Trainbike46
Established Member
DBEMU? Diesel Battery EMU (ie a trimode)? or something else?Anything Churchward leads to will be DBEMU out of the box.
DBEMU? Diesel Battery EMU (ie a trimode)? or something else?Anything Churchward leads to will be DBEMU out of the box.
Does it include a toilet? Journey times from Barnstaple are over an hour and Paignton just under the hour to Exeter.FLIRT vehicles are short (16m if articulated at both ends so the same as a Pacer) so to be equivalent to a 4 car 150 you'd need 5 sections.
Yes the flirts have toilets on board, believe its 1 on the class 231sDoes it include a toilet? Journey times from Barnstaple are over an hour and Paignton just under the hour to Exeter.
4 car and 2 car version of a 196 seem the only ones to get near the capacity of a 165, but is 4 cars to long for some "Devon Metro" stations or 2 cars on the Cornish branches which at a later stage might need longer trains if Newquay traffic grows?
The 231 does have potential and I like the low door to platform. Still wonder about the capacity.Yes the flirts have toilets on board, believe its 1 on the class 231s
They also have standing for over 100 people. Personally they could make a good fit.The 231 does have potential and I like the low door to platform. Still wonder about the capacity.
Does it include a toilet? Journey times from Barnstaple are over an hour and Paignton just under the hour to Exeter.
4 car and 2 car version of a 196 seem the only ones to get near the capacity of a 165, but is 4 cars to long for some "Devon Metro" stations or 2 cars on the Cornish branches which at a later stage might need longer trains if Newquay traffic grows?
The 755s have two toilets on each unit. Toilet provision depends on the specific design, so could be made to suit what is needed at GWR easily.Yes the flirts have toilets on board, believe its 1 on the class 231s
Remember that all current UK flirts have 2+2 seating, a higher density layout is possible (though probably not desirable)The 231 does have potential and I like the low door to platform. Still wonder about the capacity.
Guess there will be pressure to get some modified Alstom Aventras (with diesels and batteries added) ordered for Northern or GWR to keep Derby busy and not shutting?Indeed, Northern's is specified with level boarding so I'd expect a similar requirement from GWR.
Pressure from who exactly?Guess there will be pressure to get some modified Alstom Aventras (with diesels and batteries added) ordered for Northern or GWR to keep Derby busy and not shutting?
I highly doubt there will be any more straight AC Aventra orders (minus the extra 345s). GWR, I should think, will go for a FLIRT.Guess there will be pressure to get some modified Alstom Aventras (with diesels and batteries added) ordered for Northern or GWR to keep Derby busy and not shutting?
...which does nothing for the UK train manufacturing crisis the previous poster was alluding to. Any choice of a Stadler product wouldn't necessitate the order being brought forward to alleviate that crisis.GWR, I should think, will go for a FLIRT.
There is no reason why a product made in UK should not be of a good quality.One thing I would say is that whilst manufacturing in Britain is a good thing it should not be at the expense of a decent product, GWR will have these units for a long time and as such they don't want to be stuck with something that got ordered on it's assembly location not quality.
What would be easier (or rather cheaper), refitting/retraining the Derby factory to build the modern Coradia, or adding generator units and batteries to the Aventra? I would think the latter but that's just a guess.I was lucky enough to get an invite to the first Flirt Akku BEMU service in Holstein having worked as a consultant for the scheme modelling the energy consumption.
A BEMU order from Alstr based on thier Coradia platform would seem a quick win in both keeping work at Derby and allowing a reduction in Turbo use.
Suitable services would be all the Turbo services operated in the Thames valley and branches from Reading. Only limited bay platforms etc would need to be electrified which would be very low cost.
They could be rolled out to lines further west via a progressive programme of electrifying Caternary Islands for recharging.
Could be win win if additional class 345 were ordered to fill the gap whilst a UK loading guage variant was designed.
I doubt the speccy people will anything in their power to help UK builders. In terms of factories, 14 of Stadler's 14 are in the EU, and they still seem to be mopping up orders like a sponge. My money would be on either Stadler (cos they're good) or CAF (because the UK like them, even though they're bad) winning the contract, possibly Alstom if they have something like a Coradia, but I don't really fancy their chances.IF keeping UK factories in operation is a priority they will do that or deliberately go for a timetable that Stadler can’t do - how busy are their factories?
The PM is aware hundreds of jobs can be lost in a Conservative marginal seat in an election year.Being a cynic….is there anything in the spec that might be considered to disfavour Stadler?
IF keeping UK factories in operation is a priority they will do that or deliberately go for a timetable that Stadler can’t do - how busy are their factories?
There isn't even a spec yet; people are getting a bit ahead of themselves!Being a cynic….is there anything in the spec that might be considered to disfavour Stadler?
IF keeping UK factories in operation is a priority they will do that or deliberately go for a timetable that Stadler can’t do - how busy are their factories?
The PM is aware hundreds of jobs can be lost in a Conservative marginal seat in an election year.
But as we know from "Yes Minister" politics will never affect large order decisions!!???
Taking these together, and adding in that (a) the general election must be held by 28 January 2025 (source https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_United_Kingdom_general_election) and (b) the current incumbents are expected to lose, a suitably Yes Ministerish approach would be to allow the spec to be prepared on a totally open basis - so allowing the opposition (i.e. the current government) to complain that the new government have sold British industry out when the contract goes abroad.There isn't even a spec yet; people are getting a bit ahead of themselves!
A class 165 3 car has 259 seats and standing for 86. A four car 755 has 202 plus 27 tip up seats, standing I don't know. A flirt does not seem an improvement to capacity unless you run more of them. I can't see them going to Barnstaple unless every half hour.
A four car 150/2 has 244 seats, two toilets and wasted space with the middle cabs. What's to replace them?
Does it include a toilet? Journey times from Barnstaple are over an hour and Paignton just under the hour to Exeter.
4 car and 2 car version of a 196 seem the only ones to get near the capacity of a 165, but is 4 cars to long for some "Devon Metro" stations or 2 cars on the Cornish branches which at a later stage might need longer trains if Newquay traffic grows?
Something like a CAF 197 would make more sense on GWR as they are similar journeys to the Cardiff to Manchester TFw corridor. However , from a staff perspective I'd suggest doing away with the massive walk through gangway doors, as the cab and cab side window on 197s look miniscule (though happy to be corrected with anyone who actually works them???)
Assuming you mean the rather small windscreen (caused by having such a large gangway), it's honestly not as noticeable or as big of a problem as you'd expect. Other than at a handful of places where you're approaching a potentially red signal on a tight right hand curve, for normal operations it gives more than sufficient visibility. It's also nice to be able to see out the left hand side window to line up with platform stop boards, something you couldn't do with 175s.
Yes, depends on what they would need to have done a Exter TMD I suppose!A four car 197 sounds alright until fitting it into Exeter depot which has a lifting road for 3 cars not that I think it has ever been used. The two other roads are for 5 car 800s or 3 and 2 car sets.View attachment 149595
A four car 197 sounds alright until fitting it into Exeter depot which has a lifting road for 3 cars not that I think it has ever been used. The two other roads are for 5 car 800s or 3 and 2 car sets.View attachment 149595
Could you not have a joint Stadler-Alstom train which is built in Derby?