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Class 314 Withdrawals

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GLC

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Something that just occurred to me this evening, that I wished to ask about. For the 6 car 314 services that ran to Neilston, did the driver move through the train by using the emergency exit between the two buried cab ends, or did they walk along the track? With the 318/320 pairings now forming the peak services, I guess they must have no option but to walk along the track to change ends?
 

RJMC

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21 Nov 2018
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Something that just occurred to me this evening, that I wished to ask about. For the 6 car 314 services that ran to Neilston, did the driver move through the train by using the emergency exit between the two buried cab ends, or did they walk along the track? With the 318/320 pairings now forming the peak services, I guess they must have no option but to walk along the track to change ends?
Having travelled from Neilston for many years and regularly watched the driver move ends I’m almost certain that they always walked along the track, some would just walk down and up between the inner 2 cabs whilst others would walk end to end.
 

Ryazan

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22 Aug 2019
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Hi all just passed yoker depot and 209 is untouched so that hasn’t moved. It does tho near the number on the front nearest Glasgow have the writing in graffiti 334...something dunno why
 

03_179

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Hope this helps

A hydrogen-powered train is to be built and tested in Scotland as ministers prepare to banish diesel from passenger rail services within 15 years.

The experimental train will be created by converting ScotRail carriages retired in December.

image.jpg

A former ScotRail Class 314 electric train like this one which made a farewell tour in December when the last of the fleet was retired will be converted for the trial. Picture: John Devlin

It is likely to be tested on a heritage line in Scotland like the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, which has been used for trials of battery trains.


Testing would then be switched to a main line.


Conversion work will be done at train refurbisher Brodie Engineering in Kilmarnock. The technology involved will be developed by London-based Arcola Energy, with the University of St Andrews also involved in the Scottish Enterprise project.

Arcola chief executive Dr Ben Todd said hydrogen could be used on non-electrified routes which were too long for battery-powered trains.

He said: “It will be a small feasibility study, involving the refit of a former ScotRail class 314 electric train.”

He said cheaper hydrogen production may be required to make it a viable fuel since the gas remains far more expensive than petrol and diesel.



Reducing costs

However, building hydrogen plants close to wind farms to exploit surplus energy generated overnight could significantly reduce the cost.

Dr Todd said: “We need to make a major change to the energy system, with more power from renewable sources to the grid.”

Hydrogen-powered trains have been carrying passengers in Germany since 2018, while other research projects have been launched in England.

The Scottish Government has pledge to “decarbonise” passenger trains by 2035, five years ahead of the UK.


Battery power

Its Transport Scotland agency is examining the merits of both battery and hydrogen power following ministers’ commitment to trial hybrid self-powered trains.

Hitachi has already offered to add batteries to one of its new class 385 electric trains which run ScotRail services on several lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow. It said they would have a 60-mile range.

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “In line with our commitment to decarbonise the railway by 2035, hydrogen is one of the energy sources we are exploring as an alternative to diesel.

“We are working with Scottish Enterprise and rail industry partners to see how this can be practically applied to a retired class 314 ScotRail train.

Scottish Enterprise head of high value manufacturing David Leven said: “This rail innovation project will provide opportunities for Scotland’s manufacturing companies as well as support the delivery of our national ambitions for more and better jobs and a net zero carbon economy.”
 

adc82140

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Would this be related in any way to those pantograph coaches going to Long Marston?
 

adc82140

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I was thinking more as a storage location, rather than for Vivarail. The article is stating that the work is going to be done in Scotland anyway.
 

D365

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Hi everyone, I don't understand why they would wait till they had scrapped most of the 314 units to announce this project, am I missing something?.

Might have been a case of making sure that the necessary funding to develop the project is available.
 

DGH 1

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14 Jan 2020
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County Durham
Might have been a case of making sure that the necessary funding to develop the project is available.
Yes, that might be the reason but wouldn't you hold onto the other units till you see either way if the funding is forthcoming, to me, hanging onto them for another month or two is neither here nor there, but then again, I don't know how much storage costs would be with them not earning any revenue.
 

Ewan M

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Does anyone know what is happening to the centre carriages that were taken to Long Marston, sorry if it has already been discussed but can't seem to find anything.

I read somewhere that they’re being used by Vivarail for component. Absolutely no chance of them being preserved as their driving carriages have all been scrapped
 

D365

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I read somewhere that they’re being used by Vivarail for component. Absolutely no chance of them being preserved as their driving carriages have all been scrapped

Am fairly sure that was forum speculation. But stranger things have happened and Vivarail has stated that an AC D-Train could be possible...
 

D365

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At least one centre vehicle was being taken to Long Marston for Vivarail use. Fact

I'd ask for a source, but I'll acknowledge that Viva's R&D work doesn't tend to enter the public domain until it has reached the "development" phase.
 

L401CJF

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16 Oct 2019
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Wirral
Photos have emerged on Flickr taken May 2020 of one driving coach of 204 still intact at Eastleigh works, the set had been split up and no photos of the trailer and other motor coach, so unsure whether they are still intact or not.
 

hexagon789

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Photos have emerged on Flickr taken May 2020 of one driving coach of 204 still intact at Eastleigh works, the set had been split up and no photos of the trailer and other motor coach, so unsure whether they are still intact or not.

All I can find simply says "to be scrapped". I know a lot of centre cars have been saved and one unit is still stored pending use in a trial of hydrogen power equipment.
 
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