Speculation on alternative traction covering the grounding of Class 80x fleet

[357]

Interesting that it is pathed as a Class 710.

I think they have just used whatever for it. There was a path taking it all the way up the GOBLIN to Gospel Oak that had to be cancelled as they aren't cleared that way.

 

[The_Train]

Does anyone know which 387s are on the move please?

 

[FGW_DID]

Does anyone know which 387s are on the move please?

The numbers I’ve seen as expected are
301 / 302 / 306.

 

[thelongestroad]

Have we got to the bottom of the discussion about if the 387s from c2c have even or odd numbers yet? Have they come? Will they use GWR handwash or C2C stuff?

 

[FGW_DID]

Have we got to the bottom of the discussion about if the 387s from c2c have even or odd numbers yet? Have they come? Will they use GWR handwash or C2C stuff?

301/302/306
No, tomorrow hauled by 57306
No idea

 

[800001]

Have we got to the bottom of the discussion about if the 387s from c2c have even or odd numbers yet? Have they come? Will they use GWR handwash or C2C stuff?

They have left East Ham and are currently at Wembley Yard, although been told only 2 (Railway gossip).

 

[43102EMR]

301/302/306
No, tomorrow hauled by 57306
No idea

Seems as though the current consists are being split - I can imagine they’ll be used in a common pool with the GWR units on Swindon services then?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Some thoughts. Would this work?
- Chiltern reactivate 68/Mk3 on routes via Bicester, freeing some of their Turbos.
- These CH Turbos go to Bristol for local/regional services, freeing up some mini HSTs.
- Mini HSTs freed to work southwest-Swindon/Reading shuttles.

Looks like maximising 387s on electric routes is the way to go there, so that the available 80x can concentrate on bi-mode routes.
You wouldn't have thought it too hard to rapidly train 387 crews Swindon-Newport or Cardiff.
Are there any crews who sign both 80x and 387?
Donor TOCs can back-fill with their recent cast-offs if needed.

TfW can't do a lot outside Wales in their present state.
XC is already flexing its capability to help GWR.
Do Avanti have any spare Voyagers, to boost XC in LNER/GWR areas?
TPE/HT/Avanti/Scotrail should be helping LNER if they can.
Avanti could run some Edinburgh-Euston services with 390s if needed, as they (Virgin) did in the "volcanic cloud" period.

 

[The_Train]

The numbers I’ve seen as expected are
301 / 302 / 306.

Thanks FGW - I guess tomorrow will provide a final confirmation of what has been sent

 

[RPI]

Some thoughts. Would this work?
- Chiltern reactivate 68/Mk3 on routes via Bicester, freeing some of their Turbos.
- These CH Turbos go to Bristol for local/regional services, freeing up some mini HSTs.
- Mini HSTs freed to work southwest-Swindon/Reading shuttles.

Looks like maximising 387s on electric routes is the way to go there, so that the available 80x can concentrate on bi-mode routes.
You wouldn't have thought it too hard to rapidly train 387 crews Swindon-Newport or Cardiff.
Are there any crews who sign both 80x and 387?
Donor TOCs can back-fill with their recent cast-offs if needed.

TfW can't do a lot outside Wales in their present state.
XC is already flexing its capability to help GWR.
Do Avanti have any spare Voyagers, to boost XC in LNER/GWR areas?
TPE/HT/Avanti/Scotrail should be helping LNER if they can.
Avanti could run some Edinburgh-Euston services with 390s if needed, as they (Virgin) did in the "volcanic cloud" period.

The only problem having the Chiltern Turbo's would be that they haven't got the local door controls, though they could be kept up in the east I suppose

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

The only problem having the Chiltern Turbo's would be that they haven't got the local door controls, though they could be kept up in the east I suppose

Also I don’t think they’re ride height modified. But as you say, fine in the east as far as I’m aware (provided they are kept on routes where 90mph isn’t important)

 

[MK Tom]

Some thoughts. Would this work?
- Chiltern reactivate 68/Mk3 on routes via Bicester, freeing some of their Turbos.
- These CH Turbos go to Bristol for local/regional services, freeing up some mini HSTs.
- Mini HSTs freed to work southwest-Swindon/Reading shuttles.

