Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[stuving]

The train was lightly loaded going out. Saloon temperature is a subjective thing but it was slightly high for my preference and indeed I did see one other person, unsuccessfully, try to open a window.  It wasn't a particularly cold morning so I wonder how it will cope on a hot day.

Perhaps the aircon was only just starting up and hadn't yet controlled the temperature?   But people will have to get used to the idea of not being able to intervene by making unilateral decisions to open windows.   The emergency windows are just that.

Paul

How would it have got so warm this morning it needs chilling? It's not as if it's bolted on top of a hot diesel. Are they really being kept indoors, and in a well-heated building at that?

[paul7575]

Is the fourth picture showing that there is a full partition and sliding doors for the First Class seating area after all?

(No it isn't, its a Turbo as bobm explains in a later post.  So my question was unnecessary...)

Paul

[stuving]

The other thing I noticed was the distance from the platform to the train.  Hard to show but with a curved platform there's not only a step but also a large gap.

The same thing had struck me, especially on platform 5/6 at Reading with a Turbo on one side and a 450 on the other. There's much more daylight under the EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit). That's not just less stuff, but also a bigger gap, though perhaps it's the Turbos that are unusually low-floored and wide.

[bobm]

Is the fourth picture showing that there is a full partition and sliding doors for the First Class seating area after all?

Paul

No it's all standard but I suspect if any get First class that's where it will be.

[stuving]

Is the fourth picture showing that there is a full partition and sliding doors for the First Class seating area after all?

Paul

No it's all standard but I suspect if any get First class that's where it will be.

There's a big "1" on that door, you  know...

[bobm]

Hang on we are getting at cross purposes here.  That photo is of the preceding Turbo.   There is an internal partition.  I'll see if I can find a photo of it.

[bobm]

Here it is, from Friday's launch

[stuving]

Hang on we are getting at cross purposes here.  That photo is of the preceding Turbo.   There is an internal partition.  I'll see if I can find a photo of it.

My mistake - I took that turbo for an older livery (from a choice of 73) than the next picture shows.

But, returning to footsteps, your pictures 3 and 5 do show the difference in height and width rather well.

[Adelante_CCT]

It was said on Friday at the media launch that this train is replacing a former two coach service.  If that is the case, I'm not sure how they all fitted on board the old train!

Former two coach service at West Ealing and Acton, but additional service for Hayes and Southall passengers.

[Adelante_CCT]

I see some training runs have been timetabled from Monday 12th onwards between Reading Depot and Didcot:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47489/2016/09/12/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47496/2016/09/12/advanced

I'm assuming these could possibly be 387s on test having been dragged up from London, I believe the next (pair of) units are due to arrive GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) shortly anyway so they will have enough to run these test services.

[Noggin]

I see some training runs have been timetabled from Monday 12th onwards between Reading Depot and Didcot:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47489/2016/09/12/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47496/2016/09/12/advanced

I'm assuming these could possibly be 387s on test having been dragged up from London, I believe the next (pair of) units are due to arrive GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) shortly anyway so they will have enough to run these test services.

I didn't think that Tilehurst to Reading Depot was wired yet? So maybe an 80x instead?

[a-driver]

At some point they will be going to Reading depot for maintenance staff to train on them and they will be dragged by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 57

[bobm]

At some point they will be going to Reading depot for maintenance staff to train on them and they will be dragged by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 57

Perhaps they could work on the 57 too. 

[insider]

I see some training runs have been timetabled from Monday 12th onwards between Reading Depot and Didcot:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47489/2016/09/12/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C47496/2016/09/12/advanced

I'm assuming these could possibly be 387s on test having been dragged up from London, I believe the next (pair of) units are due to arrive GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) shortly anyway so they will have enough to run these test services.

I didn't think that Tilehurst to Reading Depot was wired yet? So maybe an 80x instead?

It isn't and not anytime soon...i believe these paths are for the bi mode class 800 for driver training in future....

[Adelante_CCT]

... quite probable, I had thought about it being the 800s, although vaguely ruled it out with the near daily test runs they have been doing between North Pole and Bristol at the moment. Seems pointless to limit runs to such a short section when longer ones are currently being done, but makes sense if its for driver training purposes.