CAF presents first class 331 for Northern

[Wheatley]

Maybe not everybody thinks that just because they can remove the yellow, they should?

 

They are yellow because someone sufficiently senior in Northern sees no reason why they should not be yellow. Thankfully.

[DavidB-AU]

First CAF Civity EMU for Northern on test at Velim

THE first CAF Civity class 331 EMU for British operator Arriva Rail North (Northern) began dynamic testing at the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic last week.

https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/rolling-stock/first-caf-civity-emu-for-northern-on-test-at-velim.html

[Wild Boar Fell]

It is being reported that the ORR has authorised the Class 331s to enter traffic.

[melmerby]

But no 6 carriage trains to Leeds where the platforms aren't long enough (Yet!)

[black and decker boy]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

But no 6 carriage trains to Leeds where the platforms aren't long enough (Yet!)

But all the electric sets on the east side are 4 car aren’t they?

 

6 car platforms certainly needed for DMU eg Calder Valley

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

But all the electric sets on the east side are 4 car aren’t they?

 

6 car platforms certainly needed for DMU eg Calder Valley

The news report I saw showed EMUs and just said the planned 6 car trains cannot be run until 2021.

[Christopher125]

2 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

But all the electric sets on the east side are 4 car aren’t they?

 

6 car platforms certainly needed for DMU eg Calder Valley

 

IIRC they were planning to run some 6-car 331s into Leeds, but for now they'll use 4-car 331s alongside the 333s.

Edited March 7, 2019 by Christopher125

[Zomboid]

What does the future hold for the 333s?

[black and decker boy]

3 hours ago, Zomboid said:

What does the future hold for the 333s?

currently being refurbished at Holbeck to continue with Northern

[DY444]

On 07/03/2019 at 18:22, Wild Boar Fell said:

It is being reported that the ORR has authorised the Class 331s to enter traffic.

 

Reported that all test running and crew training on CAF units has been halted due to issues with the bar couplers between vehicles.

[Market65]

I hope that’s wrong or we will never see the end of the Pacers! They’ll be running forever at the rate things  are going!

 

Rob.

[david.hill64]

Reported in The Sunday Times that the new trains for Northern (I assume it is these) are not in service because  'testing had to be suspended after concerns about how they travelled round sharp bends'. Roger Ford was quoted as saying that there is a risk that the Pacers will have to carry on for longer.

 

Does anyone know what the real issues are? I would have thought that issues with bar couplers could have been resolved quickly.

 

[black and decker boy]

Problems with the inter car Bar couplings reported elsewhere. Fix now implemented and testing resumed.

 

first unit may be in service between Doncaster & Leeds early in summer.

 

in parallel, suggestions some units awaiting acceptance may end up in storage, maybe at MOD Longtown.

 

lots of talk that CAF haven’t been very switched on to U.K. acceptance procedures 

[31A]

Night time test running between Doncaster and Leads / York was taking place last week; a friend posted a picture on Facebook of one in York station.  In normal traffic they won't run to York (unless there's any more electrification!), but as said above Doncaster-Leeds is expected to be the first route to see them.

[jim.snowdon]

18 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

lots of talk that CAF haven’t been very switched on to U.K. acceptance procedures 

If so, that won't have been the first time - my knowledge may not be totally up to date, but when I was involved with rolling stock, the process of "homologation" within mainland Europe did seem to be rather more straightforward than getting approval to run in the UK.

 

Jim

[62613]

7 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

If so, that won't have been the first time - my knowledge may not be totally up to date, but when I was involved with rolling stock, the process of "homologation" within mainland Europe did seem to be rather more straightforward than getting approval to run in the UK.

 

Jim

Why does that not entirely surprise me?

[4630]

Rail Operations Group's 47813 and 815 took 331105, the second CAF class 331 to cross the Pennines, as 5Q23 Allerton Depot to Doncaster West Yard, passing through Deighton on 29th April. 

 

 

 

Photos of 47813 and 815 are on this thread.

Edited April 29, 2019 by 4630
Edited to add a link to the class 47 thread.

['CHARD]

Still find it ludicrous that these have got twelve digit vehicle numbers as well as their RSL numbers (that are now six digits), simply to comply with EU legislation.  Perhaps Northern are operating Todmorden to Frankfurt at some point.

[AMJ]

6 hours ago, 'CHARD said:

Still find it ludicrous that these have got twelve digit vehicle numbers as well as their RSL numbers (that are now six digits), simply to comply with EU legislation.  Perhaps Northern are operating Todmorden to Frankfurt at some point.

No Leeds to Leipzig probably!

 

A friend who works for Northern indicates that the DMU's, also from CAF, won't run along the Calder Valley due to clearance issues

[montyburns56]

Does anyone know why there is a pipe/cable going through the driving cab door window from the barrier coach?

[Simon Bendall]

2 hours ago, montyburns56 said:

Does anyone know why there is a pipe/cable going through the driving cab door window from the barrier coach?

 

Would be a through air brake pipe, which is laid inside the unit and then comes out the other cab to connect to the rear coach. Unit is running unbraked with the 47s and coaches (running as barriers/coupling adaptors rather than translators) providing brake force.

 

[pendlerail]

7 hours ago, AMJ said:

No Leeds to Leipzig probably!

 

A friend who works for Northern indicates that the DMU's, also from CAF, won't run along the Calder Valley due to clearance issues

Clearance issues resolved.

Dean Royd Tunnel was the problem. Also caused problems for class 68/Mk 5 stock.

 

[Talltim]

On 22/04/2019 at 03:29, david.hill64 said:

Reported in The Sunday Times that the new trains for Northern (I assume it is these) are not in service because  'testing had to be suspended after concerns about how they travelled round sharp bends'. Roger Ford was quoted as saying that there is a risk that the Pacers will have to carry on for longer.

 

Does anyone know what the real issues are? I would have thought that issues with bar couplers could have been resolved quickly.

 

I read somewhere that coupler/bar was hitting bodywork. Nothing a Dremel wouldn’t sort!

[31A]

9 hours ago, Talltim said:

I read somewhere that coupler/bar was hitting bodywork. Nothing a Dremel wouldn’t sort!

 

According to the May "Modern Railways" that's what they are doing - grinding about 10mm off either side of the coupler box.  Meanwhile testing has continued on the straighter routes (apparently it was only problematic on the sharpest curves); evidently the TPE Mk 5 stock has (had?) the same problem.

[4630]

Two days later and Rail Operations Group's 47813 and 815 take another CAF class 331 across the Pennines.  This time 331107 is in the consist of 5Q23 Allerton Depot to Doncaster West Yard, passing Bradley Junction Huddersfield on 1st May 2019.