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GWR Class 800

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Wychwood93

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Not sure about 100, but Valenta HSTs in 2001-2002 took about 10 minutes to hit 125, and 180s when new around that same time took only 4.5 minutes to hit 125. So less than 2 minutes for an 802 to hit 100 sounds about right to me!
I stand to be corrected but... an HST (+8) could get to 100 in around four minutes, not too shabby. Look at it another way - a good HST westbound run starting at Reading would go through Pangbourne at 110. Today with a double 802 (10-car) we had 'lifted' to rumble through at 124 in 3m 43.15 from the start. With a mainly 80x service I would ask when the timetable will be tweaked to reflect this? I understand the timetable issues re. 'other stuff' - but it has to be done sometime.
 
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JN114

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I stand to be corrected but... an HST (+8) could get to 100 in around four minutes, not too shabby. Look at it another way - a good HST westbound run starting at Reading would go through Pangbourne at 110. Today with a double 802 (10-car) we had 'lifted' to rumble through at 124 in 3m 43.15 from the start. With a mainly 80x service I would ask when the timetable will be tweaked to reflect this? I understand the timetable issues re. 'other stuff' - but it has to be done sometime.

It’ll all be done together - it was due to happen last month but the fiasco in NR planning with Thameslink and Northern has put that back by a year.

There may be some minor tweaks - with IETs running to IET timings - on a very small number of services in the peaks from May; but otherwise the GWR TT recast is now Jan 2020
 

anamyd

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I stand to be corrected but... an HST (+8) could get to 100 in around four minutes, not too shabby. Look at it another way - a good HST westbound run starting at Reading would go through Pangbourne at 110. Today with a double 802 (10-car) we had 'lifted' to rumble through at 124 in 3m 43.15 from the start. With a mainly 80x service I would ask when the timetable will be tweaked to reflect this? I understand the timetable issues re. 'other stuff' - but it has to be done sometime.
Interesting. So either the MTU HSTs accelerate much quicker or FirstGroup was telling a big fat lie.
 
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I will say this once more.

From entry into passenger service in October 2017, all 800 sets in passenger service had the larger 1550L fuel tanks from the start and the engines were also set to 700kw (940hp).

The difference in the power setting is that the 800 sets were (and are) set to a different acceleration curve to the 802 sets. That is for DfT/Agility contractual reasons, to reduce engine wear on the 800 sets. It's purely a software variation between the two, which can be altered with the aid of a laptop.

The main physical difference between the two classes is the large roof mounted brake grids on the 802 sets. This makes them about 0.4T heavier per car and therefore there will be a few points of a pence difference in the per mile VTAC that GWR has to pay NR.

The brake resistors are different between the two, as 800’s only use dynamic braking (regen) when on OHL and the small resistor banks are only to cope with neutral sections, the generated electricity when braking will be fed back into the OHL.

The 802 braking system uses dynamic braking in both OHL and diesel modes, working as per 800 when on OHL and losing the generated energy as heat via the roof mounted resistors when on diesel.
 

gallafent

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One of my better IET experiences so far: a nice non-stop run on 1P25 from Oxford to London yesterday (42 minutes): http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C54115/2019/02/20/advanced

Left Oxford 32L at 1203, arrived Paddington 17L at 1245, having slowed down a lot on the approach to Reading but otherwise a pretty clear run. It skipped Reading and Slough since 1P26 was ready to leave Oxford right behind it and stop at those stations. A bit annoying for those travelling from West of Oxford to Reading or Slough, clearly, but excellent for those of us going from Oxford to London planning on taking 1P26 and finding 1P25 in the platform instead :)

It was a 9-coach IET, didn't notice 800 vs 802.
 

smiffy9373

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I’d say 4 minutes is possibly a little optimistic but in general yes, acceleration isn’t linear.
HST is generally around 7 minutes to get to 125mph. Fastest I've managed on a class 800 is 3m 30 to 125mph. Haven't had the chance yet to do 0-125 on a class 802 as they are slightly quicker.
 

Mitchell Hurd

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On the 18/02/19, I had all the boxes ticked on the 15:30 from Bristol Temple Meads to Didcot Parkway - On Time, seat reservations working (screens and tickets), smooth and fast riding, very friendly staff, a trolley service (didn't need it anyway), my seat direction for once + type of seat meeting my preference. Got to Didcot at like 16:27.

The acceleration felt quicker like I was on an 802. However, when watching it leave Didcot, it was an 800 which explained the seat covers (comfortable seats don't get me wrong). Maybe it was an 800 uprated to 940hp!

To be honest, all the 800's should've been 802's.
 

anamyd

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On the 18/02/19, I had all the boxes ticked on the 15:30 from Bristol Temple Meads to Didcot Parkway - On Time, seat reservations working (screens and tickets), smooth and fast riding, very friendly staff, a trolley service (didn't need it anyway), my seat direction for once + type of seat meeting my preference. Got to Didcot at like 16:27.

