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Northern Class 331: Construction/Introduction Updates

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JMan

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22 Feb 2018
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Is anything going to be done to improve the ride quality on the 331s? You can feel every little bump in the track. This isn’t just a one-off - all of the 331s I’ve been on vibrate terribly, like they’re “hunting”. I didn’t realise how bad it was until I was on a 150 on the same stretch the other day and it was gliding along by comparison. So I’m inclined so say not the track.
 

superkev

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west yorkshire
Both the 331s and 195s and I here the MK5s have a poor ride.
They feel and sound to be hitting the bump stops which cant be good for the life of the suspension.
Whether CAF have the will or expertise to modify the settings remained to be seen.
With Hitachi and Seimens taking most of the top places in Roger Fords Modern Railway new train reliability chart and CAF and Bombardier down the bottom perhaps you get what yiou get what you pay for.
K
 

hwl

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5 Feb 2012
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7,354
Both the 331s and 195s and I here the MK5s have a poor ride.
They feel and sound to be hitting the bump stops which cant be good for the life of the suspension.
Whether CAF have the will or expertise to modify the settings remained to be seen.
With Hitachi and Seimens taking most of the top places in Roger Fords Modern Railway new train reliability chart and CAF and Bombardier down the bottom perhaps you get what yiou get what you pay for.
K
CAF apparently have issues with the new-ish bogie design in other countries to.
Bombardier issues are mostly software related so when that gets sorted things should improve, the same can't be said for bogie design!
Worth bearing in mind that the delay per incident is much lower on Bombarider stock than other manufacturers so when you look at the total delay per unit per period the answer is very interesting...
 

Jozhua

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Just wondering, can I ask when running in multiple if the trains deploy both pantographs or if power can be bussed between units?
 

Llama

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Only 110v DC control circuits operate between the two units.

If one unit was completely dead, ie a failure with no battery power available, another unit of class 331 or 397 can couple and provide the basic essential control circuits to allow the unit to be controlled, ie full control of the 'good' unit from the dead unit if the dead unit was leading, brake control of the dead unit if the good unit was leading. A main reservoir air supply for supplying the braking and air suspension systems would be passed through the main reservoir pipe that runs the length of the train including through the couplers.

The electrical power required for the traction converters is far too high to be able to be passed through the couplers from one unit to the other.
 

86247

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what's the situation with 331 deliveries 025 was the last one , but not seen anything new on edge hil for quite a while.When I went past last Thursday their was only 331 025 and the derailed 195 on there.
 

js1000

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Joined
14 Jun 2014
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Both the 331s and 195s and I here the MK5s have a poor ride.
They feel and sound to be hitting the bump stops which cant be good for the life of the suspension.
Whether CAF have the will or expertise to modify the settings remained to be seen.
With Hitachi and Seimens taking most of the top places in Roger Fords Modern Railway new train reliability chart and CAF and Bombardier down the bottom perhaps you get what yiou get what you pay for.
K
The ride quality - particularly over points - on some of the 195/331s is horrendous. On others it is tolerable to acceptable. I'm not convinced it's across the board - but a manufacturing or software issue on a unit by unit basis. Other than that, just as with hardware: pay peanuts, get monkeys. I would be astonished if the 195/331s last 15 years - let alone 30.
 

palmersears

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20 Sep 2011
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what's the situation with 331 deliveries 025 was the last one , but not seen anything new on edge hil for quite a while.When I went past last Thursday their was only 331 025 and the derailed 195 on there.
When I went past this morning it was just 025 and 195018. Couldn't see anything on the delivery road either.

An absolute heap of 331s at Allerton however. At least 8 sitting there.
 

86247

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been reported on train logger that 331026 was sat on edge hill today. Anyone been past today to confirm its there.
 

Purple Orange

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How many 331s does Northern currently have in service? I was on one this morning and it was a breath of fresh air compared to a 323 or 319.
 

