Class 800 - Updates

[RJS1977]

On 01/04/2019 at 21:31, HillsideDepot said:

 

 

This is from the Tiger website, but I assume it is replicated at the station; certainly car numbers (or "zones") have been appearing painted on the platform surface recently to make sense of it all. 

 

However Zone numbers have also appeared on platforms 4-6 at Reading, which are not (nor can be) served by 800s...

[HillsideDepot]

An example Zone number at Chippenham. 

Some are already looking faded, and on my travels yesterday the announcements and displays were refering to zones for Sprinters and Turbos as well as 800s. HSTs merely get "formed of 8 carriages"

[Coryton]

Maybe now that most GWR long distance services are handled by 800's, they could change the wifi launch page to stop suggesting a trip to the on-board cafe?

 

Mind you, I'd settle for them just starting to clean the windows so I can see out properly.

 

On the plus side, the one I'm on now has the unit I'm in the right way round.

 

(And not quite on topic, but if anyone living between Taunton and Cardiff is missing HSTs, they might like to know that GWR is now running 4 coach sets between Bristol and Taunton, at least some of them still with "proper" doors).

[talisman56]

On 09/04/2019 at 10:14, Coryton said:

Maybe now that most GWR long distance services are handled by 800's, they could change the wifi launch page to stop suggesting a trip to the on-board cafe?

 

Mind you, I'd settle for them just starting to clean the windows so I can see out properly.

 

On the plus side, the one I'm on now has the unit I'm in the right way round.

 

(And not quite on topic, but if anyone living between Taunton and Cardiff is missing HSTs, they might like to know that GWR is now running 4 coach sets between Bristol and Taunton, at least some of them still with "proper" doors).

 

True - I was in one with three TS and a TGS from Yatton to Newport yesterday. At Newport, one pulled in going the other way which had a TGS, two TS and a RF...

[37114]

On 07/04/2019 at 22:07, HillsideDepot said:

An example Zone number at Chippenham. 

Some are already looking faded, and on my travels yesterday the announcements and displays were refering to zones for Sprinters and Turbos as well as 800s. HSTs merely get "formed of 8 carriages"

When I was waiting for my train yesterday at Chippenham the station announcement went on forever with the various zones being announced, must have taken nearly 1 minute.....

[Coach bogie]

I was at Didcot, this morning. Every unit was on diesel power heading towards Swindon. Non stops heading towards Paddington went through on diesel. Units stopping at Didcot, switched to electric before heading towards the capital.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Banger Blue]

10 hours ago, Coach bogie said:

I was at Didcot, this morning. Every unit was on diesel power heading towards Swindon. Non stops heading towards Paddington went through on diesel. Units stopping at Didcot, switched to electric before heading towards the capital.

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

Isn’t that normal operation?

Changeover Point is at Moreton Cutting for all trains (with the exception, as noted, Up trains stopping at Didcot can pan up in the Station)  Down Trains will pan up again once through Steventon bridge and on the leccy all the way to Bristol Parkway / Stoke Gifford (and just short of Chippenham, come 21/04).

[St. Simon]

9 hours ago, Banger Blue said:

 

Isn’t that normal operation?

Changeover Point is at Moreton Cutting for all trains (with the exception, as noted, Up trains stopping at Didcot can pan up in the Station)  Down Trains will pan up again once through Steventon bridge and on the leccy all the way to Bristol Parkway / Stoke Gifford (and just short of Chippenham, come 21/04).

 

Yep, but shall we say the change over point at Moreton might be changing in the not too distant future 

 

Simon

[The Stationmaster]

20 hours ago, St. Simon said:

 

Yep, but shall we say the change over point at Moreton might be changing in the not too distant future 

 

Simon

Just as well!  The fact that pantographs have to be lowered 5 miles from the location where they need to be lowered would be treated with derision in the European mainland countries I have any experience of where in one instance 200 metres was the distance between the two (at over 100kph).    Alas British understanding of operational practice involving overhead electrified lines still lags a long way behind the more experienced railways.

[HillsideDepot]

The final delivery for the GWR fleet, 802114, heads from North Pole to Stoke Gifford as 5Z35. It now has to complete its mileage accumulation before entering service.

