Any news about the Chiltern Power-door Mk3s yet?

[Pumbaa]

Danke. Very much appreciated

 

[Peter Mugridge]

A member of on board staff today said the second rake is now at Doncaster for conversion. Also that Saturday Mk3 running is now planned for the December timetable change, but that the odd rake or two might appear on Saturdays before then once more conversions have been delivered.

 

[RPM]

I must say, having had a peek at the power door rake today I'm very impressed with what has been done. It really has a "new train" ambience. The removal of many of the toilets and the end partitions means that a few more seats have been added to each coach without altering the layout or density of the existing seating.
You can just about tell the difference between the ex-WSMR coaches and the ones that have been refurbished from ex-Virgin condition but it is subtle. The main telltale difference is the ceiling panels and lighting units.

Incidentally, the first refurbished Mk 3 for the Banbury loco-hauled set (12124) was delivered yesterday evening from Bristol Barton Hill, behind 56312. The refurbishment is understandably pretty light as this is only a temporary loco-hauled rake. As far as I can make out it seems to mainly be a deep clean with the vestibules recarpeted. The former shabby VT red livery has been replaced by BR blue & grey but with small Chiltern Railways logos at each end instead of "Inter City" lettering.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I must say, having had a peek at the power door rake today I'm very impressed with what has been done. It really has a "new train" ambience. The removal of many of the toilets and the end partitions means that a few more seats have been added to each coach without altering the layout or density of the existing seating.
You can just about tell the difference between the ex-WSMR coaches and the ones that have been refurbished from ex-Virgin condition but it is subtle. The main telltale difference is the ceiling panels and lighting units.

I hope it's got more airline seats than the WSMR interiors?

 

[RPM]

I hope it's got more airline seats than the WSMR interiors?

A few more, yes.

 

[saracen43]

I was on the 14.47 off L/SPA yesterday (67015), was passed at Warwick parkway by another silverline service going south at around 14.55, was this an unscheduled 67 run or door testing.

 

[Tyseley]

Some interior snaps for anybody who is interested:

The saloon is virtually unchanged.

Vestibule areas are quite different, they seem much more airy and open now. These seats are where one of the old toilets were.

 

[craig87034]

I was on the 14.47 off L/SPA yesterday (67015), was passed at Warwick parkway by another silverline service going south at around 14.55, was this an unscheduled 67 run or door testing.

Would of been the power door set on its test run 5H02 1424 Birmingham Moor Street-Wembley LMD

 

[Rhydgaled]

Incidentally, the first refurbished Mk 3 for the Banbury loco-hauled set (12124) was delivered yesterday evening from Bristol Barton Hill, behind 56312. The refurbishment is understandably pretty light as this is only a temporary loco-hauled rake. As far as I can make out it seems to mainly be a deep clean with the vestibules recarpeted. The former shabby VT red livery has been replaced by BR blue & grey but with small Chiltern Railways logos at each end instead of "Inter City" lettering.

If the Banbury set is temporary, what is the suituation that will trigger its retirement and what will replace it?

 

[Nym]

Realising that it's always going to be needed and completing a full internal refresh and refurbishment to the same standard then dragging in more locmotives and coaching stock from god knows where to accomadate for the massive growth on the Chiltern Route and also facilitate some cascading of additional DMUs to northern?

(Gives up living in dream land)

 

[RPM]

If the Banbury set is temporary, what is the suituation that will trigger its retirement and what will replace it?

Presumably when there are several more silver sets on the Birmingham run so 168s can be cascaded elsewhere. Also, I would imagine the Banbury coaches will themselves be required for rebuilding into plug-door silver coaches at some point in the programme.

 

[anthony263]

If the Banbury set is temporary, what is the suituation that will trigger its retirement and what will replace it?

Slightly off topic but ATW have had 67003 running around from Cardiff to Cheltenham & back today with a dvt.

Now all I am waiting to see if for some ATW liveried mk3's although I wouldnt mind if we happened to borrow one of chilterns mainline liveried rakes.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Slightly off topic but ATW have had 67003 running around from Cardiff to Cheltenham & back today with a dvt.

It would seem the dark turquoise on the 67 doesn't match the shade on the current WAG express coaches and the ATW-liveried DVTs.

Thanks to your tip-off, I've dug up a pic (not taken by me).

I wonder what the Chiltern Logo looks like on the BR blue&grey coach (haven't been able to find a photo of that). I imagine it'll look a bit odd, like the Mainline logo on the silver sets (they look very smart apart from one or two little things like that).

 

[The Planner]

Meant to be doing a passenger loading test at Moor St tomorrow so I have heard.

