devon_metro
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« Reply #45 on: November 02, 2009, 17:50:17 » |
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They are fine if maintained correctly, can't say the fgw fleet is falling apart.
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vacman
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« Reply #46 on: November 02, 2009, 18:17:14 » |
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. With a stop at Old Hill (on the Snow Hill line into B'ham) they can only just make it up the gradient outside the station. I have been on one 150 where several attempts were made before our net movement was forward! Others have gear problems, others have fumes coming into the passenger saloons, etc
150's are about the best units for hill climbing, so in your above scenario a 153 wouldn't even get halfway, the bank between Exeter St Davids and Central is just as bad, probably worse, and everything manages fine! The 150's have still got about 10 years before they are life expired, so long as they give them a decent refurb they'll be fine!
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Btline
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« Reply #47 on: November 02, 2009, 18:21:09 » |
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Hmm, obviously ex Central 150s are not like ex Wessex ones!
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matt473
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« Reply #48 on: November 02, 2009, 18:34:55 » |
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Hmm, obviously ex Central 150s are not like ex Wessex ones!
Current and previous maintenance regiemes can make a world of difference. Remember the life expired pacers that ended up in Exeter? Not the best units in the world but justlike anything, with some good old elbow grease and TLC▸ they are not that bad anymore. Not ideal by any standard but when the alternative is less or even no services then a pacer or sprinter will win hands down. Just look at the post by Graham in another topic showing how just one unit could provide a service and would be welcome compared to another poster who wold be glad not to have the pacer anywhere near their part of the network.
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willc
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« Reply #49 on: November 02, 2009, 23:57:00 » |
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As I pointed out about a month ago elsewhere, the fundamental problem with the state of the West Midlands 150 fleet is that from the day LM▸ ordered the 172s, they have done the minimum of maintenance on the 150s, just about enough to get them out of Tyseley depot each morning, hence the terrible state they are in - and with the delays to the 172s, the state of decline of these 150s only gets worse.
Other operators, FGW▸ included, who know they are going to need at least another decade of service out of their 150s, look after them.
FGW's problem is that they are probably going to have to put some, if not most, of the LM sets they get straight into traffic to replace those DMUs▸ going back to other operators, without the full mechanical and internal overhaul they so desperately need.
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Btline
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« Reply #50 on: November 03, 2009, 16:51:05 » |
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As I pointed out about a month ago elsewhere, the fundamental problem with the state of the West Midlands 150 fleet is that from the day LM▸ ordered the 172s, they have done the minimum of maintenance on the 150s, just about enough to get them out of Tyseley depot each morning, hence the terrible state they are in - and with the delays to the 172s, the state of decline of these 150s only gets worse.
Central's maintenance was no better! There were more breakdowns, etc before 2007!
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Super Guard
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« Reply #51 on: November 03, 2009, 22:27:20 » |
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I'm sure you'd find plenty of people in FGW▸ land who would be more than happy to keep them, especially after the sterling job Exeter depot has done fixing them up.
Sorry but you won't find many amonst the staff. We were talking about putting up a countdown calendar (XX days to go) in the mess room at Exeter. Personally I am just hoping that my spine does not turn to dust before the (now allegedly delayed) day of reckoning. q I was told by a pretty high-up FGW manager type today that FGW want rid of the 142s asap, so any delay will be as minimal as possible.
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Any opinions made on this forum are purely personal and my own. I am in no way speaking for, or offering the views of First Great Western or First Group.
If my employer feels I have broken any aspect of the Social Media Policy, please PM me immediately, so I can rectify without delay.
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caliwag
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« Reply #52 on: November 03, 2009, 23:10:27 » |
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So...can we not have the damn things in Yorkshire please?
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woody
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« Reply #53 on: November 03, 2009, 23:14:43 » |
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Read that FGW▸ has reached an agreement to recieve 30 class 150 vehicles from London Midland and London Overground in June 2010 which will all go through a refurbishment programme as part of the transfer process which will be a mixture of class 150/1 sets without end gangway doors and class 150/2 units with the doors.Some of the units are currently part of hybrid 3 car class 150/1 and 150/2 LM▸ combinations.Simultanenously FGW will stop leasing 4x2 car class 150/2s from Arriva,7x2 car class 142s from Northern Rail and 1x2 car 158 from SWT▸ as well as ceasing to use a 4 coach loco hauled set,so a net gain of just 2 vehicles.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #54 on: November 03, 2009, 23:29:07 » |
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Thanks for that, Woody. Are you able to quote / refer to a source for those details? (I'm not doubting you for a moment, but it would be useful to know)
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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willc
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« Reply #55 on: November 03, 2009, 23:41:24 » |
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Looks very much like what was said in the current issue of Modern Railways, referred to right at the start of the thread.
And I doubt they will get them in June 2010 - that was when all LM▸ 's sets were due to be delivered but with delays to Electrostar orders at Derby, after some of Bombardier's suppliers went out of business, work on the 172s is likely to be running late too.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #56 on: November 03, 2009, 23:46:51 » |
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Looks very much like what was said in the current issue of Modern Railways, referred to right at the start of the thread. Touche, willc - my apologies.
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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paul7575
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« Reply #57 on: November 04, 2009, 11:35:35 » |
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At least FGW▸ are almost bound to get their 150s before Northern though. There is always the 'southern conspiracy' aspect of DfT» 's plans to consider... Paul
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woody
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« Reply #58 on: November 04, 2009, 13:42:18 » |
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Looks very much like what was said in the current issue of Modern Railways, referred to right at the start of the thread.
And I doubt they will get them in June 2010 - that was when all LM▸ 's sets were due to be delivered but with delays to Electrostar orders at Derby, after some of Bombardier's suppliers went out of business, work on the 172s is likely to be running late too.
Thats the source usually quite reliable.
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The SprinterMeister
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« Reply #59 on: November 04, 2009, 20:55:10 » |
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At least FGW▸ are almost bound to get their 150s before Northern though. There is always the 'southern conspiracy' aspect of DfT» 's plans to consider... Paul Northern get 7 x 142 back in a far better condition than they were when they were fetched off their seagull poo infested sidings and sent West as of December 2007. What more do they want?
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Trundling gently round the SW
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