FGW may get "NEW" stock for Bristol area

[whole diary]

[The SprinterMeister]

The HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are owned by First Group as opposed to First Great Western, as a strategic investment AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know). The 143s are a bit cheap so the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)/SRA^» (Strategic Rail Authority - about) needn't get involved on that one.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), the 143's were owned by Nat/Ex and were sold on as part of the franchise. They had been bought from BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) by one of the Welsh Councils some years ago.

[eightf48544]

Thanks for all the replies.

To sum up FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may get some 150s sometime presumably for Bristol and the West.

Thames Valley will have to suffer until Crossrail.

What a way to run a railway!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

dont quote me on this but more that one person has said to me that 143's for the exeter area are a possibility

[smithy]

dont quote me on this but more that one person has said to me that 143's for the exeter area are a possibility

i believe could be as early as october but definatly once they are refurbed is what i have heard

[vacman]

dont quote me on this but more that one person has said to me that 143's for the exeter area are a possibility

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have been so impressed with Exeter depot for improving the reliability of the 142's (which i'm led to believe are now the most reliable units in the FGW fleet) that they want Exeter to do the same to the 143's, the reason the 142's have become so reliable is because they all go back to the same depot each evening, the same as SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s 159's so that there's no "passing the buck" with repairs, i.e. the common reply to a fault in a repair book "for attention of home depot".

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for your post on that, vacman!

That is certainly what Andrew Griffiths was saying, at the FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways) meeting I attended a few weeks ago: he was full of praise for Exeter depot staff, in achieving a rate of 3,000 mile per casualty for the 142s.

Well done, chaps! 

[devon_metro]

More like 6,500!!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, that's even better, then, Liam!

3,000 was the figure Andrew Griffiths quoted to me - and Ollie, who was also at that meeting - on 12 July 2008: see http://www.iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=118

 

[G.Uard]

Rumour in the north of the area is that we are to get several 150/1 (non front gangwayed ) units.  Anyone travelling frequently in the Brizzle area will already have experienced these as we currently have 2 or 3 in service, (green and blue paint job with a slam crew door).

Although the current units have 3+2 seating, a refurb could render the 'new' stock similar to existing 150/2s.  From a guard's point of view, they have nice big cabs, but can only be worked from cab ends, which would be a PIA with 3 car configuration on busy trains.

[smithy]

Rumour in the north of the area is that we are to get several 150/1 (non front gangwayed ) units.  Anyone travelling frequently in the Brizzle area will already have experienced these as we currently have 2 or 3 in service, (green and blue paint job with a slam crew door).

Although the current units have 3+2 seating, a refurb could render the 'new' stock similar to existing 150/2s.  From a guard's point of view, they have nice big cabs, but can only be worked from cab ends, which would be a PIA with 3 car configuration on busy trains.

150001&2 coming december no gangway door but power crew doors,approx 10 more hybrid 3 cars 2009-2010.
apparently once all sets recieved will have refresh to fgw standard and getting intermediate door controls and remote supply amongst other stuff.

[G.Uard]

150001&2 coming december no gangway door but power crew doors,approx 10 more hybrid 3 cars 2009-2010.
apparently once all sets recieved will have refresh to fgw standard and getting intermediate door controls and remote supply amongst other stuff.

  Won't be that different from the 150/2s then. And....I for one love that nice big cab.

[Sprog]

Rumour in the north of the area is that we are to get several 150/1 (non front gangwayed ) units.  Anyone travelling frequently in the Brizzle area will already have experienced these as we currently have 2 or 3 in service, (green and blue paint job with a slam crew door).

Although the current units have 3+2 seating, a refurb could render the 'new' stock similar to existing 150/2s.  From a guard's point of view, they have nice big cabs, but can only be worked from cab ends, which would be a PIA with 3 car configuration on busy trains.

fGW have 2 150/1s, 150121 & 150127.

Been informed that both, plus any other we recieve from London Midland and LORL (formerly Silverlink), are to be 'refreshed' soon, possibly in-house to a simlar standard to the fGW 150/2s.

The Class 143s, once refreshed, are going to be allocated to Exeter depot once the short-term lease 142s are returned, so that the 'pacer' fleet has a dedicated home depot (proved by the excellent work they have done on the 142 fleet, which are no reaching 6,500 MPC^▸ (Miles Per Casualty)! - better than ANY od the DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) classes in the Wessex Trains era.). In turn, SPM^▸ (St Philip's Marsh (Bristol depot)) will be allocated half of Exters 150s to lighten their already high workload.

The eventual plan is to use the 150/1s on the Bristol local services etc, whilst keeping the 142/143s in Devon.

[eightf48544]

So Roger Ford may be right FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may get some 150s from Overground or London Midland. However, it does seem a bit disingenuous of the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) to claim these are part of the 1300 "new" carriages, even if they are refurbished.

It's good to see Exeter improving the performance of the 142s, but even 6500 miles is still very low compared with a modern electric units which are getting 40K to 50K. However it does re-enforce the view that dedicated depots for single classes of units is way to improve performance.

One of the things that  makes the current franchise set up so stupid is that Bletchley depot which dealt with Silverlinks 321s and was consistently awared silver spanners, was closed when whoever (I really can't be bother to work out which franchise runs which trains) took over moved their maintenance away from Bletchley.

When National Express take over First and First take over Arriva and Arriva take over National Express franchises what's the betting  Exeter depot will be closed?

[gaf71]

  From a guard's point of view, they have nice big cabs, but can only be worked from cab ends, which would be a PIA with 3 car configuration on busy trains.

I thought the 150/1's had intermediate door controls? Or am I thinking of the ex Arriva 150's?
As for the 143's coming to Exeter(my depot), i'm glad the fitters are doing such a good job, put from a train crew and passenger point of view, it's bad news if you are in this area, as the pacers are the least comfortable for passengers, and the worst units to work(for traincrew). Not that we see much else down here these days anyway!

[smithy]

  From a guard's point of view, they have nice big cabs, but can only be worked from cab ends, which would be a PIA with 3 car configuration on busy trains.

I thought the 150/1's had intermediate door controls? Or am I thinking of the ex Arriva 150's?
As for the 143's coming to Exeter(my depot), i'm glad the fitters are doing such a good job, put from a train crew and passenger point of view, it's bad news if you are in this area, as the pacers are the least comfortable for passengers, and the worst units to work(for traincrew). Not that we see much else down here these days anyway!

150/1's dont only ex wessex and atw have it,apparently on refresh it is to be fitted