class 185

[tpe]

Class 185s have replaced all class 158s on the First transpennine express routes and I have to say I think it is good thing but I have heard people say that it is a bad thing and that the class 158 should stay on. I have to say that I prefer the class 185 then the 158 after travelling on both. just wondering if anyone here have travelled on them and which you prefer?

 

[tedted]

The seats on 158s are much more comfortable! Last August, I had the misfortune to travel on a 185 all the way from Sheffield to Doncaster! It was so uncomfortable! I dread to think what it would be like to travel all the way from Manchester Airport to Newcastle!

 

[tpe]

Have to admit there not as comfy as 158s but having travelled on them from
Manchester to cleethorpes
Manchester to york and back
Manchester to blackpool and back

I think there fine :razz:

 

[djw1981]

185's are in my opinion a much firmer ride - you feel all the 'bumps' in the track and due to the less comfortable seats you get a sore back (a la Pendelino backache). they are also gas guzzlers and heavier and thus inflict more damage on teh rail network.

Refurbished 158's are very nice as long as a comfortable seat is chosen, with good ride quality & big windows. If you are comparing a 185 to an unrefurbished 158, then the 185 will always come out on top - it is new(!) with mod-cons, newer engineering and is still shiny. the 158's are tired and need some TLC which many fleets are now getting.

 

[First ScotRail]

The 185 STD seats hurt your ar*e but 1st class are ok...the voyager and pendolino seats are quite comfortable in my opinion better than gner seats which i also find very uncomfortable.

 

[VTDan]

Yeah GNER 225 seats are horrid. But i adore HST seats!! So comfortable. Definately 158s as you just 'sink' into the seats. Unfortunately i did have to travel on a 185 from NCL to MAN and yes very uncomfortable! I'm doing it this friday actually but at least i'll be first class

 

[tedted]

I traveled from Chesterfield to Edinburgh today (as you've probably already read); I traveled first class there and standard back. The seats in both classes are hard, but to a comfortable degree. They certainly don't overdo it like the 185s.

185 seats are okay for Stockport to Sheffield (one hour) which I did last Saturday, but I dread to think how bad it would be for a 4-hour journey!

 

[Nym]

most of the 158's i've been on are NT, Ex CT and wrecked, I like the 185s for the power points, even better when the rails can take em, and I like a firm ride

 

[ChrisCooper]

Hard seating is IMHO the worst thing about modern trains (well, modern transport in general). A lot of it comes from cars where hard seats are also common, but then they can be adjusted for height, back pitch, back support, headrest position, and sometimes more. Train seats, particularly standard class, are just fixed, so anyone who doesn't fit the standard dimensions isn't going to be that comfortable. They also need you to sit in a specific way for comfort, which is a problem as people like to relax on trains, even go to sleep. Again, in a car, the occupier of one of the seats, which in many cases is the only occupant of the car, is not in any place to relax or sleep, infact it's better for them to be less comfortable and less relaxed. I do wonder if a lot of it has to do with how people today are coming with more of their own padding (fat) so don't need so much padding on the seats?

 

[Max]

I thought it was more to do with new saftey regulations for new-build trains, but then again, first class seats still seem to be pretty well padded so it would seem a bit odd! Could just be down to money. When going on TPE thesedays, I generally prefer to get a 170 over a 185, as the seats have a bit more padding, and there's the added benefit of declassified first class (I've never failed to get a seat in that section!). On a slightly of-topic note, didn't TPE say they were going to 'refresh' the 170s? Is this ever going to happen?

On the 158 front, generally the ex-Central/Wessex/Metro ones are pretty rubbish on Northern, whilst the ex-FNW ones are a fair bit comfier (more padding, better seat cover conditions. The newly refurbished ones are actually very nice! They look pretty tidy, and have lots of padding - very comfy!

 

[adambro]

From my point of view the 185s are a great improvement over the 158s. I'm quite tall and always found the leg room on 158s somewhat lacking. Not really noticed a problem with the harder seats and I've travelled on the 185s extensively. The harder seats are apparently something to do with fire regulations.

 

[Jonfun]

185s for air-con, 158s for seats and aesthetic pleasure. I prefer the wood to the plastic they stick on the desiros. Also, I detest the 1/3 2/3 style doors on the 185s - It makes them commuterish. The auto announcer speaks rubbish too.

 

[adambro]

Regarding the doors, one thing I don't like is that the conductor works the train from a door straight onto the cab. Whereas previously you could nip onto a train at the last minute before the conductor closed the last door, that isn't possible any more because all passenger doors close at once.

 

[djw1981]

Does that mean that they could be DOO?

 

[Jonfun]

Regarding the doors, one thing I don't like is that the conductor works the train from a door straight onto the cab. Whereas previously you could nip onto a train at the last minute before the conductor closed the last door, that isn't possible any more because all passenger doors close at once.

Ah the old 'Piccadilly Dash.' A game I invented after it happened several times - Wait on the metrolink platform at Piccadilly gardens. You wait, and either a tram turns up, and you get the train, or it doesn't:
You hang on as long as you can at the platform, then sprint down the road, up the stairs, across the bridge. Then you slow down to avoid slipping on unmarked wet floors at Picc, up the travolator, show your ticket, run down to the platform and jump in the conductors door, just as he's about to close it. It keeps the adrenaline pumping and the heart healthy.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

I much prefer the 185s! I got "treated" to a 23 minute dash up the ECML last year on a 158, and my ears were still ringing the next morninng! The cabs on the 185 are pretty cramped! Ive been in a couple Route Learning! Not much room.