DJH1971
Established Member
Any more on getting them on the Wirral lines yet?It appears that 777s are set to take over the Ormskirk line almost entirely in the next few days. Shows how far they have come in a couple of weeks
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Merseyrail Class 777 introduction updates
- Thread starter OneThirtyEight
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
pokemonsuper9
Established Member
Probably helpful that Kirkby line is cut for ages from the 1st to set up Headbolt Lane so there's drivers and 777s free.It appears that 777s are set to take over the Ormskirk line almost entirely in the next few days. Shows how far they have come in a couple of weeks
Soon™️
Sam 76
Member
That’s very true. Given as well the /1s will come into play once the works are competed and the /0s can’t go beyond Fazakerly it frees up a number of units.
In addition there is still 002,005,006,015 to come into service and 049 stabled at Southport which can comeback I imagine any time being the first to enter service
DJH1971
Established Member
Any more movement of 777036 & 777148?
ExRes
Established Member
Assuming it runs to time 6Q14 is due to depart Dollands Moor Sidings for Wembley Receptions 1-7 at 0750 and 6Q77 at 1334 for Crewe Down Refuge Sidings
** 6Q14 underway 94 late due to 'paperwork issues'
Last edited:
When you say the /0s can't go beyond Fazakerly, I assume you mean just while the work is ongoing? Because the 3rd rail isn't being ripped up is it?
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Only a good thing if we have 8-car working, which I don't believe we do yet?It appears that 777s are set to take over the Ormskirk line almost entirely in the next few days. Shows how far they have come in a couple of weeks
It was said by @Elecman on the 507/508 withdrawal thread that :
Which would make sense as to why other units can't run beyond Fazakerley when it reopens!
DJH1971
Established Member
777036 & 777148 are now past Willesden according to RTT
ExRes
Established Member
RailAdventure 43s and the 777s all at Wembley for 1334 6Q77, now all it needs is for everything to work in clockwork fashion .........
pokemonsuper9
Established Member
This makes me wonder if 777s will have to changeover at Fazakerley or if they can change while moving to battery.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That seems a poor design decision because if there isn't an available battery unit that means no service to Kirkby. Much easier to have a minibus shuttle Kirkby-Headbolt than Fazakerley-Headbolt.
Couldn't the appropriate isolation joint (whatever it's called) just have been further along?
Couldn't the appropriate isolation joint (whatever it's called) just have been further along?
You mean extend the third rail? We wouldn't have to use battery in the first place if the third rail could be extended.
DJH1971
Established Member
Any workings in place for their delivery to Kirkdale?
pokemonsuper9
Established Member
Realtime Trains | 6Q78 2233 Crewe Down Refuge Siding to Kirkdale C.S. | 28/06/2023
Real-time train running information for 6Q78 2233 departure from Crewe Down Refuge Siding to Kirkdale C.S. on 28/06/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
DJH1971
Established Member
ThanksSeems to be running tonight.Realtime Trains | 6Q78 2233 Crewe Down Refuge Siding to Kirkdale C.S. | 28/06/2023
Real-time train running information for 6Q78 2233 departure from Crewe Down Refuge Siding to Kirkdale C.S. on 28/06/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
No he means because the third rail is being shortened to just before the platform at Kirkby. So a 777/0 (or 507/508 for the next few months in case of emergency) physically can't run there.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
No. Put it at the current third rail limit. De-electrifying Kirkby is nuts.
It is, yes, but Fazakerley is the one place you wouldn't be as bothered about being turfed off at if the train can't carry on. There's a bus to Kirkby every few minutes from right outside the station. Once they settle down, this isn't going to be an issue very often anyway. I hope.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Does the third rail continue to past the crossover at Kirkby so a reverse there is possible?
I'm not familiar with that aspect either... once past Fazakerley the line becomes single about 1/2mile further on. It may still be possible to run up to there, change ends and run back to Fazakerley. It must be signalled for bi directional running and it's some distance from Kirkby.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
My greatest concern is this causing stranding in the event of a failure to switch to battery. Ideally this would happen in Kirkby platform so if it went wrong people could alight and go by other means.
These units have led to some poor decisions but this one takes several slices of the cake.
Any 3rd rail unit taking a wrong route towards Kirkby would need to be reversed at Rice lane (which would be it's first stop after the wrong route). Nowhere else can be used to reverse as the 3rd rail will stop before the Liverpool bound signal at the Kirkby platform. In theory, a /0 could use it's depot batteries to do the short turnaround, but I doubt they'd want to run the risk of having a 3rd rail unit sit down there.
I'm pretty sure the reason for removing the 3rd rail from the platform entirely is largely because when the buffers were there, the 3rd rail stopped short of the end of the Merseyrail platform (near the bridge). Now the buffers arent there, the 3rd rail doesn't quite fill the entire platform and it's easier to rip it out than go to the ORR for a 10ft extension. Plus as Elecman said in the other thread, it stops the return current from being introduced to the non-electrified line beyond the platform. It's a bit far fetched, but a unit in the platform with shoes still on the 3rd rail could also be a danger to someone working near it who expects the 3rd rail equipment at the Headbolt lane end of the unit to be dead. People have been given a belt in stranger circumstances.
[edited as I got posts mixed up and remembered the /0's have depot batteries for mini movements!]
Last edited:
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Wrong route isn't my concern. My concern is twofold.
1. If a unit failed to switch to battery, a stranding and evacuation would be near guaranteed. There was an opportunity to switch in a platform with doors open (Kirkby) and it wasn't taken. Unless they switch at Fazakerley, but then you can't work it back on third rail and the line is blocked.
2. You can't just terminate short at Kirkby if you don't have a working battery unit available.
It's absolutely nuts, like many things about these units.
Crikey, there's easily room to extend the platform 10ft towards Liverpool and move the signal if it came to it.
I would guess, then, that the “switch” to battery will have to be done at Rice Lane. This would mean the 777/1s will be running Rice Lane to Headbolt Lane on battery.
Like you say, Fazakerley isn’t a turnback station, and AFAIK there’s no shunting signals where the single track starts between Fazakerley and Kirkby. So unless one of those things is changing (which seems massively expensive) then it’s battery operation only from Rice Lane. Might as well just rip all the third rail up from there!
childwallblues
Established Member
Despite many trips recently on the Northern Line I have never seen 777140 on the move but I am sure that it has. Four weeks ago 777142/44/46 were all in the storage sidings at Southport and I have not seen them since.
Thanks, seems crazy if they haven’t been testing them
Sam 76
Member
They have been testing. The units at Southport have competed their mileage apparently and the others have been out on recent weeks
Vespa
Established Member
What they need is unruly staff to stimulate random passegers behaving illogically messing up the door system to see if it will stand up to real world conditions.They have been testing. The units at Southport have competed their mileage apparently and the others have been out on recent weeks