Callow Hill - 19/04/19

[Coryton]

IETs back on diesel?

 

Or was I just unlucky on my trip to London and back today?

 

Definitely not the same train both ways - one was a 2x5, one a 9 coach.

 

 

[Banger Blue]

No, just unlucky. Like most days there are a small number of 80x units running round in traffic with a diesel only restriction. 

[RJS1977]

Might it be that some drivers are only cleared to drive on diesel?

['CHARD]

On 19/04/2019 at 16:46, HillsideDepot said:

The final delivery for the GWR fleet, 802114, heads from North Pole to Stoke Gifford as 5Z35. It now has to complete its mileage accumulation before entering service.

Callow Hill - 19/04/19

 

As the last one is delivered, I can't help but think that it already looks dour, uninspired and dated.

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 minute ago, 'CHARD said:

 

As the last one is delivered, I can't help but think that it already looks dour, uninspired and dated.

 

I would rather have uninspired than some of the downright ugly stuff that has been produced recently. The drab GWR green livery does not help.

['CHARD]

3 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

I would rather have uninspired than some of the downright ugly stuff that has been produced recently. The drab GWR green livery does not help.

 

LOL - yes, agree there!  It just feels more of the Pendolino generation than something entering service some 15 years later...

[Wild Boar Fell]

I may have mentioned it before but the thing that still doesn't look right to me on these is the roof.

On the pendolino there are fairings above cantrail level which prevent the roof equipment from being visible when viewed from the side, making it appear to have a higher roof line. Presumably these offer some aero benefits too.

On the 800s it to me just looks like the roof equipment was an afterthought.

 

Probably just me...

[Zomboid]

There is a certain family resemblance to the (Hitachi built) JR 885 units, which entered service around 2000. Including the roof equipment treatment.

[96701]

5 hours ago, Wild Boar Fell said:

I may have mentioned it before but the thing that still doesn't look right to me on these is the roof.

On the pendolino there are fairings above cantrail level which prevent the roof equipment from being visible when viewed from the side, making it appear to have a higher roof line. Presumably these offer some aero benefits too.

On the 800s it to me just looks like the roof equipment was an afterthought.

 

Probably just me...

The difference might be between tilt / non-tilt and maybe trying to increase space in the coach. The 8XXs seem to have more height inside than the Pendolinos.

[RJS1977]

11 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

I would rather have uninspired than some of the downright ugly stuff that has been produced recently. The drab GWR green livery does not help.

 

The livery changes a lot depending what light you see it in - if the sun's on it it's actually quite bright.

 

And the yellow stripe on the front reminds me of the Lotus Cosworth T127 Formula 1 car!

[Bomag]

I am currently on the way back to Leeds from KX. 800 201/202 delayed us on the appoach into Peterborouh and 801201 was in Doncaster station. The 800's were looking particularly dirty.

 

[woodenhead]

14 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

 

And the yellow stripe on the front reminds me of the Lotus Cosworth T127 Formula 1 car!

I had one of those as a child, racing green with the yellow front - pedal car of course!!

[Ken.W]

Starting training on the Azumas today

[Siberian Snooper]

I had my last trip on an HST on Friday and My first trip on an 802 on my return from Reading.

 

I liked the posture of the seats, but it definitely lacked any padding, by the time we stopped at Newbury, I had a numb bum and it wasn't any better upon arrival in Plymouth. I had reserved a window seat only to be confronted with a blank wall where the door retracts to when open, as there appears to be plenty of room for the door to slide the other way and give a window bay in the saloon!

 

The acceleration on 'lectric is impressive and not too bad on diesel until you show a South Devon Bank, definitely not in the same league as an HST. The ride at speed is rubbish, probably the worst I have experienced, the worst bit was going down Somerton Bank.

 

I can't say that I'm now looking forward to my trip to Railex next month which will have these things both ways.

 

Overall, I think I prefer the "Poo Tube's" for comfort and ride and I think a "Pacer" has more comfort.

 

[Zomboid]

It's strange that they have such a bad ride, because Hitachi can definitely build high speed trains which ride properly. You can barely tell a shinkansen is moving at all when it's doing 150mph+. I guess the track is a lot better than ours, but their narrow gauge trains are generally good riders too.