Class 800 - Updates

[Coryton]

No TOC "owns" stations.

They only get to operate and manage them.

Pedant hat off......

 

 

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Well if we're going to play the pedant game, I actually said "owing" not "owning".

 

But that might have been a typo...

 

In any case, just as when someone talks about an IEP train, I think people know what's meant.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Well if we're going to play the pedant game, I actually said "owing" not "owning".

 

But that might have been a typo...

 

In any case, just as when someone talks about an IEP train, I think people know what's meant.

 

 

We can play pedantry bingo all day long, just for fun.

Only joking of course. 

 

I did see "owing", but ignored it assumed it was just a typo.

 

There's a big difference between calling something an "IEP train" and calling that train an "IEP", a description which is clearly ludicrous.

 

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[Coryton]

I did see "owing", but ignored it assumed it was just a typo.

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Which of course it was.

 

 

There's a big difference between calling something an "IEP train" and calling that train an "IEP", a description which is clearly ludicrous..

 

Taking it literally, then yes. But there are plenty of expressions in use which don't make sense if taken literally but everybody knows what they mean.

 

When someone says an "IEP" I know what they mean and it doesn't bother me that they should have said IET. (And personally I'd rather see them called an IEP than an Azuma).

 

On the other hand, when a sign says "Nine items or less" I know exactly what it means but it still annoys me...

 

 

[Rivercider]

I notice that the references to train patterns mention one of the 4 tph to Bristol will work through to Weston-super-Mare.

I wonder if they will be fast from Bristol to Weston, or will they form a stopper down to Weston,? Any ideas?

Will they be in addition to the two stopping services each hour (Bristol Parkway-Weston, and Cardiff-Taunton)?

 

cheers

[Reorte]

When someone says an "IEP" I know what they mean and it doesn't bother me that they should have said IET. (And personally I'd rather see them called an IEP than an Azuma).

 

Ditto, always thought "Azuma" sounded bad, and it's even worse now that I've spotted what everyone has presumably known for ages - please don't tell me it's deliberately supposed to be "A zoomer."

[Coryton]

Ditto, always thought "Azuma" sounded bad, and it's even worse now that I've spotted what everyone has presumably known for ages - please don't tell me it's deliberately supposed to be "A zoomer."

 

Let's hope not. But I have a horrible feeling that it is.

 

It will be interesting to see whether it catches on. 

[frobisher]

Let's hope not. But I have a horrible feeling that it is.

 

It will be interesting to see whether it catches on.

It's a brand name, it doesn't have to catch on, it'll be on everything Virgin East Coast...

 

The name was chosen presumably because it has a relevance (Azuma being archaic Japanese for East, on a Japanese train), pronounced easily in English and was the middle suggestion of three such names presented to the branding people The fact that it implies zooming along is a bonus.

[Coryton]

It's a brand name, it doesn't have to catch on, it'll be on everything Virgin East Coast...

 

 

Of course it will.

 

But that doesn't mean that anyone else will use it.

 

I suspect, for example, people on RMWeb will stick to calling them IETs, not least because they are essentially the same train as all the other IETs which aren't called Azumas.

 

A lot of people with no interest in trains know what an InterCity 125 is but not an HST and might mention having travelled on one. Will people be saying "I got an Azuma down to London today?"

 

That's what I mean by catching on.

[Ron Ron Ron]

It's hard to imagine anyone using the term Azuma, but who knows what Joe Public will call them. Probably "a train", or "I went on Virgin to...", because it's all the same to most people.

 

The Kent HS trains are a funny example.

When they first went into service, train enthusiasts were calling the Class 395 a "Javelin", even though originally that was not an official name for the train and it had never been labelled such.

"Javelin" was the official promotional name for the (then) planned 2012 Olympic shuttle service to/from Stratford International.

It's only after the Olympics that the name "Javelin" was adopted by Hitachi and Southeastern as the official name of the trains themselves.

However, a lot of Joe Public Kent folk refer to the trains and to the HS service as "The Bullet".

In common parlance, "I got the Bullet up to London", or "I was on the Bullet the other day...".

Nobody seems to call them "Javelin".

 

 

 

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[KiraKat]

Ditto, always thought "Azuma" sounded bad, and it's even worse now that I've spotted what everyone has presumably known for ages - please don't tell me it's deliberately supposed to be "A zoomer."

 

Azuma is the Japanese for east, Virgin thought they would call it that because its Japanese and for the east cost I guess.

[APOLLO]

Azuma till Steventon, then 'A goes slower on Adeezel !!!!!!

 

Brit15

[D854_Tiger]

I notice that the references to train patterns mention one of the 4 tph to Bristol will work through to Weston-super-Mare.

I wonder if they will be fast from Bristol to Weston, or will they form a stopper down to Weston,? Any ideas?

Will they be in addition to the two stopping services each hour (Bristol Parkway-Weston, and Cardiff-Taunton)?

 

cheers

 

I suspect the idea is to withdraw any stops as most of the class 800 Weston trains will actually be continuing further west and let the new Bristol MetroWest take the strain on local journeys now they have some new (old) trains to play with.

