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TPE Class 397 ('Nova 2') construction and updates

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amwells

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Saw 3x 397s in the sidings still Polmadie. Would anyone know which ones they were?

Really struggled to see the numbers!

Thank you
 
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Elecman

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The VCBs are extremely noisy in operation and seem to have a double ‘bang’ when both opening and closing
 

driver9000

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The VCBs are extremely noisy in operation and seem to have a double ‘bang’ when both opening and closing

The PTS1 coach has 2 VCBs which may explain the double bang you heard if you were sat in that coach (D).
 

kc_

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The PTS1 coach has 2 VCBs which may explain the double bang you heard if you were sat in that coach (D).

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but are they roof-mounted or in the electrical cabinet in the vestibule? It sounds like someone's trapped inside the cabinet, trying to kick the panel down!
 
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kc_

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Currently on 1M95 - 397004 today. Tried out a last minute res - the screen updates within 5 minutes of making the reservation, whilst the train is on the go. Quite impressive!

Still a few teething issues it would seem. I'm sat in coach B, PIS is dead, but can see it's working fine in coach C. PA has pretty bad feedback, and the carriage was boiling when I boarded. HVAC was dead in coach A. The conductor made an announcement about this, and in his own words, "These trains only have 2 options, sweltering hot or freezing cold. I think we'll try the latter for a while." Is there a good reason the HVAC is designed this way?
 

samuelmorris

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PA has pretty bad feedback
Feedback or interference? Feedback probably means the guard isn't standing in quite the right place (assuming it's a removable receiver?), but interference seems quite common on new stock - 802s, 345s, etc. all seem to have it.
 

kc_

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Feedback or interference? Feedback probably means the guard isn't standing in quite the right place (assuming it's a removable receiver?), but interference seems quite common on new stock - 802s, 345s, etc. all seem to have it.

Feedback. Conductor is using the receiver in the GOP at the door.
 

Sleeperwaking

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Still a few teething issues it would seem. I'm sat in coach B, PIS is dead, but can see it's working fine in coach C. PA has pretty bad feedback, and the carriage was boiling when I boarded. HVAC was dead in coach A. The conductor made an announcement about this, and in his own words, "These trains only have 2 options, sweltering hot or freezing cold. I think we'll try the latter for a while." Is there a good reason the HVAC is designed this way?
Do you seriously think the HVAC was purposefully designed to make everything too hot or too cold? Rather than there's something gone wrong with it that's resulted in this unfortunate mode of operation?

HVAC systems generally aim to maintain the saloon within +/-X degrees of the "set" temperature. There will be one or more temperature probes somewhere - if the saloon is below a certain reference temperature, the HVAC will go on to heat mode until back in range. Vice versa for if the saloon is too hot. What the conductor describes sounds like the system isn't getting any feedback from the temperature probes, noting that I am not a HVAC engineer.
 

kc_

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Do you seriously think the HVAC was purposefully designed to make everything too hot or too cold?

No, I don't. I can see how my post came across this way, but what I was questioning here was the fact that the HVAC controls are binary options of hot or cold, rather than something like a dial, to set the desired temperature. It is still more control than conductors were given on the 350s, which I believe are fixed temperature.
 

Bletchleyite

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Still a few teething issues it would seem. I'm sat in coach B, PIS is dead, but can see it's working fine in coach C. PA has pretty bad feedback, and the carriage was boiling when I boarded. HVAC was dead in coach A. The conductor made an announcement about this, and in his own words, "These trains only have 2 options, sweltering hot or freezing cold. I think we'll try the latter for a while." Is there a good reason the HVAC is designed this way?

Perhaps it's the case that the temperature is set (wrongly, or with a fault) at the depot, and all the guard can do is trip the relevant circuit breaker, so either too much aircon or not at all?
 

bengley

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The guard can't do anything with the HVAC on 397s. The control is with the driver and it's indeed correct that we can either turn the heating off, or on. I would imagine it will be better in summer but we'll have to wait and see.
 

MDB1images

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Perhaps it's the case that the temperature is set (wrongly, or with a fault) at the depot, and all the guard can do is trip the relevant circuit breaker, so either too much aircon or not at all?

It's a Mod/repair/upgrade that needs to happen on the PT cars(Coach B&D). On the later units it works ok so the problem seems to be solved/curable.

Most of the experienced 397 drivers if getting the nod from the guard it's too hot will put the vent fans on and then knock them off after 30mins or so(and repeat!)so it's not too hot or too cold.
It only affects certain areas of the carriage in Coach B & D (From memory can't remember the exact seat numbers), hopefully a fix will be in place soon for the remainder of the fleet.
 

tpjm

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Currently on 1M95 - 397004 today. Tried out a last minute res - the screen updates within 5 minutes of making the reservation, whilst the train is on the go. Quite impressive!

Still a few teething issues it would seem. I'm sat in coach B, PIS is dead, but can see it's working fine in coach C. PA has pretty bad feedback, and the carriage was boiling when I boarded. HVAC was dead in coach A. The conductor made an announcement about this, and in his own words, "These trains only have 2 options, sweltering hot or freezing cold. I think we'll try the latter for a while." Is there a good reason the HVAC is designed this way?

Feedback or interference? Feedback probably means the guard isn't standing in quite the right place (assuming it's a removable receiver?), but interference seems quite common on new stock - 802s, 345s, etc. all seem to have it.

Feedback. Conductor is using the receiver in the GOP at the door.

Yeah then in which case the guard should theoretically be able to stand with the mouthpiece pointed away from the PA speaker in the vestibule. I think that's how that issue is normally solved, rather than anything technical.

He'll likely have been near the speaker which will have caused it. If away from the speaker it won't happen.

It’s not down to the Guard’s use - the design is flawed. At most GOPs, the speaker is opposite the panel, but at some the speaker is immediately above. Short of getting off the train to use the handset, it’s impossible to fully kerb the feedback issue.

The good news is that this was raised a number of months ago and there is an ongoing fix planned to change how the speakers work in relation to the active GOP. Obviously this is (quite rightly) lower down the priority list than some other things so will have to be tolerated for the time being.
 
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