class 143 refurb

[whole diary]

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

found this on youtube http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mJbcqXLO9ZU

anyone got interior shots?

[devon_metro]

TheSprinterMeister has I believe.

[John R]

Never mind what they look like, what about the reliability???

In the last year of Wessex, the Wessex Class 143 fleet came top of the all the Pacer fleets for reliability with 4,518 miles per casualty.  This year, in the just published figures, the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Class 143 fleet came bottom of the Pacer fleets with 1,843 mpc, around half of the next worst pacer result which was, er, the FGW Class 142 fleet.   (I'm less critical of the 142 result, for obvious reasons.)  Northern and ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) are now manging around 5,000 mpc.

Meanwhile, for the Class 150, FGW has taken a mid table performance by Wessex (5,271 mpc) and turned into another bottom of the league performance (3,649 mpc).  Indeed in this category (BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)), the 3 FGW fleets come 20,21 and 24th out of 24.

I'm hope Mark Hopwood reads Modern Railways, and does something to improve his TOC's position as the worst for train reliability, and going backwards at a time when other operators are improving their performance.

 

[gaf71]

I think that is at least part of the reason that the 143's will now be maintained at Exeter, following the good results with the 142's.

[devon_metro]

It failed on its first day of traffic with an electrical fault.

[Timmer]

It failed on its first day of traffic with an electrical fault.

Whoops.

All the more concerning when you read in the same issue of Modern Railways that John R refers to that ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) commercial director Mike Bradshaw confirm once again that 142s and 143s will remain in service until 2018! I know he is referring to units that operate ATW Valley line services but that date or similar probably applies to other TOCs who still operate these units as well.

[welshman]

About half ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))'s income is subsidy from the Welsh Assembly Government.  The franchise deal was concluded on the basis that there would be no new trains during the 15 year term of the franchise.

ATW had a proposal which would have allowed for the leasing of 22 new train sets at similar cost to the leasing of the Pacers until 2018 but WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) turned them down.  First Scotrail got the new trains and ATW got their 150s instead.  To be fair, they are not bad trains at all.

I find it difficult to believe that the Pacers will last until 2018.  Not because of the mechanicals, which are similar to the 15Xs, but because of the chicken shed body construction and the rigid two axle chassis.  We shall see.

[devon_metro]

I fail to see how they will meet modern crash standards when we are no longer allowed to run along a platform incase we trip and sue the company 

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

are the 143's actually going to be running any routes in devon or are they just being maintained here?

[The SprinterMeister]

TheSprinterMeister has I believe.

Did somebody call?? 

Right, phots of the refurbished 143617 here, here and here.

Moved it to 83C on Christmas Eve and it is currently running round the Exeter area. Couple of minor issues with a cab fan heater motor and a driving seat height adjuster so far. One issue with the doors / systems which I am currently chasing up fleet over, however I will see which one of you is the first to note the missing item(s).

[John R]

Seat numbers?

Oh and wi-fi, electronic destination display and plugs for laptops.   

[The SprinterMeister]

Seat numbers?

Oh and wi-fi, electronic destination display and plugs for laptops.   

There would be insufficient BHP to move the thing down the track if you fitted all that plus a larger alternator to run it all...
 

It has however been fitted with CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) and the guards Door Key Switch (DKS^▸ (Door Key Switch)) turned round to face the saloon side rather than the cab side of the bulkhead wall.

It failed on its first day of traffic with an electrical fault.

Apparently this was an issue with the way the DSD^▸ (Driver's Safety Device) / Vigilance is configured which is to be the way the 143's are to be fitted up. The Pacers are not currently fitted with vigilance, other that 143617.

[devon_metro]

Seat numbers?

Oh and wi-fi, electronic destination display and plugs for laptops.   

143s never had seat numbers I don't think.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

why would you need seat numbers?? and well wifi.... please say you were joking

notice that the seats dont have the tables even tho they look like the same seats used on the 150 refurb

[The SprinterMeister]

why would you need seat numbers?? and well wifi.... please say you were joking

notice that the seats dont have the tables even tho they look like the same seats used on the 150 refurb

The seats are the existing ones refurbished and re-upholstered and never had tables prior to refurbishment. One seat back moulding for all Chapman type seating IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly).