greatvoyager
Established Member
Have any 2-car 196 units been built yet?
Didn't mean the power cars *had* to be renumbered - see the GWR examples....
I’d disagree - there has been zero logic or consistency on HST renumbering ever since the 1980s.Diverting the thread slightly, it did make sense for XC & East Coast to re-number their power cars at the time of conversion due to the upgraded electronics. The GW ones didn't receive the upgraded electronics so remained the same number (except for 053/56 which largely had them due to their MML days and is 253/256 in all but number).
Are the 196s still on regular tests/driver training runs? If so what lines are they typically on?
Thank you for the update. That’s interesting, I thought it would only be the unit number itself that would be changed.196106 was delivered to Tyseley by road late last week.
170533 now in traffic and it's car's have been renumbered, 50533 and 79533. Probably safe to assume the other 2 sets will have their car's renumbered too, if not already.
Mark
170532 and 170535 as yet do not have renumbered car numbers. Currently sat in Birmingham New St.
Mark
I wonder if it’s to do with a change of subclass from 170/6 to 170/5? As 170399 was still in the 170/3 series when renumbered there may have been no need to renumber vehicles too.Very strange. 170399 kept its vehicle numbers 50399 & 79399 when it was renumbered 170309.
Presumably someone, somewhere, wants everything to be nice and neat and tidy and fit in certain defined 'boxes', whether technically necessary or not. Someone on this forum, maybe?Having said that it does seem odd to renumber the individual carriages.
I did wonder if someone was told to change the numbers from 633 to 533, got carried away and did all of them when it was only meant to be the set?!Presumably someone, somewhere, wants everything to be nice and neat and tidy and fit in certain defined 'boxes', whether technically necessary or not. Someone on this forum, maybe?
Interestingly, the car numbers haven't been changed on the system.I did wonder if someone was told to change the numbers from 633 to 533, got carried away and did all of them when it was only meant to be the set?!
Taking out the middle carriage is leaving WMR services usually operated by 3 carriages with just the 2. This is hardly ideal at the moment as it makes social distancing more challenging. It's not as if they've got plenty of capacity as it is, they need every carriage they can get. I thought they'd leave it until the 196s are in service.
....but to the gain of social distancing on XC services.
A XC unit, reportedly 170523 for the addition of a centre vehicle, moved from Tyesley to Bristol BH today as 1325 5Z70
So it looks as if they are using numerical order in terms of centre cars and units.That makes sense as first car for refurb was 56635 from 170635.
Thank you for the update. Just 2 more to go then.170634 now reduced to 2 car and renumbered 170534. Individual cars not renumbered yet. In service today on Birmingham NS to Shrewsbury circuit.
Mark
Thanks for the update.170523 has worked 5Z71 Bristol Barton Hill to Tyseley today as a 3 car with 56635 added. It's also renumbered 170623. Individual car numbers are unchanged.
Mark
Not just livery, internal coverings and colours too, as well as first class in XC units.Are the XC and WM units different internally (seating layout etc)? If not, why not just swap six 2-car XC sets for a similar number of 3-car WM sets, instead of going to the trouble of reforming 12 units? How significant is the cost of changing the livery on 30 cars rather than 6?
The interiors are different, especially XC first class...Are the XC and WM units different internally (seating layout etc)? If not, why not just swap six 2-car XC sets for a similar number of 3-car WM sets, instead of going to the trouble of reforming 12 units? How significant is the cost of changing the livery on 30 cars rather than 6?