Class 800 - Updates

[Reorte]

Another TOC that couples and splits trains all the time without de-training passengers is London Midland, their London - Birmingham and London - Crewe services split and join at Northampton.

I've been on Scotrail joining at Crianlarich, and TransPennine at Preston. I think it's safe to say it happens throughout the country so where there's some reason passengers would need to be detrained first there are specific non-ordinary restrictions in place.

[Geoff Endacott]

HSTs can be coupled together with passengers aboard. I was on a set which failed north of Berwick when the following set was coupled up. It pushed us all the way to Waverley.

 

Geoff Endacott

[jamie92208]

I've been on Northern Pacers when they are coupled. The staff do shut the doors during the procedure and release them as soon as the units are coupled/uncoupled.

 

Jamie

[Siberian Snooper]

Trains from Victoria to the Arun Valley regularly split and join at Horsham. the doors are closed for the operation. in the past the slow trains from Horsham to Victoria joined or split at Gatwick Airport in the days of slam door stock. I believe Cross country also join and split "Poo Tubes" at various places.

[Ron Ron Ron]

....Sunderland will be a question mark as unless the GC franchise is ended....

 

 

Forgive the pedantic note Mike, but there isn't such a thing as a GC franchise.

Arriva Grand Central run their services under an Open Access licence.

 

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[alaneggleston]

Class 444s couple/decouple with passengers aboard every day. Are there different regs for the Class 800 family?

As do 159s at Salisbury

[EddieB]

I'm not sure whether this is still newsworthy: 800 001 (in unbranded/Hitachi livery) making its way from Old Dalby to North Pole depot.  Passing Brondesbury Park on the North London line earlier today.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by EddieB

[royaloak]

I suspect it might be applied to Pacers because of the nature of their construction and what might happen in the event of a 'hard' knock.  Otherwise coupling loaded trains together or coupling a loco to a loaded train has gone on for many years and I can see no problems provided it's done properly.

Regularly couple 143s together at Exeter, never needed to kick everyone off first!

 

Sounds like its somebody misinterpreting the rules in the name of health and safety!

[royaloak]

I've been on Northern Pacers when they are coupled. The staff do shut the doors during the procedure and release them as soon as the units are coupled/uncoupled.

 

Jamie

The doors have to be closed otherwise the brakes will apply as soon as the units attach making it impossible to do the pull away test.

[rab]

I'm not sure whether this is still newsworthy: 800 001 (in unbranded/Hitachi livery) making its way from Old Dalby to North Pole depot.  Passing Brondesbury Park on the North London line earlier today.

 

3G5A0252.jpg

 

3G5A0253.jpg

Newsworthy or not at least it's brought us back on topic.

[Banger Blue]

A nice surprise as I pulled up outside work this morning, Intercity Express Trains 800001 & 800002 coupled together working as 5X17 heading towards Reading Station. They did a further couple of runs towards Didcot and back before heading to North Pole.

 

I managed to get a quick video of them, crossing the flyover on the Down Main, from the office window. :

 

https://youtu.be/T49ZYCakwBs

 

Unfortunately didn't manage to get a vid of 68001 & 68005 with the MENTOR test train.

[DavidB-AU]

GWR and Eversholt have confirmed an order for an additional seven sets.

 

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/great-western-railway-orders-more-hitachi-trainsets.html

[Kris]

GWR and Eversholt have confirmed an order for an additional seven sets.

 

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/great-western-railway-orders-more-hitachi-trainsets.html

 

Glad the DAfT have let them do this.

[Nobby (John)]

A nice surprise as I pulled up outside work this morning, Intercity Express Trains 800001 & 800002 coupled together working as 5X17 heading towards Reading Station. They did a further couple of runs towards Didcot and back before heading to North Pole.

 

I managed to get a quick video of them, crossing the flyover on the Down Main, from the office window. :

 

https://youtu.be/T49ZYCakwBs

 

Unfortunately didn't manage to get a vid of 68001 & 68005 with the MENTOR test train.

That's a great place to have an office!!

[nightstar.train]

GWR and Eversholt have confirmed an order for an additional seven sets.[/size]

 

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/great-western-railway-orders-more-hitachi-trainsets.html

Anybody know if these are five or nine car sets? The Railway Gazette doesn't say. And potential use? Have GWR decided that shortened HSTs won't do the trick on the Plymouth to Cariff (I think) services and use these instead?

[4630]

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Edited November 12, 2016 by 4630

[4630]

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Edited November 12, 2016 by 4630

[Fenman]

Apologies from the 'reliable source' (it was a journalist) - it would seem as though they will be nine car sets and an official press release is now available;

 

http://italy.hitachirail.com/en/first-great-western-increases-hitachi-at300-fleet-size-with-new-139-million-order_517.html

 

I particularly enjoyed this sentence in the press release:

 

"The total investment, by First Great Western and Eversholt Rail Group, thus amounts to £500."

 

Nothing like seeing the private sector putting its investment capital where its mouth is...

 

Paul

[Coryton]

Anybody know if these are five or nine car sets? The Railway Gazette doesn't say. And potential use? Have GWR decided that shortened HSTs won't do the trick on the Plymouth to Cariff (I think) services and use these instead?

 

Portsmouth to Cardiff?

 

If so, even a five car set is probably overkill.

[HillsideDepot]

If any one is looking at likely workings, the thought occurs that new 1 x 9-car unit on the "mainline" could potentially release 2 previously ordered 5-car units for use elsewhere on the network (assuming the 2 x 5s work together sufficiently to allow a 1 x 9 to take their place and that the "shorties" don't split and join all over the diagrams).

[royaloak]

Reported on another forum by a reliable source to be five car sets.

They are actually 9 coach sets.

[royaloak]

Anybody know if these are five or nine car sets? The Railway Gazette doesn't say. And potential use? Have GWR decided that shortened HSTs won't do the trick on the Plymouth to Cariff (I think) services and use these instead?

The short HST sets are not for the Cardiff to Penzance route except for 2 positioning moves, they are for the Cardiff to Taunton route and the Penzance to Plymouth and Exeter route, that has always been the case and has never been changed!

 

It is internet wibble that they were going to be used on this that and the other route!

 

You can also forget sending them to Portsmouth because they are overweight for the Hamble bridge so they would either need to miss out Southampton and run via Chandlers Ford, or route them from Southampton to Eastleigh, reverse and then onto Fareham which would mean recasting the timetable because of the longer route and single line section, it is simply not realistic!

 

While it would be nice to send them to other places you have remember that these will be worked by West crews and not HS ones, so they need to minimise the amount of crew training required for what is supposed to be a short term 'fix' until the cascades take place.

Edited August 5, 2016 by royaloak

[Ramblin Rich]

Apologies from the 'reliable source' (it was a journalist) - it would seem as though they will be nine car sets and an official press release is now available;

 

http://italy.hitachirail.com/en/first-great-western-increases-hitachi-at300-fleet-size-with-new-139-million-order_517.html

So GWR sets are being built in Italy not Newton Aycliffe - hadn't realised that...

[royaloak]

So GWR sets are being built in Italy not Newton Aycliffe - hadn't realised that...

The reason/excuse is because Newton Aycliffe is at full capacity and cant fulfil anymore orders.

 

Can anyone tell me when the stir welding plant will be built at Newton Aycliffe so the bodyshells can be built there?

Hitachi did say they would if they got anymore orders, they have got the orders so where is the welding plant?

[ess1uk]

This morning as I drove along Old Oak Lane the Virgin azuma was parked up and in the siding over the bridge and they appeared to be unloading sand bags from the train into the cess