Will FGW have any "orphan" 158 driving cars after the reforms are complete, and if they did could they give the one existing real central car they have to northern?
Ah, there is a plan for that...
Supposedly, according to a quite well informed source, there will be a four car set made up, formed of a pair of standard two car sets with the uncouple buttons disconnected in the two adjoining centre cabs. It is intended that this 'unit' will be the permanent booked traction on the afternoon run to Brighton and return, 1O98/1V96. So no releasing of any centre cars (58715 from 158798) I'm afraid!
Hmmmm, seems a bit complicated to me. Will this unit be numbered as one unit or will the 2 units retain their individual numbers.
I was hoping that the two remaining two carriage sets, 158763 and 158766, would run around as a four car set now that FGW has more 150s at its' disposal. I think that semi-permanently coupling the two sets is an overly complicated option though, as it reduces flexibility if one of the units develops a fault and has to be taken out of service.Ah, there is a plan for that...
Supposedly, according to a quite well informed source, there will be a four car set made up, formed of a pair of standard two car sets with the uncouple buttons disconnected in the two adjoining centre cabs. It is intended that this 'unit' will be the permanent booked traction on the afternoon run to Brighton and return, 1O98/1V96. So no releasing of any centre cars (58715 from 158798) I'm afraid!
I was hoping that the two remaining two carriage sets, 158763 and 158766, would run around as a four car set now that FGW has more 150s at its' disposal. I think that semi-permanently coupling the two sets is an overly complicated option though, as it reduces flexibility if one of the units develops a fault and has to be taken out of service.
The same goes for the 221s - why couldn't the 3 4-car Virgin sets not be swapped or refromed with 2 5-car sets from Arriva as opposed to having 2 cars sat around doing nothing useful? Arriva would gain to extra coaches and Virgin get their uniform fleet of 5-car units.
Poor management of available resources from the DfT...
But these plans have nothing to do with the DfT or any 'top down' management and are TOC wishes.Poor management of available resources from the DfT...
As with the Virgin 4-car 221 reformations, the idea to form 3x 3-car 158s from the 10 cars available leaves a spare sitting around for most of the time (ok, provides a spare to ensure 3-car operation of all sets should be possible). Some logical thinking would have seen 58715 taken out of 158798 and swapped with Northern for a 153 for example, ensuring all vehicles are available for traffic.
The same goes for the 221s - why couldn't the 3 4-car Virgin sets not be swapped or refromed with 2 5-car sets from Arriva as opposed to having 2 cars sat around doing nothing useful? Arriva would gain to extra coaches and Virgin get their uniform fleet of 5-car units.
Poor management of available resources from the DfT...
But these plans have nothing to do with the DfT or any 'top down' management and are TOC wishes.
That would have been impractical on the ground of cost. The VT sets and the XC sets are different now. The VT sets have forward facing cameras, CCTV through out the train, upgraded first class galley and the hybrid coach....none of which the XC sets have. The XC sets have done away with the shop and the former luggage area on the 603 vehicle is now where the catering is run from. Not to mention the alterations to the XC fleet in removal of the hydraulic rams and replacement with steel bars as part of de-commissioning the tilt system.
But that would mean expecting 100% availability all the time, which would be pushing things a bit. It's more sensible to have a spare that you could use if one car from one of your units was damaged or something.
the 3-cars often seem to run in 2-car formations, I suppose when the third car's out of action. But the 4-car seems a good idea. That'd be useful for Portsmouth-Cardiff, though I don't suppose there'd be enough sets available to do that.
The Portsmouth-Cardiff services are set to receive new 172s.
The Portsmouth-Cardiff services are set to receive new 172s.
This electrification programme radically affects the requirements for rolling stock over the next decade. There will be far less need for diesel trains and a greater requirement for electric trains. In particular, the previously-planned procurement by the Government of new diesel trains has now been superseded.
but that's utterly meaningless as Portsmouth-Cardiff, and indeed nowhere that FGW DMUs are used outside the London District, is going to be electrified, is it? So that's completely meaningless, unless the Government are just talking about cascading 165s & 166s (only 2 or 3 years newer than 158s), to which, frankly, all you can say is "some improvement that'd be" in a sarcastic tone of voice.This electrification programme radically affects the requirements for rolling stock over the next decade. There will be far less need for diesel trains and a greater requirement for electric trains. In particular, the previously-planned procurement by the Government of new diesel trains has now been
superseded.
what refurb have the FGW units had? If any?
So that's completely meaningless, unless the Government are just talking about cascading 165s & 166s (only 2 or 3 years newer than 158s), to which, frankly, all you can say is "some improvement that'd be" in a sarcastic tone of voice.
Well, as I've pointed out before, cascading 165s and 166s to the Bristol area is already mentioned in the relevant NR route plans and RUSs, as is gauge clearance to make them usable in that area and on the Portsmouth - Cardiff route.
So electrifcation does allow for DMUs to be cascaded to the relevant area.
And what benefit would that be, apart perhaps from replacing Pacers? if they're proposing using 166s instead of 158s, then really, is that any improvement at all? So much for NR Route Plans and RUSs, if that's all they can come up with.
They've done them quite nicely, at least in my humble view. new panelling, new seats, new air con systems.
so a few 166 woule be an improvement then as at least they have decen air con and baby change. ?
The 166s or 165s could and probably would be extensively refurbished if they were to be introduced on FGW Bristol and West Country services. I reckon that it would be possible to bring the standard of the interior of a Network Turbo up to that of a 170.No; they're suburban stock with thin and narrow seats (are 166s 2+2 or 2+3; at any rate, they're no better than any other Networker). Frankly, the very idea of the Government expecting that people would believe that they were getting "New Trains" would be a bit of an insult.