321448 demonstrator

[D365]

That's what I mean, there is no TOC that leases 317722 so GA must be taking it back.

Adam

I remember the plan being that they would trial it with passengers, leaving two carriages with an original patched-up Stansted Express interior and the other two with a brand-new example. This would be alongside mechanical testing presumably, paving the way for full fleet treatment.

 

[badassunicorn]

I think it has slidy doors between coaches

 

[jon0844]

Parcelforce/Royal mail will certainly need a big lorry to deliver that.

Parcel force would fit the carriages in, but possibly with a few dents here and there...

 

[SprinterMan]

I think it has slidy doors between coaches

They look like slidy doors, but they open inwards. It is a shame they are still there as they have never worked properly. Porterbrook have said that if/when the units get rebuilt as commuter stock they will be replaced by normal slam doors.

Adam

 

[nxea321446]

the official pictures have been released today of 321448 in rail magazine and it is due to return to greater anglia on 12th july

 

[SprinterMan]

the official pictures have been released today of 321448 in rail magazine and it is due to return to greater anglia on 12th july

Ooh excellent, I shall buy Rail when I get the chance. Hopefully Wabtec have done a good job with it, and 317722 follows shortly. From the official pictures, can you tell if it has air conditioning, and what livery is it in?

Adam

 

[nxea321446]

the unit has been fitted with air conditioning and has been repainted into greater anglias white livery with red doors but it will carry eversholt logos instead of ga logos

 

[SprinterMan]

the unit has been fitted with air conditioning and has been repainted into greater anglias white livery with red doors but it will carry eversholt logo instead of ga logos

Does it still retain openable windows?

 

[87015]

the unit has been fitted with air conditioning and has been repainted into greater anglias white livery with red doors but it will carry eversholt logo instead of ga logos

Same system as fitted to 321425 all those years ago I believe, or at least very strong elements of...

 

[nxea321446]

wabtec rail have fitted windows like what you would find on 360s, mark 3s, mark 4s,

 

[SprinterMan]

wabtec rail have fitted windows like what you would find on 360s, mark 3s, mark 4s,

Ah good, they have learned from the mistakes made with the 317/7s. Did it get AC motors as well?

Adam

 

[nxea321446]

yes the 321 is being fitted with modern lighter three phase ac traction motors

 

[jon0844]

How long until Ginger comes in to say how awful it is, and posts photos of it 'falling to bits' in just 5 minutes?

 

[Dave1987]

How long until Ginger comes in to say how awful it is, and posts photos of it 'falling to bits' in just 5 minutes?

Lol, Im looking forward to driving it. It seems ginger will moan about everything unless it is pristine brand new!

 

[ginger]

Lol, Im looking forward to driving it. It seems ginger will moan about everything unless it is pristine brand new!

quite looking forward to seeing it actually.......at least as WABTEC have done the work it should be done properly and not the shoddy workmanship of Clacton depot.....

The feedback will be interesting......

 

[badassunicorn]

Is it an Ilford based unit?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh also, one of the three 317/7's at ICS is having some kind of work done to it with regards to a new interior. Apparently, its going to be very similar to the SWT 455 interior, certainly the door surrounds/buttons look very similar. They've also got about 5 different types of seat they are testing from what I could see. One has been repainted as well into GA white/red

 

[nxea321446]

yes 321448 is an ilford based unit but is currently at wabtec rail in doncaster being modified for use as a demonstrator

 

[SprinterMan]

Just read through the Rail article, and apparently 2 vehicles will get new seats, and 2 vehicles will retain existing seats, and it will retain DC traction motors, and be fitted with AC traction motors after a 12 month period in service with GA.

Adam

 

[D365]

Just read through the Rail article, and apparently 2 vehicles will get new seats, and 2 vehicles will retain existing seats, and it will retain DC traction motors, and be fitted with AC traction motors after a 12 month period in service with GA.

Adam

So being done in a similar vein to 317722, but with the Vossloh AC traction being fitted after a period in service, as opposed to Bombardier 'Electrostar' being fitted on the 317 during the rebuild, and running the interior and mechanical trials simultaneously.

@nxea321446, that's a nice avatar of 508123 there, with Arriva livery and the /7-style lights
@badassunicorn, I thought it was only the 4 vehicles 722 being used for the public/service trial? Unless they added more units, as opposed to just the 4 carriages of that unit. People have gotten confused!

 

[SprinterMan]

So being done in a similar vein to 317722, but with the Vossloh AC traction being fitted after a period in service, as opposed to Bombardier 'Electrostar' being fitted on the 317 during the rebuild, and running the interior and mechanical trials simultaneously.

Correct

I thought it was only the 4 vehicles 722 being used for the public/service trial? Unless they added more units, as opposed to just the 4 carriages of that unit. People have gotten confused!

Only 317722 is being used in the service trial, the other units are there for testing purposes (assumed to be compatibility related)

Adam

 

[junglejames]

yes the 321 is being fitted with modern lighter three phase ac traction motors

Apparently wont be fitted yet. Will be fitted once the permanent new interior is fitted. After the 12 month preview period.

Sorry, thats already been mentioned! Ignore.

 

[badassunicorn]

has anyone got any pictures of it? I had a flick through the magazine in smiths but was in a rush and couldn't find the article =/

 

[edwin_m]

A couple of pics in Modern Railways but in a rather incompete state in the workshop so doesn't give much of an idea of what it will look like. Probably best off just imagining a 321 without window ventilators and with A/C pods above the doors.

 

[ert47]

Not sure what pics the rail mag has, but Modern Railway have their 321 article on page 88.

 

[edwin_m]

in just over a year we'll have the first sounds of Vossloh Kiepe on our shores! -Aside from the diesel 68 of course, which does look rather like a 321 from the front.

You could have heard them on Croydon trams since 2000 and on the Manchester M5000s since they first appeared. Neither of which looks much like a 321 from any angle.

 

[fgwrich]

Not sure what pics the rail mag has, but Modern Railway have their 321 article on page 88.

One thing I do find odd though about the 321 trial unit is (from the pictures) the position of the Air Con Modules over the vestibules rather than in the Desiro position of central to the coach. With station / door dwell times and the not so air tight Mk3 Unit doors is this a good place for an efficient system?

 

[edwin_m]

Might be a good idea to control draughts at source. Alternatively they might need two modules to give the necessary A/C performance or so the system still sort of works if one fails. Turbostars and Electrostars use the same configuration.

 

[swt_passenger]

You could have heard them on Croydon trams since 2000 and on the Manchester M5000s since they first appeared. Neither of which looks much like a 321 from any angle.

...and in any case won't some of the SWT 455s be already fitted with the Vossloh traction mods before this proposed 321 trial?

 

[Surreyman]

Not sure what pics the rail mag has, but Modern Railway have their 321 article on page 88.

Anyone know if the trial unit has been fitted with toilet retention tanks?
(article talks about new toilet unit meeting DDA regs etc but does not mention tanks)

 

[SprinterMan]

Apparently, Wabtec were going to keep the openable windows but Eversholt insisted that sealed windows were fitted. I'm glad someone learned their lesson