Looks like maximising 387s on electric routes is the way to go there, so that the available 80x can concentrate on bi-mode routes.
You wouldn't have thought it too hard to rapidly train 387 crews Swindon-Newport or Cardiff.
Are there any crews who sign both 80x and 387?
Donor TOCs can back-fill with their recent cast-offs if needed.

TfW can't do a lot outside Wales in their present state.
XC is already flexing its capability to help GWR.
Do Avanti have any spare Voyagers, to boost XC in LNER/GWR areas?
TPE/HT/Avanti/Scotrail should be helping LNER if they can.
Avanti could run some Edinburgh-Euston services with 390s if needed, as they (Virgin) did in the "volcanic cloud" period.

Simpler thing might be to use the Chiltern Turbos on Thames Valley local stuff and use the GWR Turbos to free up the HSTs (or to operate some Didcot/Swindon to the west services themselves).

 

[RPI]

6 car Turbo's running a Taunton/Exeter to Reading calling Castle Cary - Westbury - Pewsey, service every 2 hours would be ideal. At the moment there's also no direct services between Castle Cary and Taunton, not the end of the world as you can go via Bristol but its a long way around

 

[greatvoyager]

6 car Turbo's running a Taunton/Exeter to Reading calling Castle Cary - Westbury - Pewsey, service every 2 hours would be ideal. At the moment there's also no direct services between Castle Cary and Taunton, not the end of the world as you can go via Bristol but its a long way around

That sounds like a good idea, would it require many turbos to do it?

 

[RPI]

That sounds like a good idea, would it require many turbos to do it?

I would say 2 sets, Taunton to Reading with those stops should be about 1hr 45m, you have the added bonus of some 1st class that can be classified and the 166's have a load of luggage space, depends how long this is going on for, I saw internal communication yesterday that said it could be up to 12 months before all of the sets have been repaired/modified

When I say 2 sets, thats 4 units

 

[Bletchleyite]

If it's long-term so driver and guard training would be worthwhile, could 365s be brought in for either TOC, perhaps? They're OHLE EMUs and they're spare (and they've bailed Hitachi out before! )

 

[RPI]

If it's long-term so driver and guard training would be worthwhile, could 365s be brought in for either TOC, perhaps? They're OHLE EMUs and they're spare (and they've bailed Hitachi out before! )

Probably make more sense using 319's if there's any spare, Reading drivers will have to sign 769's at some point so probably just a conversion course from a 319

 

[FGW_DID]

All the weird and wonderful traction, everybody is touting for the GWML, where’s it all going to be maintained, cleaned and stabled when not in use?
Especially towards the London end of the network, OOC is no longer an option, OOC (Crossrail) will be full of 345s. North Pole will be full and have enough on their plate. I can assure you there is no room at the inn at Reading. West Ealing & Cocklebury are more or less just stabling sidings and anyway at night they have enough to deal with. West Ealing also dealing with the HEX sets out stationed at Padd or Heathrow.

 

[williamn]

No idea if true but just saw a tweet saying that two rakes of 2F coaches from Riviera Trains are being mobilised for GWR.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

No idea if true but just saw a tweet saying that two rakes of 2F coaches from Riviera Trains are being mobilised for GWR.

This one?

 

[RPI]

All the weird and wonderful traction, everybody is touting for the GWML, where’s it all going to be maintained, cleaned and stabled when not in use?
Especially towards the London end of the network, OOC is no longer an option, OOC (Crossrail) will be full of 345s. North Pole will be full and have enough on their plate. I can assure you there is no room at the inn at Reading. West Ealing & Cocklebury are more or less just stabling sidings and anyway at night they have enough to deal with. West Ealing also dealing with the HEX sets out stationed at Padd or Heathrow.

