Class 800 - Updates

[Glorious NSE]

The new TPX livery looks fab on that - that's why it doesn't quite work as well on the 185, it was designed for something an awful lot sleeker...
 

Wonder if any operator will get rid of them when maintenance repaint becomes due.

 

To not have them the train will need a certain quality of headlights, and the operator will have to make a safety case - so I doubt you'll see it for most existing trains on the network.

As if to illustrate the point, the reliveried TPX 185 in the same livery retains yellow ends.

[newbryford]

In this world of "health and safety gone mad" where we are making entrance doors to trains more obvious by painting them a different colour to the rest of the train, you'd think making approaching trains more obvious by keeping the warning yellow front ends would also be a wise thing to do.

Just my opinion..

 

For those not up to speed with the yellow panel issue, all you need to know (and more) is here.....

 

Cheers,

Mick

[wombatofludham]

In this world of "health and safety gone mad" where we are making entrance doors to trains more obvious by painting them a different colour to the rest of the train,

 

This has absolutely five eighths of ugger ball to do with "health and safety", mad or otherwise.  Differently coloured doors was the result of extensive research carried out by the then Department of Transport's disability unit who were highly regarded and very practical people, into adaptations that could be done easily with available technology to enable persons with visual, aural or physical disabilities to access public transport.  Sadly, the implementation of the research and consultations with respected disability groups, to form the various regulations was less well regarded when it became hijacked and was handled by people who had had no experience or involvement in the research and consultation that had gone on.  However, the research was sound and ahead of the rest of Europe in many areas.  Painting doors a different colour was found to assist persons with partial vision (many "blind" people are seldom totally blind and retain some vision, or colour recognition) to locate a door when closed, even on a relatively busy platform.  A simple, low tech solution that has proven to help make independent train use for people with disabilities easier.  Same with coloured handrails.  I know a lot of so called "aesthetes" who hate coloured handrails but I know non-reflective brightly coloured handrails work for friends of mine with reduced vision in getting around a moving bus or train.  Surprisingly shiny metal handrails of the type that used to be common are near invisible to certain eye conditions.

 

In any case any good branding consultant should be able to work with these restrictions to design a good, modern colour scheme and interior design without hassle.  In this instance function trumps any preciousness by graphic designers.

 

The days of expecting people to "not do what they used to do so stay at home" (which used to be the stock Social Services answer to anyone developing vision problems) or disabled people being treated as parcels and confined to the guards van are long gone, it's about treating people with respect, making sensible, feasible adaptations to help people with impairments of any sort access services and the independent lives the rest of us take for granted and nothing whatsoever to do with "health and safety".

[unravelled]

Spotted while walking along the canal past Old Oak common last week:

 

Old Oak Common area by David Harvey, on Flickr

 

Dave

[Richard E]

I hear that the late night testing on the ECML is being done under possession and is up to 140mph. Given my source I am quite confident that is correct.

[The Stationmaster]

I hear that the late night testing on the ECML is being done under possession and is up to 140mph. Given my source I am quite confident that is correct.

 

If the testing is being done to test for interference currents etc and pantograph/ohle interaction then it would have to be under a possession - especially if normal linespeed is being exceeded.

[Purley Oaks]

According to Virgin, the new trains are scheduled for introduction on ECML in 2018 - does train testing really take 18+ months, or should we expect to see the gradual introduction of 800s sometime this year?

Mal

[The Stationmaster]

According to Virgin, the new trains are scheduled for introduction on ECML in 2018 - does train testing really take 18+ months, or should we expect to see the gradual introduction of 800s sometime this year?

Mal

 

All depends what they're testing for and, more important, what results they get.  If it is for interference currents etc then it is a big task and can take some months to go through everything and if they get some dodgy readings they might then need to apply some mods.  equally if they find their pantographs don't get on well with grotty ECML overhead they might need to modify the pans or alter the uplift force which in turn needs to be measured & tested to make sure it's right.  and if they want to get everything sorted before series production they need to start early otherwise they'll have trains in various states of modification (if mods are needed).

 

Some Hitachi drive kit was tested some years ago so that might save time but overall 18 months lead from now to service introduction strikes me a sensible for a modern train where the train builder/supplier is contracted on availability.

 

Presumably the train's own software is already sorted but it could be the case that it too needs extensive 'service-like' testing and that might also leads to mods (Eurostar went through c.20 software versions although a lot of them were post service introduction).

[Glorious NSE]

According to Virgin, the new trains are scheduled for introduction on ECML in 2018 - does train testing really take 18+ months, or should we expect to see the gradual introduction of 800s sometime this year?

The first trains are due to go to GWR first during 2017, so they will ought* to be in service well before Virgin starts running them in 2018.

 

As Mike says, that kind of lead time isn't that unusual for a modern train of all new design.

 

(*Possibly wires / build variations permitting!)

 

 

[ess1uk]

Will all testing take place on ecml since gwml is delayed?

[Titan]

There is quite a lot of work still to be done to make the ECML compatible. It is really bad news if a train comes to a stand at a signal with a pantograph in a boostered overlap - much worse than getting stranded in a neutral section, as the pantograph creates a short circuit between the two wires with the result that one of them melts causing a dewirement. Not a problem at speed as the short is only brief. If the pans are in a different position, which they are, then some booster overlaps need to be strapped out and alternative interference suppression measures applied. There were certain signals that Eurostars were not supposed to be stopped at for this reason, but there was at least one dewirement as a result of ignoring the instruction...

