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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #135 on: April 07, 2021, 12:26:40 » |
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Probably quite a small chance, but given having no or very limited rescue capacity should one fail is probably taking an unnecessary risk.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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eightf48544
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« Reply #136 on: April 08, 2021, 11:11:09 » |
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Another example of the stupid lack of a standard auto coupling.
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RichT54
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« Reply #137 on: April 28, 2021, 16:23:57 » |
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There are comments on railforums saying that one of the 769 test runs today had to be abandoned: The original set sustained some damage in the Slough area, reportedly shoegear impacting trackside furniture, which caused other complications so set limped back to Maidenhead where it was rescued back to Reading by another 769.
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Electric train
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« Reply #138 on: April 28, 2021, 20:58:21 » |
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There are comments on railforums saying that one of the 769 test runs today had to be abandoned: The original set sustained some damage in the Slough area, reportedly shoegear impacting trackside furniture, which caused other complications so set limped back to Maidenhead where it was rescued back to Reading by another 769.
Would seem someone had not completed gauge clearance for a third rail unit with non retractable shoe gear, wonder if someone assumed that because 387 run on the GWML▸ that other third rail stock can  387's have retractable shoe gear; 769's aka 319's have fixed shoe gear |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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RichT54
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« Reply #139 on: May 25, 2021, 15:39:23 » |
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I read on railforums that one of the 769s did some testing on the third rail at Reading platform 6 today (25/5). So one small step closer to doing some test runs on the North Downs line, perhaps?
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stuving
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« Reply #140 on: May 30, 2021, 14:08:07 » |
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Wedding pictures? Certainly this is both something old and something new, and the drivers at lest are borrowed. And we had loads of something blue yesterday, didn't we?
Two of the 769s at Reading were out last night in Guildford, checking gauging (at the bridge over the Wey west of Shalford, I think). I didn't go out to wave as they passed Wokingham last night (it was midnight), but I certainly heard and saw both of them from the house. None of this third rail nonsense on this trip!
The plan was for one to do a few shuttles from P3 to Shalford while the other one sat in P8 offering moral support and encouragement. But what happened was a bit different: there were at least three trips from P6 and one unit ended up in P8. That left P6 free for the Redhill trains, terminating here as the line to Blackwater was closed until 12:30.
The return path (597Y) was rather gently paced, and included an hour stopped in Wokingham P2, for some reason. I wondered if they felt he need to gauge check the new siding ... or play with using third rail back to Reading. There was no second path, so the other unit vanished without trace - I guess its path back to Reading never even got into the VSTP.
In the end, 769943 set off back home on time, despite the maps showing the line as still blocked! It got to Wokingham a bit early, and had to wait for the junction. While it was hardly quiet, it wasn't as loud as 165104 accelerating towards Crowthorne, and nowhere near what else it was waiting for - something yellow running as 354K.
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RichT54
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« Reply #141 on: May 30, 2021, 14:15:28 » |
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RichT54
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« Reply #142 on: June 01, 2021, 10:52:04 » |
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Interesting comment by the knowledgable "Clarence Yard" on RailUKforums ( https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-class-319-769-information-discussion.174866/post-5159106) It is the Wey bridge. Although the units were officially cleared through the bridge, using the usual model against the NR» database, NR were a little embarrassed to find out that there was a guard rail structure on the bridge that wasn’t on their database. Neither did it conform to current NR standards.
So NR had to do some work on it (it wasn’t in great condition either) and as the clearances from shoe beams to the guard rails were a bit suspect, a physical exercise was thought to be the best way of getting it cleared.
This was the last significant item that remained to be done by the (now disbanded) small NR/GWR▸ DMU▸ task force that has, over the past few years, successfully (and quietly) dealt with all the other GWR 16x and 769 clearance locations. |
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stuving
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« Reply #143 on: June 02, 2021, 11:22:14 » |
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The running-in trials are still going on, using the line from Swindon to Maidenhead. Today for the first time I've seen them on RTT» "Pathed as Class 769 EMU▸ ; Planned for 100mph max". Today's paths are a bit of a muddle, some shown as GW▸ and some as ZZ, and the single outing "Pathed as Diesel locomotive; Planned for 75mph max" curtailed and replaced by single-leg ones for a 769. But at least they are clocking up the miles.
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #145 on: June 16, 2021, 11:40:05 » |
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I remain concerned about reliability once in service, but the testing/training programme seems to be going reasonably well so far. I doubt there'll be (m)any Turbos released to the west in time for this summer's surge though unfortunately.
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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bobm
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« Reply #146 on: June 16, 2021, 13:25:06 » |
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In an update from GWR▸ a fortnight ago a senior manager did not believe any turbos would move west until September.
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stuving
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« Reply #147 on: June 16, 2021, 13:33:24 » |
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I see that today's two runs include station calls, unlike previous ones. Some of those are so short that they might even have really been passes, but Wokingham and Reigate have seen several minutes.
I went to observe today's second run outbound, which did indeed hang about for some time (I was the wrong side of the crossing to see if anything was actually happening). So this time I heard it accelerating from a stand, and it is relatively quiet - as these things go - less noise than a typical Turbo, at least. In fact the motor whine (notoriously loud on these old GEC G315BZ DC▸ motors) was subjectively louder. The engines are I think mounted symmetrically, so one is louder than the other.
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« Last Edit: June 16, 2021, 23:06:08 by stuving »
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RichT54
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« Reply #148 on: June 16, 2021, 22:00:37 » |
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I was just having another look at the photos I took this morning and remembered that the driver sounded the horn as the train approached the footbridge I was on which made me I wonder if he had waved as well  |
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