Battered and worn coaching stock today.

[Kris]

Your starter for 10 on worn out coaches is this fantastic example of a coach from a class 221 (221134) on it's way from Penzance to Edinburgh. Coach C is certainly in need of a refit. Dirty, stained bent and cracked would be the observation of almost all the seats in this coach. 

 

Do you have any examples of worn out rolling stock on the network today. 

 

 

 

[MossdaleNGauge]

Nothing that new around here, the 465 Networkers are now 31 years old with no replacement planned. Photo from here https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2022/10/10/southeastern-networker-trains-reach-30-years-old-this-week2/

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, Kris said:

Your starter for 10 on worn out coaches is this fantastic example of a coach from a class 221 (221134) on it's way from Penzance to Edinburgh. Coach C is certainly in need of a refit. Dirty, stained bent and cracked would be the observation of almost all the seats in this coach. 

 

Do you have any examples of worn out rolling stock on the network today. 

 

 

 

 

I would suggest those huge wheeled luggage containers that fits everything including the kitchen sink and the on board trolley service caused most of that.

 

31 years old? Nowt but an infant! 

 

I think the 507 and 508s are nearly 45 years old and are now looking extremely scruffy. One the other day was quite rusty around the doors. Seems like no more than essential maintenance is being carried out on them.

 

Still it will be sad to see them go.  😢

 

 

Jason

[Wickham Green too]

On 06/10/2023 at 18:53, MossdaleNGauge said:

... the 465 Networkers are now 31 years old ...

... but still a darned sight more comfortable than the 376s or 'City Beam-me-up' 707s that have appeared in more recent years.

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Wickham Green too
376 rather than 378 ..... they're even worse

[black and decker boy]

AIUI The recent direct award to Arriva XC includes an internal refurb / refit for the Voyagers 

[Flying Pig]

27 minutes ago, black and decker boy said:

AIUI The recent direct award to Arriva XC includes an internal refurb / refit for the Voyagers 

 

Hopefully they will be fitting larger interiors...

[roythebus1]

3 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

I would suggest those huge wheeled luggage containers that fits everything including the kitchen sink and the on board trolley service caused most of that.

 

31 years old? Nowt but an infant! 

 

I think the 507 and 508s are nearly 45 years old and are now looking extremely scruffy. One the other day was quite rusty around the doors. Seems like no more than essential maintenance is being carried out on them.

 

Still it will be sad to see them go.  😢

 

 

Jason

I remember going to take a 508 out of Staines sidings back in 1983/84, I had to cancel the train as the floor just inside the cab door had fallen through. It was a shuttering-grade plywood. The unit was about 3 years old. Last one I rode on about 3 years ago on the GN (313) I noted the window rubbers were rotten. It goes brittle after about 30 years.

Edited October 6, 2023 by roythebus1

[MossdaleNGauge]

16 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

... but still a darned sight more comfortable than the 378s or 'City Beam-me-up' 707s that have appeared in more recent years.

More so, if you can find an empty seat in the old first class part of a 465/9

[Jim Martin]

17 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

I think the 507 and 508s are nearly 45 years old and are now looking extremely scruffy. One the other day was quite rusty around the doors. Seems like no more than essential maintenance is being carried out on them.

They're also extremely grubby. Like you, I guess, I live on the Southport line (Blundellsands and Crosby is my nearest station), which readers not familiar with Merseyrail's goings-on should know is to be the last route to get the 777s. Whether even rush-hour trains are 3- or 6-car seems to depend mainly on if two working units can be found; and my train yesterday was so dirty that the windows were translucent at best. The vinyls aren't great either. The current ones seem to be lasting as poorly as the previous ones did (although the last lot, the tiger stripe, when new, was my favourite Merseyrail livery).

 

There's a lot of positive coverage of Merseyrail at the moment, what with Headbolt Lane and the battery-fitted 777s; but the Southport line is just sad.

 

Jim

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, Jim Martin said:

They're also extremely grubby. Like you, I guess, I live on the Southport line (Blundellsands and Crosby is my nearest station), which readers not familiar with Merseyrail's goings-on should know is to be the last route to get the 777s. Whether even rush-hour trains are 3- or 6-car seems to depend mainly on if two working units can be found; and my train yesterday was so dirty that the windows were translucent at best. The vinyls aren't great either. The current ones seem to be lasting as poorly as the previous ones did (although the last lot, the tiger stripe, when new, was my favourite Merseyrail livery).

 

There's a lot of positive coverage of Merseyrail at the moment, what with Headbolt Lane and the battery-fitted 777s; but the Southport line is just sad.

 

Jim

 

Right at the other end of the line in LNWR and CLC territory rather than L&Y. I tend to try and get the Northern or TP Lime Street trains rather than Miseryrail if I can help it, but they just aren't reliable enough.

 

I don't think the Wirral have got the new units yet as I travel over to Birkenhead about three times a week and not seen any.

 

Southport as a username was due to Steamport where I volunteered many moons ago. I suppose I would be more 8C or AN if I used my proper location! Occasionally 8A. Speke Junction, Allerton and Edge Hill for those not familiar with shedcodes.

 

 

Jason

[Wickham Green too]

7 hours ago, MossdaleNGauge said:

More so, if you can find an empty seat in the old first class part of a 465/9

OK, the seats might be a little more generously spaced in the - former - First Class, but they're at the end of the coach so the ride's more lively !

[The Johnster]

On 06/10/2023 at 21:32, Flying Pig said:

 

Hopefully they will be fitting larger interiors...

You mean like the TARDIS?  

 

Ok, I know what you mean…

[Flying Pig]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

You mean like the TARDIS?  

 

Ok, I know what you mean…

 

I mean like the TARDIS.  Impossible of course, but anything you do inside a 22x is hampered by the basic design.

 

In any case, XC Voyager interiors may look worn, but they compare favourably for comfort with some more recent stock.  It is in my experience a relief to change from an 80x to a northbound Voyager at Bristol Parkway.

 

[billy_anorak59]

On 07/10/2023 at 14:55, Steamport Southport said:

I don't think the Wirral have got the new units yet as I travel over to Birkenhead about three times a week and not seen any.

 

They've certainly arrived on Wirral Jason - 777 008 managed to run into the buffers at Rock Ferry last week anyway!!

[Clive martin]

I remember back in the 1980s  class 105 units working in east anglia that had never been refurbished these looked very tired, even the class 101 units that had been refurbished soon started looking scruffy the second class saloons never looked to bad but those super comfy seats in the former 1st class sections often had arm rests covered in black insulation tape,i think it is a poor show that cross countrys voyagers are now looking so worn when people are paying such high fairs,this is far from a premium product !

[Reorte]

On 08/10/2023 at 19:20, Flying Pig said:

 

I mean like the TARDIS.  Impossible of course, but anything you do inside a 22x is hampered by the basic design.

 

In any case, XC Voyager interiors may look worn, but they compare favourably for comfort with some more recent stock.  It is in my experience a relief to change from an 80x to a northbound Voyager at Bristol Parkway.

When they first appeared, replacing real trains on the Manchester to Scotland route my first impression of them was of commuter trains with ideas above their station, but the seats are reasonable comfortable and they ride well. They were always too cramped (and short) though, but if the seats were spaced out a little more, and they were used on routes where that wouldn't make overloading them even worse, I still think they'd be decent enough, and as you say preferable to some more recent offerings.