham line. Seems a bit odd, but I think it's down to axle weight (power unit essentially distributes its weight through 2 axles on the 755, conventional unit/loco is 4 or 6 axles) can anyone shine light on that?

 

Will it mean the 153s being kept for this and the Sudbury branch?

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I don't know if it's been mentioned on here, but I've heard a rumour the power unit of the 755 is too heavy for the Sheringham line. Seems a bit odd, but I think it's down to axle weight (power unit essentially distributes its weight through 2 axles on the 755, conventional unit/loco is 4 or 6 axles) can anyone shine light on that?

 

If they are it would be a surprise as the section as far as North Walsham had, and indeed may still have, loco hauled freight for which it was beefed up in the 90s and even the section to Sheringham has had a visit by a kettle via the new level crossing into the NNR station.  I would imagine a Class 66 or a Britannia will have a higher axle load than the power pack of a 755.  In any case, the weight of the power pack is on two articulated bogies with the adjacent car bodies so I don't think the physics are quite as simple as the two axles actually under the power pack bearing all the weight, although it would be interesting to hear from those more familiar with this method of articulation with lower floor bogies.

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If they are it would be a surprise as the section as far as North Walsham had, and indeed may still have, loco hauled freight for which it was beefed up in the 90s and even the section to Sheringham has had a visit by a kettle via the new level crossing into the NNR station.  I would imagine a Class 66 or a Britannia will have a higher axle load than the power pack of a 755.  In any case, the weight of the power pack is on two articulated bogies with the adjacent car bodies so I don't think the physics are quite as simple as the two axles actually under the power pack bearing all the weight, although it would be interesting to hear from those more familiar with this method of articulation with lower floor bogies.

That's what I thought, which is why I was surprised to hear it was too heavy. Its not going to have a higher axle load than the North Walsham 102T tanks. What's the axle loading of the heaviest visitor to the NNR?

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It sounds a little doubtful to me too, these are specifically designed to GAs spec, they aren't something off-the-peg.

 

So it seems unlikely that GA would tell Stadtler the wrong max axle load, or that GA would accept a design that didn't comply with that number, or that the final build wouldn't match the design agreed, presumably at least one of which would have to have happened if true?

 

OTOH I *can* believe NR being a bit more careful about accepting these with the dynamics involved being a bit different to the established norm?

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I could possibly imagine a scenario where only the 3 car sets are permitted on some routes (with only the 2 diesel engines rather then the 3 in the 4 car sets). And NR being cautious where they're articulated, but I find it hard to believe any issues would be major or wouldn't be resolved.

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I could possibly imagine a scenario where only the 3 car sets are permitted on some routes (with only the 2 diesel engines rather then the 3 in the 4 car sets). And NR being cautious where they're articulated, but I find it hard to believe any issues would be major or wouldn't be resolved.

That the 3s and 4s have different route clearance would be a more logical scenario, and if that's it they may have been deliberately built lighter, as I don't think the difference in installed power is in line with the difference in overall weight?

 

Thought the 4s have 4 engines installed?

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