Greater Anglia's Stadler Flirt - Class 745 & 755

[Zomboid]

I wouldn't say it's definitely happened yet, but Stadler are a competent manufacturer and you'd expect them to get the issues that are down to them under control in due course.

[black and decker boy]

On 01/03/2020 at 15:57, phil-b259 said:

 

All very well until you realise that ALL the Sprinters and Tubrostars have been transferred away.

 

GA had no say in the matter - the fleet cascade having been arranged by the all knowing DfT - and because the trains are all leased under commercial contracts, delaying the cascades would have been very expensive in terms of compensation being paid out.

 

As such it’s basically a choice of a flawed Sadler unit or no train!

partly correct. The 156s were an internal transfer to Abellio EMR and by all accounts it was Abellio that forced the move to happen on time

[black and decker boy]

Its has been suggested on WNXX that part of the problem with fuel is that the units have small tanks, way smaller than the 15x & 17x meaning daily visit to a depot for more fuel. However, the capacity at NC isn't available to process every single unit daily.

 

No one seems sure of any Plan b to carry out refueling away from NC 

[great central]

1 hour ago, black and decker boy said:

Its has been suggested on WNXX that part of the problem with fuel is that the units have small tanks, way smaller than the 15x & 17x meaning daily visit to a depot for more fuel. However, the capacity at NC isn't available to process every single unit daily.

 

No one seems sure of any Plan b to carry out refueling away from NC 

 

Most of our 15x fleet can go two days without refuelling, particularly the units stabled at Boston, Lincoln and Leicester overnight as there are no facilities.

Units on Liverpool Norwich diagrams finish at either Nottingham, Norwich or Crewe so can be fuelled but aren't always, depending on what they're doing the next day.

[admiles]

17 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

Its has been suggested on WNXX that part of the problem with fuel is that the units have small tanks, way smaller than the 15x & 17x meaning daily visit to a depot for more fuel. However, the capacity at NC isn't available to process every single unit daily.

 

No one seems sure of any Plan b to carry out refueling away from NC 

 

I'd imagine the soon to be vacant fueling facilities in Ipswich could be re-jigged for use by GA.

[SBB Crocodile]

The FL refuelling point at Ipswich has no road access. 

[Pete 75C]

36 minutes ago, SBB Crocodile said:

The FL refuelling point at Ipswich has no road access. 

 

So I assume it's supplied by rail, and if so, why can't it continue to be supplied by rail?

[Classsix T]

...or just go to Harwich, on electric...

 

C6T. 

[admiles]

50 minutes ago, SBB Crocodile said:

The FL refuelling point at Ipswich has no road access. 

 

I'm well aware of that. As Pete75C above says it hasn't stopped FL (and before that BR) using it.

[russ p]

Isn't one of the reasons freightliner is moving so they can get fuel by road?

[beast66606]

7 hours ago, admiles said:

 

I'd imagine the soon to be vacant fueling facilities in Ipswich could be re-jigged for use by GA.

 

The planning consent was given on the basis that the existing facilities were made available for domestic use.

[beast66606]

4 hours ago, russ p said:

Isn't one of the reasons freightliner is moving so they can get fuel by road?

 

I think it's to move the facilities nearer to where the locos need them and remove the constant shunting across the GER mainline - maybe @Siggie in the east knows more ?

[caradoc]

On 02/03/2020 at 20:45, great central said:

 

Most of our 15x fleet can go two days without refuelling, particularly the units stabled at Boston, Lincoln and Leicester overnight as there are no facilities.

Units on Liverpool Norwich diagrams finish at either Nottingham, Norwich or Crewe so can be fuelled but aren't always, depending on what they're doing the next day.

 

Re the part I have italicised; That sounds a bit risky ! Although maybe unavoidable due to the number of sets and size of fuelling facility available ? As soon as the service goes to pot, fuel remaining will be another factor impeding what can be done to maintain or restore the timetable.

