Abellio Greater Anglia Class 755s (Regional Trains)

[Z12XE]

The new units will accelerate much better than the 90s so will be more useful than an extra 10mph that isn’t ever used anyway.


A good example now is the 321s can keep to time no trouble when standing in for intercity. You could probably even put a 156 in and they wouldn’t be far out by the time they got to the other end especially with all the congestion!

Re. Keeping 156s. For Sheeingham I wonder how many of the other branch lines with weight issues will need them as well, there’s been a few other places speculated since the BMUs were announced.

 

[dk1]

Re. Keeping 156s. For Sheeingham I wonder how many of the other branch lines with weight issues will need them as well, there’s been a few other places speculated since the BMUs were announced.

Apparently another issue with the Sheringham line is turnaround times. For some reason that not been fully communicated yet the Flirt units will need several minutes to reset themselves when setting up cabs & the 3mins at Cromer/4mins at Sheringham will not be achievable thus throwing out the hourly service with passing at Walsham.

 

[Z12XE]

Of course the other noted issue now is the range of these things on diesel. it seems to be getting lower and lower which will be fun for outstabled units

 

[eastdyke]

Apparently another issue with the Sheringham line is turnaround times. For some reason that not been fully communicated yet the Flirt units will need several minutes to reset themselves when setting up cabs & the 3mins at Cromer/4mins at Sheringham will not be achievable thus throwing out the hourly service with passing at Walsham.

Geez . I realise that it is not that simple but FLIRTS to Cromer and ANOther unit for Sheringham?
And Felixstowe's? Turnarounds are tight on those as well.

 

[MisterT]

Several minutes to activate a cab on a FLIRT? Where is that coming from?
The time to go from the Ready to Operate state, including brake tests is maybe a minute or a minute and a half at most in my experience.

(At least, that's for our Dutch FLIRT units).

 

[dk1]

3 or 4 minutes to activate a cab on a FLIRT? Where is that coming from?
Brake tests included, it's maybe a minute or a minute and a half in my experience.

No idea it just what we've been told. Cromer can be a little tight now with GSMR/PIS as well as changing ends. The rear doors should lock out automatically at Sheringham when released on the short platforms but it's leaving little room for delays. I could see more trains omitting the Cromer-Sheringham section at times of disruption as they won't keep time. That blasted bridge at Walsham seems the major stumbling block though.

 

[47802]

From a quality equivalence perspective they should be keeping a few 170's rather than 156 although that's a bit difficult now with them going to Wales, a better solution in the first place would have probably been to keep some 170's and have slightly less flirts.

From the pictures the Bi-mode flirts look excellent trains especially for the longer distance regional runs, but for some of the local no wires branch lines they may be a bit OTT and less than ideally suited.

 

[lammergeier]

No idea it just what we've been told. Cromer can be a little tight now with GSMR/PIS as well as changing ends. The rear doors should lock out automatically at Sheringham when released on the short platforms but it's leaving little room for delays. I could see more trains omitting the Cromer-Sheringham section at times of disruption as they won't keep time. That blasted bridge at Walsham seems the major stumbling block though.

Is the alleged longer turn around time something to do with TPWS mk4? ISTR something about the self test taking longer than previously. Happy to be corrected if not. Would also explain why our Dutch friend's FLIRTS (Post above) don't have a longer turn aroud time.

 

[Z12XE]

From a quality equivalence perspective they should be keeping a few 170's rather than 156 although that's a bit difficult now with them going to Wales, a better solution in the first place would have probably been to keep some 170's and have slightly less flirts.

It will be cost and possibly capacity, although more likely Cost, Cost and Cost with a bit of consideration about cost.

They'll want 2 cars not 3 to save issues with deselect and the 156s have more seats than 2 car 170s.

 

[dk1]

Is the alleged longer turn around time something to do with TPWS mk4? ISTR something about the self test taking longer than previously. Happy to be corrected if not. Would also explain why our Dutch friend's FLIRTS (Post above) don't have a longer turn aroud time.

Not sure but wouldn't think so. I can only assume it's something to do with the diesel power pack. Hopefully all will be revealed as drivers go over to Romania for test

 

[pt_mad]

The GEML is max 100 mph (as far as I know).

They also have one set of doors per car.

Oh right will that work out efficient with one doorway per coach for the inter regional joirneys such as Ipswich? Would have thought two doors per car more appropriate.

