Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress

swt_passenger · 10 Jan 2018

STEVIEBOY1 said:
Where about will the link from STP Thameslink join the East Coast Mainline, will they use the very old original tunnels or is a new one being built? Did the old line used to call at York Road, or was that on the BedPan line from Moorgate? I get a but confused with that area? I know the old Kings Cross Met / Thameslink Station closed in favour of the one under STP.

One of the 'very old original tunnels', the down 'Hotel Curve' was sacrificed when the new LU northern ticket hall was built. The other is still present but only used for an access route to underground plant. The replacement Thaemslink tunnels (the Canal Tunnels) were built during the main St Pancras CTRL works, but not fitted out at the time, however the railway was fully installed within the last few years and has been open to ECS traffic for quite a while.

Well off topic for this thread, but you may find this old thread useful, it includes a number of maps and diagrams that show the history of disused routes in the Kings Cross area: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/kx-thameslink-old-tunnel.52880/

RailUK Forums

tsr · 10 Jan 2018

APUK002 said:
Could be,I did tweet them once and they said in time they will be ‘connected ‘up to control ,whatever that could mean.

GTR Control have had the ability to broadcast visual PIS messages to most of the Southern fleet for quite some time, so it would not be a surprise to see the same thing rolled out quite soon on TL 700s.

trainmania100 · 10 Jan 2018

Looks like thameslink are running out of space for 700s so they're sending one to Eastbourne today.

tsr · 10 Jan 2018

trainmania100 said:
Looks like thameslink are running out of space for 700s so they're sending one to Eastbourne today.

It’s now being sent back towards Haywards Heath from Lewes, having not gone any further than the crossover at Southerham Jn. I suspect either a lack of a route conductor for the driver (TL drivers don’t normally sign as far as Eastbourne) or the route itself can't accommodate the stock for some reason.

STEVIEBOY1 · 10 Jan 2018

swt_passenger said:
One of the 'very old original tunnels', the down 'Hotel Curve' was sacrificed when the new LU northern ticket hall was built. The other is still present but only used for an access route to underground plant. The replacement Thaemslink tunnels (the Canal Tunnels) were built during the main St Pancras CTRL works, but not fitted out at the time, however the railway was fully installed within the last few years and has been open to ECS traffic for quite a while.

Well off topic for this thread, but you may find this old thread useful, it includes a number of maps and diagrams that show the history of disused routes in the Kings Cross area: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/kx-thameslink-old-tunnel.52880/

Facinating

OxtedSignaller · 10 Jan 2018

tsr said:
Many of the revenue staff on the routes south of the Thames are now diagrammed onto the routes which used to be worked by Southern trains with conductors/OBSs, therefore those trains should always have somebody rostered onto them. Other stuff may end up being a lower priority.

Been on numerous Thameslink to Horsham trains and all I have seen the Passenger Hosts do is either sit in coach 12 rear first class or sit by the disabled section where half of them don’t even bother stepping off. Never seen them make an announcement, check tickets or walk through the train. It is a dreadful to watch and will probably mean they will be off the trains before we know it.. have they got a set list of responsibilities as it may need to be enforced by management similar to what has happened to ObS

swt_passenger · 10 Jan 2018

STEVIEBOY1 said:
Facinating

Glad to be of help. There's loads of info around, it's tracking it down that isn't too easy, although the new search does seem better...

Sunset route · 10 Jan 2018

tsr said:
It’s now being sent back towards Haywards Heath from Lewes, having not gone any further than the crossover at Southerham Jn. I suspect either a lack of a route conductor for the driver (TL drivers don’t normally sign as far as Eastbourne) or the route itself can't accommodate the stock for some reason.

A class 700 has already made to Eastbourne on an overnight test trip way back before they even entered passenger service (16/03/16 after checking a friends fb Pictures). This one was sent back because of a unit defect of some discription.

APUK002 · 10 Jan 2018

tsr said:
It’s now being sent back towards Haywards Heath from Lewes, having not gone any further than the crossover at Southerham Jn. I suspect either a lack of a route conductor for the driver (TL drivers don’t normally sign as far as Eastbourne) or the route itself can't accommodate the stock for some reason.

What unit was it?

spark001uk · 10 Jan 2018

I've noticed more and more lately streaks of rusty water seem to be plaguing the bodysides of these units. On a quick glance of the roof just now I thought I saw that the metal clips on the aircon units are rusting. I could well be wrong.?

samuelmorris · 10 Jan 2018

Is there an external cleaning regime for the 700s yet? Looking at the amount of dirt on the side of the units being proportional to their age, it doesn't look like they have ever been cleaned since delivery. Early series units like 109 are disgusting.

physics34 · 10 Jan 2018

samuelmorris said:
Is there an external cleaning regime for the 700s yet? Looking at the amount of dirt on the side of the units being proportional to their age, it doesn't look like they have ever been cleaned since delivery. Early series units like 109 are disgusting.

Poor choice of livery.