The acceleration felt quicker like I was on an 802. However, when watching it leave Didcot, it was an 800 which explained the seat covers (comfortable seats don't get me wrong). Maybe it was an 800 uprated to 940hp!

To be honest, all the 800's should've been 802's.
I'm glad you found the seats comfortable. They'll be "even more" comfortable after they have their flat cloth replaced with moquette. They're all 940hp, just that the 800s are mapped for less responsive throttle.
 

FGW_Lad

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Just out of interest and this may not be the right forum to ask so moderators feel free to move as best, is the 1718 Paddington to Oxford going over to 800 operation or staying as 165/166?
 

Mitchell Hurd

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Just out of interest and this may not be the right forum to ask so moderators feel free to move as best, is the 1718 Paddington to Oxford going over to 800 operation or staying as 165/166?

Sorry. I know it's not answering the question but if it does that'd be an attractive option from London back to Didcot (I believe this is one of the services an Off-Peak ticket can be used on)! If it goes to a 9 or 10-car that means more seats and more space! That way, the worse case scenario is a 5-car. It will also mean a bit more and a better First Class environment!
 

Mitchell Hurd

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Just out of interest and this may not be the right forum to ask so moderators feel free to move as best, is the 1718 Paddington to Oxford going over to 800 operation or staying as 165/166?

Sorry. I know it's not answering the question but if it does that'd be an attractive option from London back to Didcot (I believe this is one of the services an Off-Peak ticket can be used on)! If it goes to a 9 or 10-car that means more seats and more space! That way, the worse case scenario is a 5-car. It will also mean a bit more and a better First Class environment!
 

JN114

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Just out of interest and this may not be the right forum to ask so moderators feel free to move as best, is the 1718 Paddington to Oxford going over to 800 operation or staying as 165/166?

At some point yes, all the Padd - Oxford services are meant to be IETs eventually. I think the 1718 is tied into Bedwyn IET operation, as that’s where one of the inbound units comes from.
 

jimm

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How many 800/802s are yet to enter service now?

See post 10734, two pages back.

Sorry. I know it's not answering the question but if it does that'd be an attractive option from London back to Didcot (I believe this is one of the services an Off-Peak ticket can be used on)! If it goes to a 9 or 10-car that means more seats and more space! That way, the worse case scenario is a 5-car. It will also mean a bit more and a better First Class environment!

I doubt most passengers using the 17.18 care about the first class environment. With it being a key commuter service back to Maidenhead and Twyford (and all the stations between Reading and Didcot) all they want is a seat.

It has always been an oddball of a service, to get some sort of train up to Oxford to work the 19.31 fast back to London (with all the preceding fasts on the route at that time of the day carrying on past Oxford to the Cotswolds), hence the use of a 180 for a number of years, despite sardine can conditions on board on the run out of Paddington.

Were it not for the requirement to cover that Oxford-London run on the return journey, the 17.18 would presumably already be a string of Class 387s, like all the other xx.18 and xx.48 peak departures from Paddington, and finish at Didcot.

Whether anyone thinks it merits a 650-seat express formation calling all stations Maidenhead to Didcot remains to be seen, but as JN114 indicates, what happens will likely depend on what decisions are made about allocations once Bedwyn IETs start and Turbo requirements in the area change as a result. Whatever the choice for the short term, it will presumably change again in December/January with the start of the new timetable.
 
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Clarence Yard

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How many Class 802s are now yet to enter service?

Since my last post, 802106 has been accepted. 802107/8 are now not due for acceptance until the first week of March, with 802109 the week after and 802110 the week after that.

800001/2 are due to have their instrumented pans taken off shortly and then they will go off, one at a time, to Bounds Green, to be prepared for passenger service.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Since my last post, 802106 has been accepted. 802107/8 are now not due for acceptance until the first week of March, with 802109 the week after and 802110 the week after that.

800001/2 are due to have their instrumented pans taken off shortly and then they will go off, one at a time, to Bounds Green, to be prepared for passenger service.

If I am adding all this up properly, that is currently ten which have yet to enter passenger service, so 83 available so far? So as I have 59 IETs for haulage, there's another 24 of them immediately to hand that I can go for?
 

jimm

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If I am adding all this up properly, that is currently ten which have yet to enter passenger service, so 83 available so far? So as I have 59 IETs for haulage, there's another 24 of them immediately to hand that I can go for?

Looks right to me. Full GWR fleet will be 93 IETs:

36 800/0 - two yet to enter passenger service
21 800/3
22 802/0
14 802/1 - eight yet to enter passenger service
 

Cletus

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There looks to be a GWR 800 at Dollands Moor this morning- couldn’t ID it though.
 
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