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  1. hooverboy

    DB Cargo Class 67's up for sale

    What is the utility value of the loco? CL67 have poor tractive effort, poor route availabiltiy,and poor reliability. Scrap value(in working order) of a CL37 is higher ,because it can do a lot of stuff extra that a CL67 can't, even despite being 60 years old.
  2. hooverboy

    Northern Tender for up to 450 units

    I wouldn't disagree. Northern looking at replacing the 150's/769's and prospectively old "pacer" routes, I would be having a wager on some 20m stock being ordered.End gangways as per 150/2, and powered centre cars if they decide to have them in a 3/4 car formation. With PRM,capacity is reduced...
  3. hooverboy

    Fault free introduction of new trains

    The other bee in the bonnet is lack of production volume. Typically an order for some type of stock will be in the region of several tens or hundreds of units,so it's not like a car production line that will be rolling off hundreds per week. The lack of quantity generally means that iterations...
  4. hooverboy

    Chiltern electrification alternatives being studied...

    You want crazy then lets go nuclear!!!! Well,maybe not quite as crazy as it sounds, as some freight marine vessel companies are starting to take a look at the concept. If a less "reactive",lower yield,and less polluting source of fission can be conjoured up,then coupled to a battery for...
  5. hooverboy

    New fleet woes general reasons or excuses

    That is sort of yes,and no though, isn't it? A few of these microfleet hybrid projects have tried to incorporate additional engine management and traction systems,in what was a typically "no bells or whistles" vehicle,run on a budget,and come off much the worse. While touted as being a super...
  6. hooverboy

    Class 700 reliability

    The class 700 are mechanically very reliable.When they run,(more often than not the cause of cancellation is crew-related),they are robust and punctual. The main quirk with these units is the aesthetics and the interior,not the stuff that makes it go.
  7. hooverboy

    Future of SWR's class 158/159 fleet

    I'd certainly agree with some diesel/750v bimodes for SWR.Also needed on southern to replace the uckfield/oxted stock. There's not much point in doing micro-fleets,so an MU that can cover all those bases would be preferable. Stadler would seem like the obvious choice,but they need to put those...
  8. hooverboy

    Future Local Branch Line Trains

    That solution would make a lot of sense,if southern and SWR put in a joint tender for stock of that sort. I definitely think end gangways would be required though.There's quite a lot of split operation on SWR.I don't see any reason why Stadler could not make a unit like that. The DfT sanctioning...
  9. hooverboy

    Rail electrification possible for 95% of UK freight trains, CILT research reveals

    Indeed. ESG scores in the business world are likely to become more important,so there is potentially more investor backing of companies that can do good green initiatives,or at least put out a good sales pitch that they are.
  10. hooverboy

    Why Are Some Straight Lines So Slow?

    Indeed.There are several bits of very straight track on the anglia branches,however some of it is crossing some very soft ground with a lot of give underneath.Needless to say the speed and type of stock allowed is restricted. Case in point would be the incident with one of the GA flirts...
  11. hooverboy

    GTR - “Cut-price train tickets to lure commuters back on Mondays and Fridays”

    This is a lesson in how to make life difficult. Instead of all these loyalty schemes and advance tickets, just price monday to friday as either "off peak" or "weekend" rates,and do it for ALL fares.TVM included. Much easier for everyone to understand,and it only requires a tweak or two from...
  12. hooverboy

    Marston Vale line suspension over - FULL services start running 19/02/24

    Those transit engines nearly always did sound like they were being revved pretty hard.It's not exactly a surprise that they were giving up on such a frequent basis. With regard to the "failures", I was very much of the understanding that the defective ones were rotated out,but I think it...
  13. hooverboy

    Marston Vale line suspension over - FULL services start running 19/02/24

    if I was to be really pedantic,then why not trial a few new more efficient engines as a test case on that line. ROSCO and TOC have basically lost nothing as there's no service at all at the moment,and the previous vivarail service was always breaking down anyway! if they want to trial super...
  14. hooverboy

    Marston Vale line suspension over - FULL services start running 19/02/24

    probably a bit of a stretch,but what would be the issue with getting a couple of "spare" 156's, and retrofitting a sliding door with a t key at each of the drivers ends? lock the back door out of use on each trip,and then get the guard to announce only the front 3 in operation.(guard to dispense...
  15. hooverboy

    Class 185 future

    So if SWR ,for instance, wanted the 185's as 158/9 replacements, what would stop them from ordering several unpowered trailer carriages to work as intermediate coaches in such a consist? 5 car formations with the power output they presently have would work.The only let-down is the absence of...
  16. hooverboy

    Future of SWR's class 158/159 fleet

    I think it would be different strokes for different folks. I think some kind of Bi or tri-mode 3rd rail+deisel multiple unit is definitely required.Not just by SWR but southern as well ,for the uckfield+oxted lines.It would be best for a collaboration between the TOC's to discuss and finalise...
  17. hooverboy

    Alternative to the Class 769?

    There is definitely still a need for 20m long type dmu or dmu hybrids.That has absolutely got to be looked at quite soon,given how long it is taking from tendering to actually being on the rails.3 years is optimistic.Given software issues and disputes over roles and training it is closer to 5...
  18. hooverboy

    GWR Class 769 information. (Units no longer with GWR - Off Lease March 23)

    Well, they are ultimately porterbrook's liability to "sweat off". The ball is firmly in their court re: 769's. There is no bad product,only a bad price.These things either go for scrap,or the lease rates on them will be on a par with pacers when they were first taken private. Given their...
  19. hooverboy

    Alternative solutions for the Marston Vale Line

    Well it's been done before on marston vale.It used to be top and tail 31''s. Let's have a bit of a laugh and sequester 2 hst power cars and a trailer open!That will go like stink! not that it will ever happen. in all honesty the best solution is for LNWR and EWR to just bite the bullet and...
  20. hooverboy

    Alternative solutions for the Marston Vale Line

    What about a 2 car 755? There's only doors are in the centre of the carriage,so could accommodate a small platform with no need for SDO. At a rough guess the doors would be sited at 11m and 38m.

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