Iron Horse Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Thanks, but then my next stupid question is where are the mk3's coming from? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4630 Posted November 21, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 21, 2017 Mk3s that were originally part of the 'Pretendalino' set used on the WCML and that for the most part have been off lease for awhile. Half of the set is at Laira. The other half was used for last weeks driver training runs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Horse Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Thank you, I knew the Pretendalino was involved, just wondered if anything else was intended. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4630 Posted November 21, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 21, 2017 If all goes to plan, the Mk3s should only have a relatively short life with TPE as the start of delivery of their Mk5s is scheduled for the first half of next year with introduction into service "scheduled for 2018". That's assuming everything goes to plan, of course! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal.n Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) The full 'pretendolino' is 9 coaches, does that make just make 1 train of mk3s if it is to replace a set of 2 4-car 350s? Edit: asking more questions... Who was the operator of the staff training runs. TPE or DRS? Edited November 21, 2017 by cal.n Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted November 21, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) The full 'pretendolino' is 9 coaches, does that make just make 1 train of mk3s if it is to replace a set of 2 4-car 350s? Edit: asking more questions... Who was the operator of the staff training runs. TPE or DRS? I think the Mk3 sets are planned to be loco+5Mk3+loco. But there seems to be some fluidity to the plan. Dunno where the guard/TM will live though. The training runs were supervised by DRS, training TPE driver instructors according to a well known railway forum. Cheers, Mick Edited November 21, 2017 by newbryford Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Horse Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 I spoke to a DRS driver at just outside Gresty early on in the year. He was under the impression that all the services would be driven by TPE drivers, however TPE didn't want anything to do with any ECS moves so DRS said "would you like us to do them for you?".......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted November 22, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 22, 2017 There are more Mk3 coaches lying around than just the Pretendolino ones. Should be enough to manage 2x5-car rakes with a 68 each end and a couple of spares. That should cover two core duties releasing two 185s of which presumably one would be sent for facelift and the other might be used to strengthen something. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indomitable026 Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 Not mine, but here a few pics of the locos and coaches involved in the initial runs... https://goo.gl/images/9zu69h https://goo.gl/images/haNeDH https://goo.gl/images/8FRD1S https://goo.gl/images/nQqxNP 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
w124bob Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Just before I retired from XC, talking to staff at Longsight seemed to suggest servicing of sets would take place there. Has this changed as DRS seem to be be doing any ecs moves, or is this just for the ex Virgin stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Rail Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Training has started on the Class 68s for the up coming TPE loco hauled services. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1487730087982818&id=121163121306195 Info from the WNXX forum suggests this was a Crewe to Preston and return run. Looking forward to this loco hauled action when it commences with the MK5 coaches. Yes My mate from control at TPE Piccadilly had an interesting day on this from Gresty tagging along on familiarisation and fault finding exercise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisis Rail Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 And this has been the case for quite a few years now on the core TPE route between Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds. Whilst TPE do run several 2x185s on some peak hour services, the vast majority are a single 3 car 185. Such are the numbers travelling now along this TPE route and not just in peak hours, even if the 185s had been extended to 4 car as was proposed a few years ago (whilst DaFT prevaricated and eventually declined the proposal), 4 or 8 car trains in the peaks would struggle to cope with passenger numbers in my regular experience. I'm looking forward to the 68s arriving (they should be employed on the Liverpool Lime Street to Scarborough services I believe) but I do wonder how the use of the proposed rolling stock (Mk3s initially until TPEs order of Mk5 is delivered and commissioned) will impact on station dwell times. Yes Liverpool LS to Scarborough Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indomitable026 Posted December 6, 2017 Author Share Posted December 6, 2017 http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/first-tpe-modified-class-68s-sent-to-spain-for-initial-testing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 The manadtory use of yellow was only changed very recently and the 68s are among the first types built which fully comply with lighting requirements associated with “no yellow”. The 185s do not qualify being already about 10 years old and built under the regulations which existed at that time. Of passing interest perhaps is that in Australia where Victorian regional operator V/line has a fleet of around 70 “V/locity” 100mph dmus their original livery of green, lilac and white included no yellow because it was considered the headlights would be sufficient. Later builds carried a revised livery which includes yellow on the ends as many complaints were received that the train could not be seen approaching. One fatal collision between an almost-new unit and a road vehicle resulted in tests being carried out which suggested that the