 

[js47604]

Realising that it's always going to be needed and completing a full internal refresh and refurbishment to the same standard then dragging in more locmotives and coaching stock from god knows where to accomadate for the massive growth on the Chiltern Route and also facilitate some cascading of additional DMUs to northern?

(Gives up living in dream land)

Up to 7 sets of engines and stock are planned.This is vital as a number of 168s are needed for the Oxford services so no cascade to Northern

 

[shaun]

A member of on board staff today said the second rake is now at Doncaster for conversion. Also that Saturday Mk3 running is now planned for the December timetable change, but that the odd rake or two might appear on Saturdays before then once more conversions have been delivered.

Do a later departure from [stn]BMO[/stn] in the week plus a Sunday service, and i'm happy. I'll never ever use LM/Virgin ever again. Always bugs me that the last departure from [stn]BMO[/stn] is at 1555, an hour or so before the end of the working day!

 

[RPM]

I wonder what the Chiltern Logo looks like on the BR blue&grey coach (haven't been able to find a photo of that). I imagine it'll look a bit odd, like the Mainline logo on the silver sets (they look very smart apart from one or two little things like that).

Check it out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmarks/7258888394/

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Do a later departure from BMS in the week plus a Sunday service, and i'm happy. I'll never ever use LM/Virgin ever again. Always bugs me that the last departure from BMS is at 1555, an hour or so before the end of the working day!

To beat the pedants to the punch, BMS is Bromley South. Birmingham Moor Street is BMO. Anyway, the final southbound service being at 15:55 wont be forever, more rakes will be introduced as time goes by and with more drivers than ever being passed 67 & DVT competent I dont think it will be unrealistic to speculate on almost all of the Moor Street - Marylebone "fast" services being loco hauled, especially if/when Oxford gets connected to Marylebone and the 168s are used for Oxford services.

 

[SprinterMan]

Sorry if this video has already been posted, but I have looked and cannot find the link so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoyZhufEOuI
The new doors look good


Adam

 

[Rhydgaled]

Check it out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpmarks/7258888394/

Thanks, works better than I thought it would, only very slighty odd-looking. Interesting that they are allowed to do that without the Intercity logos since that means it isn't a heritage livery so I'm suprised discrimination regs don't say it should have contrasting doors*. I suppose, being slam-door stock, it could be exempt from those regs until 2020 since it requires an able-bodied person to open the door for any disabled passengers.

* can we have Intercity swallow livery back on EC and GW please if those regs have been scrapped

 

[anthony263]

* can we have Intercity swallow livery back on EC and GW please if those regs have been scrapped

I going to wait and see whether anyone comes up with a pic of a class 395 photoshopped in Intercity swallow livery

 

[455driver]

The door operation looks and sounds very 444ish with the clunk as the door shuts.

 

[swt_passenger]

The door operation looks and sounds very 444ish with the clunk as the door shuts.

It was reported in one of the rail mags a while back that it includes most of the 444 door mechanism, which probably explains that...

 

[embers25]

Is there a reason why the door next to the buffet was not automated. It almost looks like a fake door now?

 

[IanXC]

Is there a reason why the door next to the buffet was not automated. It almost looks like a fake door now?

The door next to the buffet has remained as it was because its not for public use, so presumably the cost could not be justified. I bet the guards will use it for dispatch purposes, as I imagine it'll be much better than the others for that purpose.

 

[RPM]

Is there a reason why the door next to the buffet was not automated. It almost looks like a fake door now?

I'm told that fitting an automatic door would have required the entire buffet/galley module to be moved back by a couple of feet with all the pipework modifications that entails. It simply wasn't cost effective to do that.

 

[Adam_Harrison]

The door next to the buffet has remained as it was because its not for public use, so presumably the cost could not be justified. I bet the guards will use it for dispatch purposes, as I imagine it'll be much better than the others for that purpose.

They can't, it's an emergency door with no handle as such but a lever type thing behind glass. And there is no CDL panel there for them to despatch from!

 

[whhistle]

So what livery is Chiltern using then?
I thought their livery was white, but now the photo above looks like a "new" set of 1970's MK3's? #confused

 

[anthony263]

So what livery is Chiltern using then?
I thought their livery was white, but now the photo above looks like a "new" set of 1970's MK3's? #confused

Chilterns mainline livery is silver although the do have a rake of mk3's painted in BR livery although with Chiltern branding.

 

[fgwrich]

So what livery is Chiltern using then?
I thought their livery was white, but now the photo above looks like a "new" set of 1970's MK3's? #confused

Which should be most of the time, used on the peak hour Banbury Commuter services.

I presume the reason for DB repainting the ex Virgin Mk3s into the ex BR / Cargo D livery is to match the rest of the ex CD Mk3 fleet then.