[beast66606]

Another good day for the Basils, and 745002 entered service - thats 3 on the Norwich/Londons now

[great central]

8 hours ago, caradoc said:

 

Re the part I have italicised; That sounds a bit risky ! Although maybe unavoidable due to the number of sets and size of fuelling facility available ? As soon as the service goes to pot, fuel remaining will be another factor impeding what can be done to maintain or restore the timetable.

 

Not really I don't think, if necessary the unit will be swapped out the next day, usually at Nottingham as most of the fleet passes through at some point during it's workings or can be swapped elsewhere to work to Nottingham.

[Siggie in the east]

On 03/03/2020 at 20:47, beast66606 said:

 

I think it's to move the facilities nearer to where the locos need them and remove the constant shunting across the GER mainline - maybe @Siggie in the east knows more ?

Hi there.

At the moment, a temporary fueling arrangement has been agreed to refuel in plt6 colchester between 2300 and 0300 and plt1 ipswich at specific times. That helps out the Ipswich units for the 2Wxx, 2Rxx and 2Dxx and the sudbury, Peterborough and 5D66 units at colchester.

 

With regards to the fuel depot at ipswich, they are moving as they need more space to expand their operations. A wheel lathe is going in so they dont have to transport their wagons up and down the country tagged on the back of their intermodals taking up necessary space in rakes, a larger loco servicing depot so they can deal with locos closer to Felixstowe and not dead in train upto Crewe and lastly, so they can cut down on their delay minutes when we have to shunt them over the Up and Down mainlines as they arent booked moves. Getting the fuelled locos back over can be a nightmare and if not done swiftly, they start late and can rack up considerable delays.

They are to continue having fuel delivered via 6L49 Lindsey to Ipswich.

The space they are vacating is earmarked for extra platforms and not refueling as AGA dont want to have fuel delivered as they have C.point and Colchester, plus once all the units are de-restricted with the pan issue, they dont see a need to use a fueling point in Ipswich.

Last thing, having the depot on the upside and having no future shunts across the running lines may assist in the re-signalling of the Ipswich panel onto a workstation as it will simplify the programming of the timetable and may also mean a much more simple track plan.

Aaaaannnnndddd breathe

Thanks

[Pete 75C]

10 hours ago, Siggie in the east said:

Hi there.

At the moment, a temporary fueling arrangement has been agreed to refuel in plt6 colchester between 2300 and 0300 and plt1 ipswich at specific times. That helps out the Ipswich units for the 2Wxx, 2Rxx and 2Dxx and the sudbury, Peterborough and 5D66 units at colchester.

 

With regards to the fuel depot at ipswich, they are moving as they need more space to expand their operations. A wheel lathe is going in so they dont have to transport their wagons up and down the country tagged on the back of their intermodals taking up necessary space in rakes, a larger loco servicing depot so they can deal with locos closer to Felixstowe and not dead in train upto Crewe and lastly, so they can cut down on their delay minutes when we have to shunt them over the Up and Down mainlines as they arent booked moves. Getting the fuelled locos back over can be a nightmare and if not done swiftly, they start late and can rack up considerable delays.

They are to continue having fuel delivered via 6L49 Lindsey to Ipswich.

The space they are vacating is earmarked for extra platforms and not refueling as AGA dont want to have fuel delivered as they have C.point and Colchester, plus once all the units are de-restricted with the pan issue, they dont see a need to use a fueling point in Ipswich.

Last thing, having the depot on the upside and having no future shunts across the running lines may assist in the re-signalling of the Ipswich panel onto a workstation as it will simplify the programming of the timetable and may also mean a much more simple track plan.

Aaaaannnnndddd breathe

Thanks

 

And the award for this week's most comprehensive answer goes to...

[beast66606]

Really goading the fates now ..

 

Basils seem to have turned a corner, one problem yesterday which took out the Twig (Sudbury line) for a good while.