headlights could not be seen and - crucially - interpreted as an approaching train in low light or strong daylight conditions. Yellow was suggested and quickly appeared. But our great and wonderful DaFT and ORR have done some tests and in ideal circumstances the headlight arrangement is better so they can do away with the yellow end,they dont seem to understand that the railways rarely work in ideal circumstances. It also seems to go against what they stand for- Our strategyOur long-term vision for the mainline railway industry is a partnership of Network Rail, operators, suppliers and funders working together to deliver a safe, high performing, efficient and developing railway. Taken from- http://orr.gov.uk/about-orr/what-we-do How is removing one of the fundamental safety features delivering a safe railway, rail staff especially track workers are 'programmed' to see the yellow end even when not actually looking for it, just as drivers are 'programmed' to see and react to orange, removing that yellow and replacing it with 3 headlights with an output of 5 trillion candle power headlights wont make the trains more visible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JDW Posted December 7, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 7, 2017 I'm divided on the yellow issue - on the one hand, all the arguments that it is good for being seen stack up, as with the Australian example above, and there have been studies and surveys which back up the safety benefits. There was a picture in Rail I think it was recently of one of the new class 345 units poking its black front end out of one of the new Crossrail tunnels in the dark, it struck me straight away how much less obvious it was. On the other hand, I have lived in France and Germany, and neither of those has yellow ends, and although UK stock always seems to look odd without them, I never thought of it as having something missing when I saw French or German stock. OK, Germany has the red/white bib, France less so, but I never thought "ooh I couldn't see that coming". Maybe we'e just so used to having yellow ends, as royaloak said above workers are to an extent pre-programmed to look for yellow rather than to look for trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted December 7, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) But our great and wonderful DaFT and ORR have done some tests and in ideal circumstances the headlight arrangement is better so they can do away with the yellow end,they dont seem to understand that the railways rarely work in ideal circumstances. It also seems to go against what they stand for- Taken from- http://orr.gov.uk/about-orr/what-we-do How is removing one of the fundamental safety features delivering a safe railway, rail staff especially track workers are 'programmed' to see the yellow end even when not actually looking for it, just as drivers are 'programmed' to see and react to orange, removing that yellow and replacing it with 3 headlights with an output of 5 trillion candle power headlights wont make the trains more visible. Couldn't have put it better myself. How many of these 'experts' have to dogge* trains for a living? Yellow ends are a vital safety feature for us track workers - and indeed the general public when using foot crossings. At some stage it's omission WILL result in deaths - all for the sake of poncy marketing / Designer types intent on creating the perfect 'look'. *Note, Dodgeing trains is the easiest way of communicating to non railway folk how "red zone working with lookout protection" works and should not be taken as an indication of unsafe working practices. Edited January 4, 2018 by phil-b259 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indomitable026 Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 Not mine but a couple pics from yesterday's first public run with the Mk3s https://www.flickr.com/photos/60963146@N04/27627439219/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/60963146@N04/38526489825/in/dateposted-public/ (Links from WNXX). 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ash39 Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Very modellable train in both 00 and N gauge. 68's on each end in different liveries, and 4 mk3's. About 1700mm in OO gauge and 850mm in N... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indomitable026 Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishrail1980sand1990s/39217622485/ 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishrail1980sand1990s/39217622485/ That livery is 'different'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGR Hooper! Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishrail1980sand1990s/39217622485/ Apart from the deepish shade of pink in that entire think, I pretty much like the livery. Wish that pinkish shade was another blue or silver to match the rest of the loco. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted February 8, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 8, 2018 Looks like the same one (or at least as adapted for a loco) that TPE is gradually applying to everything. Rather garish for my taste. Since the coaches are AIUI only temporary until the Mk5s are ready are they going to remain in Vrigin colours? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal.n Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Looks like the same one (or at least as adapted for a loco) that TPE is gradually applying to everything. Rather garish for my taste. Since the coaches are AIUI only temporary until the Mk5s are ready are they going to remain in Vrigin colours? I assume so, the pretendolino coaches are unbranded which satisfies DfT conditions that it cannot Garry the brand of another TOC. What is the proposed route for the Loco hauled sets? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal.n Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 First image of a mk5 DVT https://mobile.twitter.com/Clinnick1/status/966922140871110657/photo/1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 The conventional drawgear really spoils the lines of it, the rest of it looks like a modern train. Shame we didn't standardise on auto-couplers several decades ago... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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