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Abellio Greater Anglia Class 755s (Regional Trains)

Railperf

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Does anyone know whether these have a cruise control / speed limiter and how it works? Definitely theses trains hold the line speed profile very closely - and more closely than when manually driven.
 
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Grumbler

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Since this is one of my areas of professional expertise, here are my thoughts.
The Software on the Train should be safe from intrusion, I doubt Stadler use a Tesla style global software update method, so no way for a Hacker to intrude. Not sure what systems a modern train has aside from Train Radio and Signalling interfaces. We consider hacking in terms of attack surfaces (methods of intrusion) I would imagine a hacker might hack the signalling system (which is not train specific) but I cannot see there being any attack surfaces (i.e. points of entry) on a train, unless someone gains access to the cabling running through the train.
That makes sense. I would have thought that software would be updated in the depot via a USB or some other cable.
 

HLE

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As far as I know, WSP, Wheel slide protection is for when under braking, It is auto power reduction that decreases/applies traction to a particular axle when accelerating under power and that axle starts to slip.

Wheel slide protection is braking, wheel slip protection is acceleration related.
 

TheEdge

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Does anyone know whether these have a cruise control / speed limiter and how it works? Definitely theses trains hold the line speed profile very closely - and more closely than when manually driven.

Yes they do. Works like any other system, maintains the selected speed.
 

Tim Regester

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When the 700s sat down en masse I thought it was said Siemens sent out updates from the office - I inferred this was via a network??
That's interesting, it may be via a global wireless network similar to Tesla's, but I would hope it uses authentication (so the train can confirm where the update is coming from) and uses a method like AES which revolves encryption keys every 30 seconds so that it cannot be hijacked by a hacker. But more sensible would be that every Depot receives the update and the train is updated via some physical method (which could be just plugging in an ethernet cable). Only an engineer on the Stadlers could answer this.

I doubt that they would update software on trains while they are on the move, aside from the safety implications, the impossibility of ensuring there is end to end communication between a central place and a moving train (which would not guarantee seamless continuous connection) would make that unviable especially for rural trains. (try getting a mobile signal on some parts of the mainline for example. But I may be wrong and they are using some specialised satellite communications mechanism.
 

Meerkat

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I can’t find any evidence of what I thought I read and what I can find talks about software drops taking a while which sounds like they are done physically.
Maybe I am confusing with Siemens being able to see what the issue was immediately from Three Bridges - ie the data was going the other way.
 

TheEdge

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I can’t find any evidence of what I thought I read and what I can find talks about software drops taking a while which sounds like they are done physically.
Maybe I am confusing with Siemens being able to see what the issue was immediately from Three Bridges - ie the data was going the other way.

That's just real time monitoring which is a different thing. The talk here is more about software updates on the fly.
 

Meerkat

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That's just real time monitoring which is a different thing. The talk here is more about software updates on the fly.

Indeed. I think the bit I was thinking about may actually have been that the Siemens control sent out what to do very quickly, but that was just an instruction to drivers and the blokes with laptops rather than anything direct to trains.
 

Carlgoss

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Looks like bringing Victoria sidings back into use is turning out to be a bit more of a problem than many thought. After having to put in substantial steel supports and concrete slabs along its full length to stop soil caving in, today several what look like large steel piles have turned up. I wonder if it’s to support the mainline side because the sidings appear to have been dug quite deep. Interesting.. and expensive I reckon.
 

dk1

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Looks like bringing Victoria sidings back into use is turning out to be a bit more of a problem than many thought. After having to put in substantial steel supports and concrete slabs along its full length to stop soil caving in, today several what look like large steel piles have turned up. I wonder if it’s to support the mainline side because the sidings appear to have been dug quite deep. Interesting.. and expensive I reckon.
Could they be for the OHL equipment?
 

dk1

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Could well be. They look familiar. Do you reckon they plan to store 745s there then?Would make sense with the Crown point storage area and MNR with no overheads.
It is for 745s. Upto four sets will remain there overnight with drivers taxied to/from Norwich.
 

Carlgoss

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Convenient signal failure at Trowse let me capture these. I notice that 'Shook' is still about.. That graffiti 'person' has been in the area for years, carriages, bridges, OHL, side of factory, nothing seems to escape.
shook.jpg tube.jpg
 

twpsaesneg

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Convenient signal failure at Trowse let me capture these. I notice that 'Shook' is still about.. That graffiti 'person' has been in the area for years, carriages, bridges, OHL, side of factory, nothing seems to escape.
View attachment 69004
That bottom photo is a 610 CHS OLE foundation, you can see the bosses on the far end for bolting down the mast.

Edited to add - CHS = Circular Hollow Section
 

LAX54

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Looks like bringing Victoria sidings back into use is turning out to be a bit more of a problem than many thought. After having to put in substantial steel supports and concrete slabs along its full length to stop soil caving in, today several what look like large steel piles have turned up. I wonder if it’s to support the mainline side because the sidings appear to have been dug quite deep. Interesting.. and expensive I reckon.

Victoria was always planned for the 745s :)
 

trebor79

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Automatic tap sensor in the bog definitely needs relocating or at least adjusting on some of these units.
The sensor appears to be right next to the spout, but I think its poorly installed on at least some and is point away from it. So it only activates when you hold your hand to one side. Then it shuts off almost immediately you try to get your hands wet. After about half a dozen attempts there's a clunk from behind the panelling and that's it, no more water. 410 is particularly bad, so I ended up having to just dry my hands with soap on them.
All it needs is a few seconds delay between the sensor no longer being activated and the water shutting off.
Oddly, the soap dispenser on this one at least has been modified to a push action instead of a pull, so that's one positive!
 
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trebor79

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It is for 745s. Upto four sets will remain there overnight with drivers taxied to/from Norwich.
This might be a dumb question, but why will this be necessary? There's less 745s than loco hauled sets, and none of those need to be outstationed.
I'm sure there's a good reason, but I'm puzzled!
 

dk1

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This might be a dumb question, but why will this be necessary? There's less 745s than loco hauled sets, and none of those need to be outstationed.
I'm sure there's a good reason, but I'm puzzled!
That's a good point & it may be due to the larger number of BMUs, the fact that a 745/1 returns to Crown Point each night too & also that not all IC roads at Crown Point can accommodate 12-car sets. It may also be that Victoria Sdgs may see far less use after the legacy stock goes.
 

eastdyke

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This might be a dumb question, but why will this be necessary? There's less 745s than loco hauled sets, and none of those need to be outstationed.
I'm sure there's a good reason, but I'm puzzled!
If my rough sums are correct, the recent (before the 3 x 170 departures) DMU fleet had a combined length of around 1285m.
The new BMU fleet has a combined length of around 2854m (ie more than double!).
Clearly not all will be at CP at any one time, but juggling 38 units at that length will need a lot more siding space than the legacy fleet of just 26 units. And the new stock will need to re-fuel more frequently too.
[Who says GA did not order enough stock? ;)]
 

trebor79

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Can the 755s in theory be extended in the future by the addition of intermediate cars? The 4 car train from Cambridge around 5pm this evening was full and standing.
 

eastdyke

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Can the 755s in theory be extended in the future by the addition of intermediate cars? The 4 car train from Cambridge around 5pm this evening was full and standing.
Where there many standees after Ely? The GA only fares between Cambridge and Ely are very attractive to many.
 

trebor79

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Where there many standees after Ely? The GA only fares between Cambridge and Ely are very attractive to many.
It did empty out a lot, but there were only a handful of seats left. Definitely would have been standing room only on a 170. I can see there being an uplift in patronage with nice new trains.
 

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