 

Indeed, it's not altogether clear that the new trains will stop at Weston so much as according to one or two of the periodicals an Exeter - Paddington (via Bristol) journey could be faster (or as fast) than the Newbury route once the electrification reaches Parkway, provided the services are limited stop.

 

Originally it was proposed that one five car set, every hour, would continue west of Bristol but I guess everything is up in the air now the electrification won't actually be reaching Temple Meads, though Parkway is as close as makes no real difference.

 

What I find really strange is the complete lack of publicity as to what the full timetable will look like, once all the new trains are delivered and in service. Contrast that with Virgin East Coast who couldn't wait to go public on what their new trains will be able to offer.

 

Though, with all the delays, I'm guessing GW are still trying to fathom out exactly what they will have in place and by when.

[Rivercider]

I suspect the idea is to withdraw any stops as most of the class 800 Weston trains will actually be continuing further west and let the new Bristol MetroWest take the strain on local journeys now they have some new (old) trains to play with.

 

Indeed, it's not altogether clear that the new trains will stop at Weston so much as according to one or two of the periodicals an Exeter - Paddington (via Bristol) journey could be faster (or as fast) than the Newbury route once the electrification reaches Parkway, provided the services are limited stop.

 

Originally it was proposed that one five car set, every hour, would continue west of Bristol but I guess everything is up in the air now the electrification won't actually be reaching Temple Meads, though Parkway is as close as makes no real difference.

 

What I find really strange is the complete lack of publicity as to what the full timetable will look like, once all the new trains are delivered and in service. Contrast that with Virgin East Coast who couldn't wait to go public on what their new trains will be able to offer.

 

Though, with all the delays, I'm guessing GW are still trying to fathom out exactly what they will have in place and by when.

Thanks, I will have to wait and see then!

 

Throughout their career on the WR the HSTs have performed a valuable commuter function between Bristol and Weston/Taunton,

for example the current timetable shows the 14.30, 15.30, 16.30, 17.30, 18.30, 19.30 and 21.45 departures from Paddington all calling at local stations between Bristol and Weston/Taunton

 

cheers

[jonas]

Just seen my first of these units (well two in multi actually), sat down in platform 3 at Bristol Parkway causing confusion and delay! Looked smart though...

[Geoff Endacott]

Just seen my first of these units (well two in multi actually), sat down in platform 3 at Bristol Parkway causing confusion and delay! Looked smart though...

 

Service cancelled between Bristol Parkway and Paddington due to a problem with the doors. (Should be sets 800 005 and 006.)

 

Geoff Endacott

[D854_Tiger]

Service cancelled between Bristol Parkway and Paddington due to a problem with the doors. (Should be sets 800 005 and 006.)

 

Geoff Endacott

 

Possibly the guard forgot he was operating a Japanese train and it's obligatory to point in both directions, along the platform, before closing them.

[Steadfast]

Here's 800012 leading 800010 past Langley Burrell after its stop at Chippenham on 1A11 this morning.

 

Jo

Edited November 18, 2017 by Steadfast

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Possibly the guard forgot he was operating a Japanese train and it's obligatory to point in both directions, along the platform, before closing them.

 

No chance of leaving 20 seconds early then.

[Coryton]

Possibly the guard forgot he was operating a Japanese train and it's obligatory to point in both directions, along the platform, before closing them.

 

Nah. They don't even bow when they walk into and out of each carriage...

[The Stationmaster]

Service cancelled between Bristol Parkway and Paddington due to a problem with the doors. (Should be sets 800 005 and 006.)

 

Geoff Endacott

 

The door problem strikes again - definitely something which needs sorting (who else remembers the early tribulations with doors on HSTs (albeit a different sort of tribulation)?

[cunningduck]

Here's 800012 leading 800010 past Langley Burrell after it's stop at Chippenham on 1A11 this morning.

IMG_0574-800012-800010.jpg

 

Jo

I’m not sure it’s a cool thing to say given how much bad press these things have received, but that looks excellent! Perhaps it’s all down to the photographer?

[Zomboid]

The door problem strikes again - definitely something which needs sorting (who else remembers the early tribulations with doors on HSTs (albeit a different sort of tribulation)?

I believe that since the coming of widespread automatic doors, they have been the most common cause of a train fault related delay, irrespective of the type of train.

[RJS1977]

I believe that since the coming of widespread automatic doors, they have been the most common cause of a train fault related delay, irrespective of the type of train.

 

That said, I can remember doors being a cause of delay on slam-door stock too. Every time the Guard blew his whistle for the train to leave, an intending passenger opened one!

 

The ultimate cause of delay I saw where slam doors played a role though was when a Waterloo-Reading service stopped short of the end of Platform 4b, so the last two coaches were overhanging the pointwork at the end of the platform. Immediately it stopped, passengers were opening doors and getting off the 6 coaches which were in the platform, preventing the driver from moving the train up and thus stopping the Gatwick train leaving 4a.

[jjb1970]

A bit ironic given that the door design on these trains stemmed from a Japanese distrust of plug doors.

[The Great Bear]

I’m not sure it’s a cool thing to say given how much bad press these things have received, but that looks excellent! Perhaps it’s all down to the photographer?

 

Nice train. Pity about the fugly OLE.