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Class 484 replacing class 483 on the island line: progress updates

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Helvellyn

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Absolutely. There was genuine surprise when it was announced that the Ryde to Shanklin section was to be retained, because it really only carried significant numbers during the summer, and Beeching had argued that it wasn't in BR's interest to retain seasonal services with stock lying idle most of the time. Back in the sixties, when first electrified, the line needed no less than six seven-car trains to run peak summer services, and even then struggled to make any money. You can tell a lot about the Isle of Wight's fortunes that they now run the service with one two-car unit most of the time - the tourist traffic has pretty much entirely disappeared.

The line has only survived because it's now so politically unacceptable to close railways, but there isn't really a good case for it, besides the fact that it's quicker than the bus. It's had next to no money spent on it for fifty years, and even then most of the infrastructure was ancient and falling to pieces. Every time something has failed, it's either been removed or replaced by something cannibalised from elsewhere, and there's only so many times you can keep doing that. For the last twenty years or so, I'm sure the whole setup has only been one or two major failures away from becoming completely inoperable without a lot of money being spent on it.
I wonder how much BR owning the ferries had anything to do with it, especially the need to get people to/from Ryde Pierhead?
 
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Journeyman

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I wonder how much BR owning the ferries had anything to do with it, especially the need to get people to/from Ryde Pierhead?

Quite a lot, I think. When the use of tube stock was first being considered, one plan was to only retain the line between Pier Head and St. John's Road, with a new bus station at the latter point. The pier section was always busier than the rest of the line - for many years a frequent Pier Head to Esplanade shuttle supplemented the through trains.
 

Chris125

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Absolutely. There was genuine surprise when it was announced that the Ryde to Shanklin section was to be retained, because it really only carried significant numbers during the summer, and Beeching had argued that it wasn't in BR's interest to retain seasonal services with stock lying idle most of the time.

It wasn't that surprising - it was obvious the pier shuttle wouldn't cope alone and it was soon confirmed that adapting the pier for buses and coaches was impractical and excessively expensive, so a railway service was unavoidable.

With the plans already evolving from a Pier Head-Esplanade service to one serving a new bus station at St Johns, retaining the line through to Shanklin wasn't such a massive leap.

Back in the sixties, when first electrified, the line needed no less than six seven-car trains to run peak summer services, and even then struggled to make any money. You can tell a lot about the Isle of Wight's fortunes that they now run the service with one two-car unit most of the time - the tourist traffic has pretty much entirely disappeared.

Tourist traffic clearly isn't what it was, but that 6 train service is misleading - it only ever ran on a few summer Saturdays in the early years; otherwise the normal summer service was more like 2 or 3tph and only hourly during the winter, an incredibly inefficient operation compared to today.

Anyway, I fear we are going a tad off-topic...!
 
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Chris125

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It's all gone wrong again - only one set available, and only one carriage in passenger use!
 

Chris125

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Would that single car be adequate at this time of the year to cope with passenger loadings?

There's probably enough physical room to squeeze everyone in at this time of year (if they refuse anyone with a pram or bike), but this really isn't acceptable or sustainable especially as spring and summer approaches.
 

NorthernSpirit

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It's all gone wrong again - only one set available, and only one carriage in passenger use!

The rate its looking SWR may as well suspend the service so that they can get the units repaired, the faster the new 484's come into use the better. Just imagine if this was during July or August.
 

Peter Sarf

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The rate its looking SWR may as well suspend the service so that they can get the units repaired, the faster the new 484's come into use the better. Just imagine if this was during July or August.

I only hope that SWR might be slaughtering availability during the quiet season so as allow more comprehensive work to be done on the 483s in extended periods of downtime. So they are more ready for the summer.
 

supervc-10

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That would be logical forward planning... and therefore, I'm not sure that would apply to SWR :lol:
 

D365

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I’m impressed that he was allowed to publish that photo, especially as it looks like he may be aboard a test train unrelated to Vivarail.

But yes, asbestos removal and painting is the first stage of the process before the carriage is moved into the main workshop. Not sure when they are planning to move that to Southam.
 

hwl

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I’m impressed that he was allowed to publish that photo, especially as it looks like he may be aboard a test train unrelated to Vivarail.

But yes, asbestos removal and painting is the first stage of the process before the carriage is moved into the main workshop. Not sure when they are planning to move that to Southam.
Given the very late 1970 manufacture why Asbestos given BR had already stopped using Asbestos in new stock over a decade earlier?
 

gledhill56

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I’m impressed that he was allowed to publish that photo, especially as it looks like he may be aboard a test train unrelated to Vivarail.

But yes, asbestos removal and painting is the first stage of the process before the carriage is moved into the main workshop. Not sure when they are planning to move that to Southam.

It looks like he could have taken the photo from the public road overbridge at the end of the site perhaps?
https://goo.gl/maps/xvYJyqU2AJD26xj28
 

D365

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Given the very late 1970 manufacture why Asbestos given BR had already stopped using Asbestos in new stock over a decade earlier?

It might just be precautionary, but the D Stock carriages are definitely going through an decontamination process in a separate shed prior to repainting and refurbishment.

It looks like he could have taken the photo from the public road overbridge at the end of the site perhaps?
https://goo.gl/maps/xvYJyqU2AJD26xj28

Ah I see, at first glance it looked like it was taken on the private compound. In that case it looks like the carriage is in the process of being shunted to the main shed.
 

Dunfanaghy Rd

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It might just be precautionary, but the D Stock carriages are definitely going through an asbestos removal process in a separate shed prior to refurbishment.
It must be a precaution. I went to a talk by Adrian Shooter last week and he said that one of the plus points about the D78s was 'no asbestos'.
Pat
 

DelW

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What's the bit that looks like a destination box? That's the inner end, I think?
Ventilation grille I think - they were always there on D78s. The destination blinds (on the driving ends) were below them.
 

Mikey C

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The D78s already had a major refurbishment less than 15 years ago, so presumably if there HAD been anything nasty like asbestos, it would have been removed then anyway

Indeed the D78s could surely have been bought by SMT straight from TfL 5 years ago as they're pretty fit for purpose already, do they need the strengthening work that the 230s have got, seeing that they are on a self contained and low speed railway?
 

duffield

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Good to see them cracking on with this, given how totally knackered the 383s are now (having trouble keeping 1 unit in service some of the time let alone 2!). Hopefully they'll be more reliable on service entry than the class 230s as they're electric rather than diesel (if I remember correctly the majority of the problems on the 230s related to cooling the diesel engines?).
 

Speed43125

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Good to see them cracking on with this, given how totally knackered the 383s are now (having trouble keeping 1 unit in service some of the time let alone 2!). Hopefully they'll be more reliable on service entry than the class 230s as they're electric rather than diesel (if I remember correctly the majority of the problems on the 230s related to cooling the diesel engines?).
Yes, these won't even have the 4 rail arrangement changed, and will not have the raised suspension either. Should be much more smooth. I only worry when this stuff comes to be much older, the lack of even more units will be an issue...
 

Chris125

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While it's good to see progress, if that's the first pair of bodies I think we can rule out testing in April...

Yes, these won't even have the 4 rail arrangement changed, and will not have the raised suspension either. Should be much more smooth.

Island Line is 3rd rail?
 
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