Even Exeter new yard has one siding taken up with an IET! surprised it hasn't been mentioned of a daily hire in of SWR units, but would be counter productive with everyone extra travelling from Exeter to Waterloo

 

[williamn]

Yep that one.

 

[popeter45]

any suggestions on the routes they will be used for?
if history is anything to go by i assume taunton-cardiff services but as the castle sets are covering that could they or the castles be used for reading/swindon-newport?

 

[RPI]

Can imagine if we're having slam door stock then plenty of staff will be deployed to prevent window hangers!

 

[popeter45]

Can imagine if we're having slam door stock then plenty of staff will be deployed to prevent window hangers!

yea dont want any kind of repeat of the EMR HST incident a few days ago

 

[TheLastMinute]

No idea if true but just saw a tweet saying that two rakes of 2F coaches from Riviera Trains are being mobilised for GWR.

any suggestions on the routes they will be used for?
if history is anything to go by i assume taunton-cardiff services but as the castle sets are covering that could they or the castles be used for reading/swindon-newport?

I would suggest these and the 5 HST trailers that were taken to Laira yesterday should be used for shuttle along the B&H, (Paddington?)-Reading-Exeter. Would make sense to use keep all the slam door stock together calling at staffed stations only and fills a hole (as others have said, Castle Cary to Taunton via Bristol or Newbury to Westbury via Reading and Bath is a long way round).

 

[cactustwirly]

All the weird and wonderful traction, everybody is touting for the GWML, where’s it all going to be maintained, cleaned and stabled when not in use?
Especially towards the London end of the network, OOC is no longer an option, OOC (Crossrail) will be full of 345s. North Pole will be full and have enough on their plate. I can assure you there is no room at the inn at Reading. West Ealing & Cocklebury are more or less just stabling sidings and anyway at night they have enough to deal with. West Ealing also dealing with the HEX sets out stationed at Padd or Heathrow.

The best place would be Laira and St Philips Marsh. Both have knowledge of working on HSTs

 

[RobShipway]

All the weird and wonderful traction, everybody is touting for the GWML, where’s it all going to be maintained, cleaned and stabled when not in use?
Especially towards the London end of the network, OOC is no longer an option, OOC (Crossrail) will be full of 345s. North Pole will be full and have enough on their plate. I can assure you there is no room at the inn at Reading. West Ealing & Cocklebury are more or less just stabling sidings and anyway at night they have enough to deal with. West Ealing also dealing with the HEX sets out stationed at Padd or Heathrow.

Well, if Chiltern Turbos are brought in, then they can certainly be stored in sidings in Banbury. Depending on the number of Chiltern Turbos I would have them doing the following routes:

Banbury - Didcot
Twyford - Henley on Thames
Maidenhead - Bourne end/Marlow
Slough to Windsor

The GWR class 165's that are freed up, can then do services from either from Reading or Newbury down the Hants & Berks route.

With regards to using the class 345, I would leave them on the stopping trains. But if the TFL staff on the class 345's have route knowledge with going onwards to Didcot Parkway then certainly would consider using those to Didcot Parkway on the slow lines, that way I would keep the class 387's on the fast lines doing the London - Reading - Didcot - Swindon services.

 

[matt_world2004]

Given the excess of class 345s. I wonder if they could be used on the reading Paddington local services.

I don't think the train crew have route knowledge beyond reading and having a pilot in the vehicle is probably a no no during covid times. But you could run them to reading and have a 387 shuttle from Didcot to reading.

 

[JN114]

But you could run them to reading and have a 387 shuttle from Didcot to reading.

Introduces a lot of operational complexity at Reading; although it was a suggestion that was seriously raised by the control team over the weekend; as was hiring Turbos (and drivers, as ours won’t touch them) from Chiltern for LTV work.

What we had yesterday worked well, so it will be baby steps building on that.

A Paddington/Reading to Exeter semi fast; either with 802s hired in from TPE/Hull or some other alternative traction is the next logical step.