Greater Anglia's Stadler Flirt - Class 745 & 755

[SBB Crocodile]

Zombiod, like you, I have dined only once on the GEML. That was back in the days of steam on my way to an interview so expenses paid. The entire meal was served whilst stationary at Gidea Park. I was rather late arriving at Ipswich...but only the first of many late arrivals on BR and all the others.

Edited March 13, 2020 by SBB Crocodile
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[David C]

Interesting trip to the MRC yesterday from Ipswich and back. On arrival at the station, there were no less than 3 FLIRTS waiting to depart to Felixstowe, Peterborough and Lowestoft, but when the 16.09 appeared, it consisted of two 321 units. At least, they worked, although arrival was late at Liverpool St due to the signallers letting a 66 hauled tanker train go ahead. 

 

The return journey was the 23.30 and surprise, surprise there was a FLIRT waiting on platform 9. I make this journey regularly and had only ever travelled on one once before several months ago. The last train of the day always seemed to be a 90 plus mark 3s, presumably because they were more reliable. I was told that railway operators always try to run the last service whatever the circumstances, otherwise it could get expensive. As it was, the journey was uneventful and fast as we arrived ahead of time at several stations en route. This is not always the case, given that the last service of the day usually carries a higher proportion of drunks than normal and they can cause delays to the more sober of us passengers. There weren't any last night: indeed, there weren't that many passengers on the train at all. 

 

The FLIRTS themselves: comfortable and fast, although the ride was a bit rough at times. I may have been sitting above or near one of the articulated bogies, which may have made a difference. My only criticism would be that the lighting was a bit harsh, which certainly wouldn't flatter the drunks  - or me - for that matter. Mind you, they usually get off at Chelmsford .......

 

David C

[The Stationmaster]

4 hours ago, carlgoss said:

Yeah dead right.. I remember when you could enjoy a proper meal in the restaurant. Good food too. Those chefs did a great job in the old restaurant cars. Do you remember the swing door that said 'first class passengers only'.. although as long as you had a meal they would let you sit in there> Woe the cafe bar!

 

You can of course still gat a proper meal on GWR on those trains which have a Pullman meal service which is avaiable to passengers holding Standard Class tickets if there are any spare seats.  These replaced GWR"s 'Travelling Chef' service which was speared over more trains and produced an excellent breakfast served at your seat.  LNER still does meals on some trains, in 1st Class  plus hot snacks in Sandardand i presume that Hull Trains is still offers meals in 1st Class.

 

No longer necessarily the full fresh cooked menu for a lot of the meals but they are on some (e.g GWR Pullman) 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

On 12/03/2020 at 13:26, carlgoss said:

Only hope Sims do a better job executing these than the executioner did for Mary Queen of Scots. 

 

I see what you did their. Speaking of 37401 'Mary Queen Of Scots' in a few months it will be five years since it was reinstated to active service, making it's debut for DRS at the Kingmoor open day in 2015. Where have those five years gone!? 

 

And she's still going strong. Here's hoping that she makes it to the summer of 2020 still in traffic to make it five years exactly and if she remains in service in 2021, she will be going on for six years back in service. 

 

I have to say I always adore DRS for bringing the 37s back to life time after time (in some cases). Such brilliant work by DRS, Loram at Derby, Eastleigh Arlington Works etc. 

 

On 12/03/2020 at 23:20, rodent279 said:

I never really imagined that 37's would outlive mk3's.

 

I have to say I haven't thought about it much but I see your point. We have been very fortunate though that DRS have retained and put the 37s through overhauls for so long. Other operators wouldn't have done the same with such old locomotives but DRS have always made use of them and treat them well. I never imagined so many Class 37s with various operators would still be active on the mainline in 2020. 

 

When it comes to the MK3s though and with so many operators having used them and the amount of miles they must have done, I suppose we had to expect that even if every single one was to be overhauled, it would never be practical to undertake such a big project. From what I know Doncaster Wabtec are the only company to overhaul and modify the MK3s recently with the addition of sliding doors as per GWR, ScotRail and CrossCountry examples. It's taken considerable time to make progress in overhauling those MK3s just because the work is only been undertaken by one company, at one location, by some workers who have the skills and knowledge to do such work. With this in mind I suppose it was bound to happen that some MK3s would be scrapped. Even if every MK3 was to be assigned to overhaul, modifications, repaints etc at Wabtec how long would it take to do this work and in the meantime the majority of the coaches would have to be stored which in turn would rack up significant costs to be paid by the leasing company. 

 

I have read recently that this is one of a few reasons why MK3s have been sent for scrap. I don't have a clue about the storage costs but if you think of sites such as Worksop, Ely Papworth and Long Marston where rolling stock is stored, their is bound to be some significant cost involved in terms of storing potentially hundreds of ex FGW, GWR, GA, & LNER MK3s. Then comes the question of if such storage sites are significantly full of stock awaiting overhaul where is new stock stored that is pending commissioning and introduction to traffic. With all this in mind I suppose it does become easier to see why so much of the older stock can't be saved, instead of been scrapped, even though I still struggle to see it myself just because of how good the MK3s are. 

 

On the other hand for the 37s that are currently stored or out of service with the likes of DRS, Colas etc I suppose it's much easier to store these either on a temporary or a permanent basis at storage sites because their are only a handful stored or out of service at the moment. This makes the issue of space at such storage sites that I mentioned above, much less of an issue. 