 

[ac6000cw]

If you have more doors you will have fewer seats - and you need wide doors these days to cater for wheelchairs, bikes, prams etc.

 

[Journeyman]

Apparently another issue with the Sheringham line is turnaround times. For some reason that not been fully communicated yet the Flirt units will need several minutes to reset themselves when setting up cabs & the 3mins at Cromer/4mins at Sheringham will not be achievable thus throwing out the hourly service with passing at Walsham.

Wasn't this the reason why Class 450s couldn't be used on the Lymington branch as well, which led to the CIGs being retained?

 

[dk1]

Wasn't this the reason why Class 450s couldn't be used on the Lymington branch as well, which led to the CIGs being retained?

Not sure of that but quite probable. Timings on the Bittern line are very tight too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wasn't this the reason why Class 450s couldn't be used on the Lymington branch as well, which led to the CIGs being retained?

Just unit availability I think. 450s are sometimes used.

 

[Goldfish62]

Yes, 450s are used at weekends

 

[trebor79]

Of course the other noted issue now is the range of these things on diesel. it seems to be getting lower and lower which will be fun for outstabled units

Perhaps that's why the timetables and diagrams are being changed with their introduction? E.g. Norwich to Cambridge extended to Stansted. This means that the units which would otherwise spend all day on diesel will now run some miles on electric.
How big a deal is it to fit another fuel tank somewhere?

 

[Z12XE]

AIUI diesel tanks have been removed/reduced to help with axel weights

 

[trebor79]

Oh. Perhaps in the 3 car units they could put a couple of extra fuel tanks in the space where the "missing" engines would be. That shouldn't exceed the axle load of a 4 car unit.

Don't know what to do about the 4 cars. Perhaps Network Rail need to invest some money in track improvements?

 

[LAX54]

Apparently another issue with the Sheringham line is turnaround times. For some reason that not been fully communicated yet the Flirt units will need several minutes to reset themselves when setting up cabs & the 3mins at Cromer/4mins at Sheringham will not be achievable thus throwing out the hourly service with passing at Walsham.

Should be fun on the Felixstowe then !

 

[Loki]

From:
https://deskgram.org/rabe514

 

[transmanche]

That livery keeps making me think of this:

 

[47802]

Wow they look really fabulous, they would be great on the Manchester Barrow/Windermere run says the envious Northerner.

Seem to be comments elsewhere about turnaround time issues on more than one route and possible weight issue for the Sheringham route.

However I suspect Anglia will be going all out to try and get around these problems, its not going to look very good going from all new trains, to a couple of lines having to keep clapped out 156's, even if a 156 is a luxury in the North

 

[Rick1984]

Going back to earlier point, the toilet will have to be in middle where the low section is. Non-accessible toilets could go in the raised section.

 

[mmh]

What's the big space between the cab and the first (oddly shaped) window? Along with the above-floor engines (something last done in a British DMU in the sixties!) these seem strangely space inefficient for a new build train.

No opening windows in the cab too.

 

[43096]

What's the big space between the cab and the first (oddly shaped) window? Along with the above-floor engines (something last done in a British DMU in the sixties!) these seem strangely space inefficient for a new build train.

No opening windows in the cab too.

Traction equipment is behind the cab - the motor bogies are at the ends of the train.

Above floor engines in a DMU are more recent than that: the Class 210s had them.

 

[samuelmorris]

But the engines are in the middle?

 

[ac6000cw]

As far as I know, the middle diesel power car is just for the engine+alternator 'gensets' and presumably fuel tanks - it feeds electrical power to the traction equipment at the ends of the train when it is running in diesel mode. Otherwise the power comes from OHLE via the pantograph and transformer.

 

[whhistle]

Right, so is it yellow or no yellow?! Ha ha.
Not too sure I like the grey.
Thanks for photo.

 

[mmh]

Traction equipment is behind the cab - the motor bogies are at the ends of the train.

Wow. The more I'm discovering about these the more it seems like they're just a design for low platformed railways which for some bizarre reason a British operator has ordered despite it being unsuited. A multiple unit design which can't be altered, for example, to have gangway connections between units working in multiple, and with a corridor through an engine compartment. They sound lovely.

Above floor engines in a DMU are more recent than that: the Class 210s had them.

I'd completely forgotten about them, the experiment at what building a Thumper in a Mk3 body might be like.