Bevan Price

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22 Apr 2010
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7,320
been reported on train logger that 331026 was sat on edge hill today. Anyone been past today to confirm its there.
What looked like 331026 was near to 331025 at Edge Hill yesterday afternoon (5 Feb.) just after 16:00 (was not there 3 hours earlier.)
 

Geeves

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6 Jan 2009
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Rochdale
I was amused to listen to the story of "coffee-gate" on one of the 331s. After the initial spurious brake application, I wonder if there is a plan to have a cover over the drivers key area after that slight debacle 5000 minute's of delay bills.
 

D365

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Joined
29 Jun 2012
Messages
11,396
I was amused to listen to the story of "coffee-gate" on one of the 331s. After the initial spurious brake application, I wonder if there is a plan to have a cover over the drivers key area after that slight debacle 5000 minute's of delay bills.

Sorry what story is this?
 

Llama

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A few weeks ago a six-car 331 rake sat down for an hour stopping the job outside Manchester Piccadilly after a guard allegedly spilt coffee somewhere it ought not to go in the back cab.
 

sd0733

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7 Nov 2012
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3,544
A 9-car 331, 331019, 018 and 015 were passing through Preston a few minutes ago on 5Y54 looks like heading to Blackpool. Presumably some form of earlier failure or.stock move as never seen 3 sets together.
 

samuelmorris

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18 Jul 2013
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Location
Brentwood, Essex
First experience on a 331, Doncaster to Leeds. The ride quality seems fine to me, better than a lot of other units I've traveled on, though I'm not in a power car. the seats despite being ironing boards also seem OK too. The only toilet, however, is out of service and the din made by the A/C and compressor is as obtrusive as I thought it might be. It's a shame as the soundproofing from the outdoors is actually very good. The fit and finish quality of stuff like the CCTV etc is pretty lackluster, it all looks like stuff that was added as an afterthought. The sticker telling me about the power sockets is also peeling off but I'll happily overlook that.

Not terrible on the whole but other than the fairly impressive colour info displays, I feel an Electrostar is a better train than this. For what it is, the cheapest possible new EMU, it's fine, but it's no Desiro that's for sure.
 

xotGD

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4 Feb 2017
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Is there any gen regarding more 331s operating in Yorkshire to replace the 321/2s? Thanks.
 

Neptune

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29 May 2018
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Yorkshire
There seemed to be some training runs going on last week between Skipton & Shipley, using a 3 car 331. So maybe more due in the next few weeks?
3 car units have been doing the driver training runs between Skipton & Shipley for months now.
 

superkev

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1 Mar 2015
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Location
west yorkshire
3 car units have been doing the driver training runs between Skipton & Shipley for months now.
331 004 and 012 were/are the Skipton training units.
Re stored units
With the stored 195s reportedly at last entering service anyone know the position with the 331s.
My out of date list has 331010, 014, 020 to 026 stored or training with 027 to 031 awating delivery.
Thanks in advance.
K
 

sd0733

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331 004 and 012 were/are the Skipton training units.
Re stored units
With the stored 195s reportedly at last entering service anyone know the position with the 331s.
My out of date list has 331010, 014, 020 to 026 stored or training with 027 to 031 awating delivery.
Thanks in advance.
K
Both 010 and 014 were in service last week on Manchester to Blackpool
 

Sleeperwaking

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Joined
20 Oct 2018
Messages
166
331 004 and 012 were/are the Skipton training units.
Re stored units
With the stored 195s reportedly at last entering service anyone know the position with the 331s.
My out of date list has 331010, 014, 020 to 026 stored or training with 027 to 031 awating delivery.
Thanks in advance.
K
I think 027 is currently at Edge Hill for commissioning. 014 has been in service since at least the last week of January when it was running around coupled to 017.
 

superkev

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Location
west yorkshire
I think 027 is currently at Edge Hill for commissioning. 014 has been in service since at least the last week of January when it was running around coupled to 017.
Thanks
My presumably out of date lists 331010, 013, 020 012, 022, 023, 024 025. 026, 027 stored edge hill. Awaiting delivery 028 to 031.
K
 
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