Class 800 - Updates

[Zomboid]

I would have thought that it would be sensible to electrify between Newton Abbot and Plymouth if they are looking seriously at this.

Would make additional sense if they sent some 769s down there for the local trains too. If such a thing were to happen. In my limited experience of south Devon trains, 4 cars wouldn't be ridiculous excess capacity.

[Banger Blue]

800303 (9 car IET for GWR) was observed through Reading Station last night working 5Z31 Swindon- North Pole Depot.

[Ken.W]

Are they still looking at December 2018 for introduction to the Kings Cross services?

 

We've now been told December for KGX - Leeds, and from February for further North

 

They certainly seem to be venturing a bit further now having visited Harrogate and Skipton recently.  I would guess over the coming weeks they'll also venture onto some of the more common diversionary routes.  Leeds to the ECML via the Hambleton Junctions, to name just one.  

 

They've now apparently started platform gauging / possitioning / wheelchair access etc tests, and are due to visit all platforms used by VTEC.

I've read one's been to Sunderland.

Driver training scheduled to start from June / July.

[The Stationmaster]

I would have thought that it would be sensible to electrify between Newton Abbot and Plymouth if they are looking seriously at this. 

 

 

I agree totally but that is what the article said. Totness to Plymouth.

 

Jamie

It could well be something to do with power supply or avoiding certain bridgeworks (not that there aren't plenty of bridgeworks between Totnes and Plymouth).  On teh other hand it might be down to some one ion NR thinking that Dainton Bank is west of Totnes - that sort of thing would hardly surprise me nowadays  .

[Geoff Endacott]

On the other hand it might be down to some one ion NR thinking that Dainton Bank is west of Totnes...

 

It is if you hold the map the other way up.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Mallard60022]

It's quite easy to do an advanced search on "Doncaster Carr IEP" as a location as all the test trains work from there and see what they have scheduled for the day.

 

Jamie

Thanks Jamie and all. I have found some workings for Monday and Tuesday. i will double check those before I lumber to the Station.

Phil

[Peter Kazmierczak]

They could just electrify the uphill bits........

[Siberian Snooper]

They could just electrify the uphill bits........

 

While your doing the uphill bits, you just as well do the downhill, which as far as Dainton is concerned doesn't leave much.

[jamie92208]

While your doing the uphill bits, you just as well do the downhill, which as far as Dainton is concerned doesn't leave much.

But which of the uphill bits do you do, the ones going away from London, or the ones going towards London. A conundrum for our politicians to ponder but no doubt some civil servant at the DaFT will try to convince their minister that it only needs to be done in one direction. After all they have convinced them about bionic duckweed and the re writing of Newton's Laws.

 

Jamie

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I always thought it was UP to London..............

 

PS I was a Civil Servant a long, long time ago.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Peter Kazmierczak

[PenrithBeacon]

I always thought it was UP to London..............

 

PS I was a Civil Servant a long, long time ago.

Most lines are up to milepost 0 (zero). There are exceptions however like the Ffestiniog and Talyllyn, not to mention the LYR at Manchester. I’m sure there are others.

[Coryton]

I always thought it was UP to London..............

 

PS I was a Civil Servant a long, long time ago.

 

I believe in the Welsh Valleys up is up the valley, not towards Cardiff.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Not wishing to be disparaging about the DfT and its Secretary of State, but having driven a number of times through Epsom this month, one would've thought that the local MP would've done something about all the large potholes in the main road.

[JJGraphics]

Not wishing to be disparaging about the DfT and its Secretary of State, but having driven a number of times through Epsom this month, one would've thought that the local MP would've done something about all the large potholes in the main road.

 

 

 

You're having a Giraffe, of course!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Wonder who the local MP there is...............

[TEDDYBEAR D9521]

There’s a rumour going around that all the GWR sets will get all the seating changed.

 

Having ridden in standard and first class on these jap junks I’m not surprised the seating is like a park bench.

 

Bring back the HST’s 100 times better than this plastic crap.

[royaloak]

There’s a rumour going around that all the GWR sets will get all the seating changed.

 

Having ridden in standard and first class on these jap junks I’m not surprised the seating is like a park bench.

 

Bring back the HST’s 100 times better than this plastic crap.

The DaFT have stated that they always intended to change the seats (yeah right!).

[Coryton]

There’s a rumour going around that all the GWR sets will get all the seating changed.

 

Having ridden in standard and first class on these jap junks I’m not surprised the seating is like a park bench.

 

Bring back the HST’s 100 times better than this plastic crap.

 

I would not say that the GWR HST interiors in their current form are 100 times or even 10 times better than the interior of an 800.

 

I find them very cramped feeling with the high backed seats and nearly all airline configuration (although the legroom is actually very generous). There are almost no proper table seats and what there are have ludicrously small legroom.