[The Stationmaster]

Will all testing take place on ecml since gwml is delayed?

 

There appears to be not much choice in that respect.  Reading - Didcot overhead was supposed to go live last September specificially for Class 800 testing and, of course, it didn't so a considerable amount of potential testing time has been lost as I doubt that section will be much less than a year late commissioning (maybe more if NR don't extract some digits?).

[Grovenor]

 It is really bad news if a train comes to a stand at a signal with a pantograph in a boostered overlap - much worse than getting stranded in a neutral section, as the pantograph creates a short circuit between the two wires with the result that one of them melts causing a dewirement.

Bit of "design clever" there then! Murphy's law dictates that if you have such a possibility then it will happen.

Regards

[Richard Pike]

I hear that the late night testing on the ECML is being done under possession and is up to 140mph. Given my source I am quite confident that is correct.

 

 

Testing is currently taking place most nights but not under possesion, tonight 5X08 is running Old Dalby - Peterborough - Newark -Huntingdon - Newark - Old Dalby and will be running alongside freight and Mail workings.

 

Possession working was carried out late last summer between Peterborough and Grantham. 

[pete_mcfarlane]

It shows how busy the ECM is these days if they are doing it overnight. I remember watching daytime testing of the class 91s when they were new (using Mk3 sleepers and the DVT configured HSTs). 

[NickL2008]

The GWML electrification is being completed at quite a decent pace, I went to do some photography between Didcot and Swindon, and load of masts have already been put up (minus the arms to hold the wires) and now pretty much most of the section between Reading and Didcot, has at least the masts up, and with wires

NL

 

[Glorious NSE]

The GWML electrification is being completed at quite a decent pace, I went to do some photography between Didcot and Swindon, and load of masts have already been put up (minus the arms to hold the wires) and now pretty much most of the section between Reading and Didcot, has at least the masts up, and with wires

 

From a comment recently in Modern Railways, whilst the revised "official" date for Didcot to Reading would seem to now be September this year, there was a hint that's a conservative estimate...

 

(That project needs a good news story!)

 

 

 

[St. Simon]

It shows how busy the ECM is these days if they are doing it overnight. I remember watching daytime testing of the class 91s when they were new (using Mk3 sleepers and the DVT configured HSTs). 

 

Hi,

 

Testing at night isn't necessarily because the line is too busy during the day (i.e. no paths), nowadays with brand new stock with computers and electronics galore, there is a good chance the thing will fail, so if they do it at night, there is less disruption to the network (and thus less compensation pay outs) if the train was to fail.

 

Once they have establish the test train is reliable enough, they'll bring it out during the day. Although the ECML is busy anyway, so they won't be too many paths available for them.

 

Simon

Edited April 21, 2016 by St. Simon

[The Stationmaster]

From a comment recently in Modern Railways, whilst the revised "official" date for Didcot to Reading would seem to now be September this year, there was a hint that's a conservative estimate...

 

(That project needs a good news story!)

 

 

 

 

Progress has definitely speeded-up in the last month or so but it remains very 'bitty' - thus one really long boom has been put in place at Tilehurst station in the past 2 weeks but the masts immediately east of it still haven't got booms while the booms immediately east of them have the register arms in place above two lines out of the four (although not on every boom) but none have been added in the past week or more.  And that's with what appears to be a 'fleet' of four road-rail cherry pickers which have been based at Tilehurst for the past 3-4 weeks (although there doesn't appear to have been a crane based there).

 

I shall hopefully be seeing more tomorrow en-route to Trainwest but I noticed yesterday that the 'catenary gap' on the Relief Lines at Pangbourne has still not been filled which suggests that work on the masts and booms at Pangbourne station might still not be complete.  It will be interesting to see tomorrow if catenary wiring has progressed westwards beyond Basildon although that would have need the masts/booms to be completed on Basildon bridge as it is in the next section west.

[Richard E]

ECML test running now extended to Peterborough to Darlington.

[JeffP]

Is it every night? What sort of time does it go through Doncaster?

[Richard E]

Monday to Thursday, Doncaster scheduled for 22:53 northbound and 02:26 southbound. It was about 45 minutes late last night apparently.

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K97142/2016/04/21/advanced

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K97144/2016/04/22/advanced

[Ron Ron Ron]

2x 5-car Class 800  @ Willesden Jct.

 

 

 

 

[Richard E]

Runs booked from Old Dalby to Doncaster and back this week for Monday and Tuesday.

[Richard E]

A couple of interesting moves on RTT in the last day or so:

 

1. Locomotive hauled move from Old Dalby via Peterborough to North Pole IEP depot yesterday morning. I assume this was moving an 800 set. Timed for 168mph! I know, RTT speeds are a bit odd on occasion.

2. A run to Doncaster and back via Peterborough scheduled for tonight, timed for 100mph max.

3. A run to Northallerton scheduled for tomorrow night timed for 100mph max.

 

It rather looks as if one set has now gone to the GWML for testing there whilst a second set is continuing work on the ECML.

 

The ECML runs have regularly been returning some quite large early and/or late arrival times which suggests that the running is actually at HST/225 speeds which is pretty much what I would expect as they will replace those sets.