 

745006 has entered service, thats 4 sets in use now - and 4 x 90s + sets not in use of course.

[s182ggu]

14 hours ago, Siggie in the east said:

 

The space they are vacating is earmarked for extra platforms and not refueling as AGA dont want to have fuel delivered as they have C.point and Colchester, plus once all the units are de-restricted with the pan issue, they dont see a need to use a fueling point in Ipswich.

 

Hi

 

Can someone please explain, in layman's terms what the issue is with the pantographs on the 755s?

 

Thanks in advance.

[DY444]

4 hours ago, s182ggu said:

Hi

 

Can someone please explain, in layman's terms what the issue is with the pantographs on the 755s?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I don't know if it was the only incident but I believe there was a coming together with a bridge after a unit got confused and mistakenly thought the line from Haughley Jn towards Bury St Edmunds had been electrified.

[crackedmember]

Is there no way of manually locking down and securing the pantographs on these units?

 

The Southern Region seemed to experience no problems changing from overhead  to 3rd rail on their class 70 and 71 electrics, and neither did the earlier eurostars when operating from Waterloo.

 

Admittedly the Tyne Quayside Branch had problems in this regard.  This was however due to having to change from overhead to a very short section of 3rd rail before entering the tunnel.  This was at the start of the gradient and power needed to be maintained.  It was tricky and the tunnel entrance bears testimony to the times they got it wrong.  Normally the spare elecric locomotive would be called into action.  In the event this was not available due to previous incidents or at York for overhaul, it was considered sufficient punishment for the unfortunate crew to have work the line with a J77 steam locomotive.  There was a horseshoe tunnel on the line where smoke tended to accumulate.

 

 

 

 

 

[beast66606]

Another day and another painless Basil day - things have definitely turned a corner with the latest software update. I, for one, am pleased the service has settled down - yes, I prefer other traction but I'm happy that Joe Public is getting his/her service back to normal

[admiles]

2 hours ago, beast66606 said:

Another day and another painless Basil day - things have definitely turned a corner with the latest software update. I, for one, am pleased the service has settled down - yes, I prefer other traction but I'm happy that Joe Public is getting his/her service back to normal

 

Amazing what a difference a few(!) IOIOIOIOIOs can make!

[Bucoops]

28 minutes ago, admiles said:

 

Amazing what a difference a few(!) IOIOIOIOIOs can make!

 

There are 10 types of people in the world - those that understand Binary and those that do not.

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, crackedmember said:

Is there no way of manually locking down and securing the pantographs on these units?

 

The Southern Region seemed to experience no problems changing from overhead  to 3rd rail on their class 70 and 71 electrics, and neither did the earlier eurostars when operating from Waterloo.

 

Admittedly the Tyne Quayside Branch had problems in this regard.  This was however due to having to change from overhead to a very short section of 3rd rail before entering the tunnel.  This was at the start of the gradient and power needed to be maintained.  It was tricky and the tunnel entrance bears testimony to the times they got it wrong.  Normally the spare elecric locomotive would be called into action.  In the event this was not available due to previous incidents or at York for overhaul, it was considered sufficient punishment for the unfortunate crew to have work the line with a J77 steam locomotive.  There was a horseshoe tunnel on the line where smoke tended to accumulate.

 

 

 

 

 

Just to put the record straight Eurostar did experience some problems.  Apart from errant raising of pantographs due to finger trouble on the part of a Driver (a rare event which actually matched in rate of occurrence the original risk assessment() the real problem was with the retractable conductor shoes failing to lift when they should.   Such was SNCF's exasperation with the slow pace of remedying this problem that they installed some nice big blocks of concrete at the French end of the Tunnel for the specific task of 'removing' any collector shoes which had failed to properly raise - the blocks were highly effective.  (The need to raise the shoes was because they were out-of-gauge on SNCF and had a habit of producing unintended damage to/occasional demolition of certain items of infrastructure such as one particular type of ground mounted signal head.