 

The windows are so heavily tinted you can barely see a thing at night.

[159220]

There’s a rumour going around that all the GWR sets will get all the seating changed.

Not a rumour, fact. The loop pile material, past its fire regulation approvals earlier this year and has already been fitted to 800012 back in February.

 

If you remember when LA15 was launched in GWR brand, the material then was cloth and proved to stain. The decision was taken way back then to fit a different GWR style seat material to the seats.

[willjmitchell]

I would not say that the GWR HST interiors in their current form are 100 times or even 10 times better than the interior of an 800.

 

I find them very cramped feeling with the high backed seats and nearly all airline configuration (although the legroom is actually very generous). There are almost no proper table seats and what there are have ludicrously small legroom.

 

The windows are so heavily tinted you can barely see a thing at night.

Completely agree. The FGW mark 3 interiors are an absolute disgrace. I haven’t ridden an 800 yet but I’d be very surprised if it’s worse. The high seat backs of the mark 3 engender claustrophobia and the vile purple colour scheme combines with the strip lighting to make things as uncomfortable as possible. Still, at least there was a buffet car.

Edited April 29, 2018 by willjmitchell

[Coryton]

Completely agree. The FGW mark 3 interiors are an absolute disgrace. I haven’t ridden an 800 yet but I’d be very surprised if it’s worse. The high seat backs of the mark 3 engender claustrophobia and the vile purple colour scheme combines with the strip lighting to make things as uncomfortable as possible. Still, at least there was a buffet car.

 

Yes the lack of a buffet car is not a good thing. You always knew where the buffet car was, and they let you know when it opened. 

 

With a trolley it might come. It might not. If it passes through once it might come past later or then again not.

 

It probably isn't beyond the wit of man to make an announcement to let people know what the deal is on a given train with the trolley but that doesn't seem to be how things work.

 

But I find the actual interiors of the 800s much more pleasant. Amazingly low backed seats for this day and age, which makes a huge difference to the feel. Even more legroom than on a GWR Mk 3 (and they were pretty generous). A reasonable number of proper tables (considering), without being ludicrously cramped as on the Mk 3s. And the majority of them line up with the windows. (It was quite an achivement on the Mk3s to get them down to 2 tables per coach and put them where they lined up dreadfully with the windows). 

 

I would say the 800s are a tremendous improvement in terms of passenger environment. (Though I'm one of those people who find the seats uncomfortably hard.  But apart from that...)

[royaloak]

Not a rumour, fact. The loop pile material, past its fire regulation approvals earlier this year and has already been fitted to 800012 back in February.

 

If you remember when LA15 was launched in GWR brand, the material then was cloth and proved to stain. The decision was taken way back then to fit a different GWR style seat material to the seats.

Hence LA16 sticking with the blue interior when the outside went green.

[Barry Ten]

Completely agree. The FGW mark 3 interiors are an absolute disgrace. I haven’t ridden an 800 yet but I’d be very surprised if it’s worse. The high seat backs of the mark 3 engender claustrophobia and the vile purple colour scheme combines with the strip lighting to make things as uncomfortable as possible. Still, at least there was a buffet car.

 

My passenger experience is somewhat better in the 800s than the revamped Mark 3s. The 800s feel airy, modern and nicely designed, with a relaxing colour scheme. I didn't find the seats noticeably uncomfortable, but - as a regular user of the HSTs - I've come to associate neck-ache with any recent journey to/from Paddington, which I think is due to the airline seats precluding a natural reading position. The general view, looking down the length of an 800 carriage, is quite a bit nicer and less claustrophobic. My only complaint with these units so far as (as mentioned above) been the issue of splitting the sets, so twice as many passengers are crammed into half the train, and the trolley being marooned in one part of the set as opposed to the other.

[Coryton]

My passenger experience is somewhat better in the 800s than the revamped Mark 3s. The 800s feel airy, modern and nicely designed, with a relaxing colour scheme. I didn't find the seats noticeably uncomfortable, but - as a regular user of the HSTs - I've come to associate neck-ache with any recent journey to/from Paddington, which I think is due to the airline seats precluding a natural reading position.

 

And vastly preferable (in my view) to a Pendolino.

 

Windows instead of portholes.

 

Luggage racks with space for luggage (and I really don't think it's just because IETs aren't tilt profile).

 

One toilet per carriage.

 

A decent number of proper table seats.

 

I'll give Pendolinos marks for their little buffet area though.

[HillsideDepot]

 

I'll give Pendolinos marks for their little buffet area though.

East Coast class 8xx will have a little buffet/shop, look for the blanked out windows on one of the intermediate vehicles. From memory it's two blanks one side and one the other, but I can't find any photos at the moment.