 

As much as the topic of scrapping MK3s is tainted with sadness I for one do find it interesting to follow the cascading, overhauling and scrapping of old stock as well as the introduction of new stock. The railways are never boring are they.

[caradoc]

Apart from the tiny fraction that make it into preservation, every coach that has ever been built will eventually be scrapped. Which is fine, as long as each new generation of vehicles is an advance on those that went before..........

[rodent279]

Mk3's are good carriages, but they are a nearly 50 year old design, and as such can't be considered perfect. They've done good service, and they don't owe us anything. I agree that some newer designs aren't the improvement that they should have been, but that maybe shows how good the MK3 was in the first place.

Let's not forget the youngest mk3's are now well over 30 years old, which is older than the oldest mk1's were when mk3's were introduced.

It's a shame, but then I'm sure people said the same when the last stagecoaches went out of use.

[dvdlcs]

20 hours ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

I have to say I haven't thought about it much but I see your point. We have been very fortunate though that DRS have retained and put the 37s through overhauls for so long. Other operators wouldn't have done the same with such old locomotives but DRS have always made use of them and treat them well. I never imagined so many Class 37s with various operators would still be active on the mainline in 2020.

 

I am assuming that the 37s, in particular the 37/4s with ETH, continue because of the low RA (5) compared with newer locomotives. Had the 67s, and to an extent the 68s, been built as six axle units with a correspondingly lower RA presumably there would be rather fewer 37s, particularly the 37/4s, in service.

 

Just an opinion, of course :-)

[keefer]

The 37s just seem to be the near ideal package of power & size for them to be so useful from introduction to the present day.

A decent amount of power and the ability to put that power down, in a relatively go-anywhere loco (with the ability to double-head if necessary) keep them relevant.

Newer locos may be faster or more powerful ( passenger or freight) but there hasn't been anything for the middle-ground

[russ p]

37s are fantastic locos , yes there are the odd bad one but on the whole great 

A pair is good on heavy freight and is fast on class one work speeds over 100mph are easily attained

(so I've been told!)

[ruggedpeak]

Does seem there is a need for a modern version of the 37 - something that offers the full range of versatility. Doubt any TOC could make an economic case for it though.

 

[Titan]

It did occur to me, that if the modernisation plan was forced to buy just one locomotive type, and they could have been built in sufficient numbers, the class 37 would have done them proud.

[rodent279]

I've thought fur a long time that a fleet of 20's, 37's and 40's would have handled all but the heaviest freights and fastest passenger services. An old steam hand, ex-LMS, once said to me that a fleet of Black 5's, 5X's and 8F's would have done anything the railway could throw at them.

[17A]

I personally think a GWR class 4575 would give a stadler flirt a run for it's money any day of the week. A small prairie tank wouldn't need a software update.

[Nova Scotian]

Hopefully GA can figure out in the next couple of weeks doing enough updates, test-runs etc while keeping their staff protected that by the time people are using the service again it's actually working.

[TravisM]

7 hours ago, 17A said:

I personally think a GWR class 4575 would give a stadler flirt a run for it's money any day of the week. A small prairie tank wouldn't need a software update.

Just a hefty ball peen hammer and a mallet 

[stewartingram]

7 hours ago, 17A said:

I personally think a GWR class 4575 would give a stadler flirt a run for it's money any day of the week. A small prairie tank wouldn't need a software update.

 

Unless it's a DCC fitted one.

 

Stewart

[russ p]

12 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:

Does seem there is a need for a modern version of the 37 - something that offers the full range of versatility. Doubt any TOC could make an economic case for it though.

 

 

There probably is but it would probably be some sterile thing with no character 

[railroadbill]

Re 37s, agree with the positive comments about them.  A mate and I did several trips not so long ago on top and tailed 37 powered trains from Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Great stuff to be on a mainline service train behind a 37 again. We used our Wherry line tickets to good effect.  There was also one diagram that had a 68 on each end of the train, very good acceleration!

We had earlier made a journey round the Cumbrian coast line  on a top and  tailed train with 37s,  37 401 Mary Queen of Scots on the front.  We were lucky to be able to do this while these fill-in trains were running.

 

[railroadbill]

 

Where 755s now run.  Reedham, 6 June 2016

 

 

Reedham again.

 

 

Great Yarmouth 6 June 2016

 

 

and Norwich, same date.

Edited March 16, 2020 by railroadbill

[NXEA!]

I’ve just seen 37608 dragging two 755’s back to the naughty step at Crown Point. One was 325, does anyone know what the other one is please? Thanks in advance. 

[beast66606]

25 minutes ago, NXEA! said:

I’ve just seen 37608 dragging two 755’s back to the naughty step at Crown Point. One was 325, does anyone know what the other one is please? Thanks in advance. 

 

Where ?

[NXEA!]

2 hours ago, beast66606 said:

 

Where ?

Trowse loop. 

[Siggie in the east]

Normally I would help here but im on 3weeks leave at the moment, back in thursday night

[NXEA!]

2 hours ago, Siggie in the east said:

Normally I would help here but im on 3weeks leave at the moment, back in thursday night

No worries! Will keep checking other fora and flickr to see if anyone posts the gen for now. 

[Bad79]

Has anyone noticed how loud the engines are now getting when running on fuel? I dont know if its one unit or a couple but they/it sounds louder than 37's they replaced. Least you can hear 5 miles up the track when your train has left norwich you can hear it before you see it....

 

Russ was that you today with the MK3s when you were in the rear loco?