They need a dark lower band. Those lower bodysides dont half pick up the brake dust.

samuelmorris · 10 Jan 2018

That's not the point though, even though plain white liveries do show it more than other colour schemes, the fact is I've been watching that grime get progressively thicker since mid 2016 when the units were introduced and don't recall seeing any evidence the units have ever been cleaned externally. Comparatively speaking TfL's tatty old 315s look immaculate.

387star · 10 Jan 2018

They are cleaned

A recent episode on the BEEB with Portillo or whatever his name is revealed it can take six hours to hand bash a 700

physics34 · 10 Jan 2018

387star said:
They are cleaned

A recent episode on the BEEB with Portillo or whatever his name is revealed it can take six hours to hand bash a 700

i was thinking that. Can't remember what he said though about the frequency at which they "hand bash" them though?

APUK002 · 10 Jan 2018

physics34 said:
i was thinking that. Can't remember what he said though about the frequency at which they "hand bash" them though?

It’ll be on catch up herehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episo...ilway-journeys-series-9-4-chichester-to-cowes, lateset delivery path today cancelled or maybe routed somewere different?

RichardKing · 12 Jan 2018

A 700 (700133) did make the journey down to Eastbourne today - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O59947/2018/01/12/advanced

So, we think it's due to lack of storage at Three Bridges? Are the sidings at Eastbourne being used like they were for the 442s?

palmersears · 12 Jan 2018

Just been through Horsham and seen a number of 700s in the sidings there. Anybody know numbers for them?

387star · 12 Jan 2018

DOO monitors are now switched off at multiple stations north of the river and taped over presumably complete removal imminent ?

700014 has that one old logo still present !

APUK002 · 12 Jan 2018

RichardKing said:
A 700 (700133) did make the journey down to Eastbourne today - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O59947/2018/01/12/advanced

So, we think it's due to lack of storage at Three Bridges? Are the sidings at Eastbourne being used like they were for the 442s?

Ah,kl.

MML · 15 Jan 2018

The First Class compartment was looking scruffy again this morning. It did improve when a customer left though.

What looked like Coco Cola or coffee stains up the wall, I can only imagine someone had shaken a drinks can and it had sprayed its contents above head height.

Meanwhile down below, the aluminium ducting (the thing that sticks out at foot level next to the window seat) is looking filthy.
It looks like the cleaners are mopping the floor but not the ducting. Surely easier to keep a relatively new train in tip-top condition from the very start, rather than performing a deep clean after months have passed.

asylumxl · 15 Jan 2018

MML said:
The First Class compartment was looking scruffy again this morning. It did improve when a customer left though.

What looked like Coco Cola or coffee stains up the wall, I can only imagine someone had shaken a drinks can and it had sprayed its contents above head height.

Meanwhile down below, the aluminium ducting (the thing that sticks out at foot level next to the window seat) is looking filthy.
It looks like the cleaners are mopping the floor but not the ducting. Surely easier to keep a relatively new train in tip-top condition from the very start, rather than performing a deep clean after months have passed.

Wasn't the cantilevered seat design specifically to allow easy floor/duct cleaning?

physics34 · 15 Jan 2018

MML said:
The First Class compartment was looking scruffy again this morning. It did improve when a customer left though.

What looked like Coco Cola or coffee stains up the wall, I can only imagine someone had shaken a drinks can and it had sprayed its contents above head height.

Meanwhile down below, the aluminium ducting (the thing that sticks out at foot level next to the window seat) is looking filthy.
It looks like the cleaners are mopping the floor but not the ducting. Surely easier to keep a relatively new train in tip-top condition from the very start, rather than performing a deep clean after months have passed.

They basically havent got enough staff to cope

Cletus · 21 Jan 2018

Which 700 was at Dollands Moor yesterday?

I like to think that when I see the 700's and 707's there I might be the 1st on this forum to see them :lol:

D365 · 21 Jan 2018

387star said:
DOO monitors are now switched off at multiple stations north of the river and taped over presumably complete removal imminent ?

700014 has that one old logo still present !

Am I right in saying it was only the 319 (and 317s in the past) that used them?

D365 · 21 Jan 2018

Cletus said:
Which 700 was at Dollands Moor yesterday?

I like to think that when I see the 700's and 707's there I might be the 1st on this forum to see them

You never know, there’ll be spies lurking around.

Peter Mugridge · 21 Jan 2018

Cletus said:
Which 700 was at Dollands Moor yesterday?

700 051, I believe, as that was reported on a Yahoogroup on Friday as having been seen in France en route to the tunnel.

westcoaster · 21 Jan 2018

There was a run one night last week from three bridges to ashford intl, via Redhill and tonbridge. Is that a first 700 along the line via godstone.

Islineclear3_1 · 21 Jan 2018

RichardKing said:
So, we think it's due to lack of storage at Three Bridges? Are the sidings at Eastbourne being used like they were for the 442s?

What about the new sidings at West Worthing - have these not been brought into use yet?

387star · 21 Jan 2018

robert7111a said:
What about the new sidings at West Worthing - have these not been brought into use yet?

What new sidings?
I remember years ago there was a shed there

Will all the littlehampton to London Bridge services become Thameslink ones?

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