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« Reply #270 on: January 06, 2008, 22:24:36 » |
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Yes, it made it to St.Austell on the 16:03 ex Exeter St.Dvds. Shunted out into the refuge siding, waited for the 18:50 St.Austell to Paddington to leave then ran ECS▸ to Par, crew had PNB▸ and it worked 20:04 Par to Exeter St.Dvds, but as Vacman says this is mentioned elsewhere... So anyway, where is the other part of 117305???
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vacman
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« Reply #271 on: January 06, 2008, 23:14:01 » |
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Where is 117305? did it get scrapped? For those of you wondering, 117305 was the chocolate and cream DMU▸ that ran around in whats now the FGW▸ area until 1997, does anybody know it's fate??
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lympstone_commuter
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« Reply #272 on: January 28, 2008, 12:41:54 » |
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Just wanted to mention something I noticed on Friday on the 17h24 Saint James Park to Exmouth.
This train is usually 2 x class 142 these days (4 cars). This means it is too long for the platform and so only the very front door is opened and everybody gets on / off through this one door. Importantly, it seems that only one of the two leaves of this front door can be opened when it is the only door in use. There may be good historical reasons for this (safety if the driver has to go trackside perhaps?) but it is far from ideal for getting passengers on and off and no comfort to people who get left behind on platforms......
On Friday there was a woman with a pushchair on the platform but she couldn't get on because the pushchair would not fit through the narrow gap. She discussed things with the guard for a couple of minutes but the end result was that the train left without her and her child. My understanding of the guard's explanation was that there was absolutely nothing he could do to override the door mechanism and open the 2nd leaf! No, there was no fault, he said, that's just the way it is!!!!!
I shall resist the temptation for a Victor Meldrew style rant at how crazy this is and wonder instead what FGW▸ could do to improve this state of affairs:
1) lengthen the platform (OK its not going to happen - but in a sane world.....)
2) alter the door mechanism so that the doors on unit A could be opened independently of those on unit B (OK maybe this is more technically challenging than it sounds....)
3) alter the door mechanism so that either one or both leaves of a single door can be opened by the guard when he is present at that door. (this wouldn't be too hard - would it?)
Any thoughts?
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zebedee
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« Reply #273 on: January 28, 2008, 13:14:33 » |
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Um, was the child asleep? What about taking the child out of the pushchair and folding the pushchair down........
I've taken my children on the train from time to time and usually folded the pushchair as otherwise it just get's in everyone's way.
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TerminalJunkie
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« Reply #274 on: January 28, 2008, 13:32:40 » |
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Um, was the child asleep? What about taking the child out of the pushchair and folding the pushchair down... And if you substitute 'pushchair' with 'wheelchair'...? |
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Daily Mail and Daily Express readers please click here. |
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lympstone_commuter
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« Reply #275 on: January 28, 2008, 13:35:44 » |
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Yeah - fair point about folding the pushchair - I guess no one thought of that!  But I still think it would be an improvement if more than a single leaf could be opened. ...and i was just about to make the wheelchair point too! |
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zebedee
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« Reply #276 on: January 28, 2008, 14:08:37 » |
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Hee hee - I guess I am a bit of a veteran when it comes to dealing with the logistics of children....
With regards to wheelchairs, I've only been on one of these trains once so I am just trying to picture the inside, is there space for wheelchairs at all? I.e. could someone be wheeled on to one and have a space to be placed?
I do agree that all trains should have wide enough doors to accomodate "wheeled" transport in all it's guises though.
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lympstone_commuter
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« Reply #277 on: January 28, 2008, 14:27:53 » |
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Yes - there's actually a fair amount of wheelchair / cycle space on a 142 and I have seen it used (by a wheelchair!) on the Exmouth line. The train carries a portable ramp to get over what would otherwise be an impassable step to platform level.
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qwerty
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« Reply #278 on: January 28, 2008, 16:03:03 » |
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Being devils advocate......
Do you think a wheelchair passenger would choose St James Park as access is by a VERY steep slope on the Up side, and steps on the Down side.
I should say that the situation is far from perfect for all the reasons mentioned by the OP▸ .
We have to remember FGW▸ do not own these units, they sub lease them from Northern, who lease them from a leaseco - so they can't just do what they like. It all has to be agreed, engineered, tested, validated, implemented. It all costs money and would probably take longer than we will hopefully have these units.
But without modification to the units, this means just one leaf of the door.
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devon_metro
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« Reply #279 on: January 28, 2008, 16:52:46 » |
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On Saturday a 4 car stopped with all doors open heading into Exeter, is the down platform shorter?
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qwerty
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« Reply #280 on: January 28, 2008, 17:00:53 » |
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On Saturday a 4 car stopped with all doors open heading into Exeter, is the down platform shorter?
The Down (into Exeter) is longer and can take 2x142 (4 cars) or 3cars of anything else in normal operation. so what your saw was correct. Up platform is much shorter and can only take a 142 or 150 (2cars) with the drivers cab on the ramp, 2 x153 or anything else requires local door only as the back would be off the platform. |
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vacman
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« Reply #281 on: February 02, 2008, 18:36:31 » |
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On Saturday a 4 car stopped with all doors open heading into Exeter, is the down platform shorter?
The Down (into Exeter) is longer and can take 2x142 (4 cars) or 3cars of anything else in normal operation. so what your saw was correct. Up platform is much shorter and can only take a 142 or 150 (2cars) with the drivers cab on the ramp, 2 x153 or anything else requires local door only as the back would be off the platform. If the access ramp to a station is steeper than a certain gradient (not sure of the exact figures) then the station is not wheelchair accessible, Carbis bay is one, it is phisicly possible to push a wheelchair up/down it but it's not deemed safe, Falmouth Town is another. |
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smokey
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« Reply #282 on: February 07, 2008, 19:03:21 » |
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On Saturday a 4 car stopped with all doors open heading into Exeter, is the down platform shorter?
The Down (into Exeter) is longer and can take 2x142 (4 cars) or 3cars of anything else in normal operation. so what your saw was correct. Up platform is much shorter and can only take a 142 or 150 (2cars) with the drivers cab on the ramp, 2 x153 or anything else requires local door only as the back would be off the platform. If the access ramp to a station is steeper than a certain gradient (not sure of the exact figures) then the station is not wheelchair accessible, Carbis bay is one, it is phisicly possible to push a wheelchair up/down it but it's not deemed safe, Falmouth Town is another. I think the figure is 1 in 10, or 10% in euro speak. |
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pilly
Newbie
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« Reply #283 on: February 07, 2008, 21:40:53 » |
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I understand st james will have a temp longer platform soon
and yes it is correct that only one leaf can be opened ie no selective opening
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lympstone_commuter
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« Reply #284 on: February 08, 2008, 12:20:56 » |
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I understand st james will have a temp longer platform soon
That would be great. I hope its true. Do you know when it might happen? Would such a temporary platform extension ever become permanent I wonder..... p.s. thanks everyone for your technical info in reply to my original post. Much appreciated! |
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