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Class 315 Withdrawals

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The catenary collapsed on top of it earlier in the year and gouged two holes in it whilst in service on the WA route.
 
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simple simon

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Looking through my files I've found some video of 315s at Stratford which had been refurbished and given electrostar style lights - including a third light at the top.

Is that rare? Would it be of interest if I put this on YouTube?

The trains are:
315 809
315 804
(I am not sure if they still exist)
 

samuelmorris

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Looking through my files I've found some video of 315s at Stratford which had been refurbished and given electrostar style lights - including a third light at the top.

Is that rare? Would it be of interest if I put this on YouTube?

The trains are:
315 809
315 804
(I am not sure if they still exist)
That was done a long time ago, back when they were still with First Great Eastern, just before they passed to NX under 'one', who changed the refurbishment plan to no longer include new lights, but change the interior door panel colour from yellow to pink. Late 2003 / Early 2004 I believe.

Oldest video I can find is in the ex-'One' livery under NXEA - no surprise, the all-blue outgoing FGE livery (rather like how the 360s look now) only lasted a few months I think, before the technicolor stripes replaced it.

Edit: found it - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Hugh_llewelyn_315_804_(6296125218).jpg
I might be wrong about the 'a few months' bit, since that's a bit tattier than I remember them being.
 
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prod_pep

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There were four 315s which received the new lights: 804, 806, 809 and 812.

It was more a major overhaul rather than a refurbishment as the interiors remained untouched cosmetically (as I recall). The four units did, however, receive new window frames and glass as part of the overhaul. The frames are a beige colour and are also unique as the 'one' refurbishment specified black window frames instead.
 

samuelmorris

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There was no PIS back in those days (indeed not until well into Abellio's tenure) but I'm pretty sure I remember these units receiving the replacement electrically controlled doors, but in yellow rather than pink, so that there was minimal change cosmetically - I think they all still had NSE seat pattern back then too. I was surprised to see them redone in pink later on to match the others.
 

prod_pep

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There was no PIS back in those days (indeed not until well into Abellio's tenure) but I'm pretty sure I remember these units receiving the replacement electrically controlled doors, but in yellow rather than pink, so that there was minimal change cosmetically - I think they all still had NSE seat pattern back then too. I was surprised to see them redone in pink later on to match the others.

Yes, I think you're right regarding the doors. Older photos show 315806 as having new door controls fitted while still in the dark blue livery. However, just to clarify, internally the doors were painted white as part of the 'one'/NXEA refurbishment; it was the vestibule panels that were pink.
 
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Looking through my files I've found some video of 315s at Stratford which had been refurbished and given electrostar style lights - including a third light at the top.

Is that rare? Would it be of interest if I put this on YouTube?

The trains are:
315 809
315 804
(I am not sure if they still exist)
Yeah they are with london overgound
 
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64C9E3B7-B381-43A4-8CD7-842E33132BED.jpeg Seeing as the 315s are going to scrap and is becoming a declining class here is my photo at ilford in 2001
 

samuelmorris

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Yes, I think you're right regarding the doors. Older photos show 315806 as having new door controls fitted while still in the dark blue livery. However, just to clarify, internally the doors were painted white as part of the 'one'/NXEA refurbishment; it was the vestibule panels that were pink.
Sorry that's what I meant, the vestibule panels were still yellow. I think the doors might still also have been yellow though, as I believe they were originally?
 
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Thank you for that wonderful photo, really interesting to see the massive differences of the 315s and Ilford Station itself over the last 17 years.
Thank you so much I will put a tear in my eye when the last one goes do you know if there will be some sort of farewell tour for the 315
 

simple simon

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View attachment 57233 Seeing as the 315s are going to scrap and is becoming a declining class here is my photo at ilford in 2001

Just a single four car unit - must have been off-peak.

I know that many people diss Firstgroup but I was sad when First lost this franchise, as I felt that they had been decent stewards of this route.

Years later I still regret their going.

I also regret the timetable changes which may have been good for off-peak passengers but saw rush hour services slashed from over 20 trains to around 15 in the busiest hour... this in my view is a significant part of reason for the severe overcrowding we see on this route nowadays.

One day (not yet!) I will make a film showing these trains over the years. My footage goes back to blue / grey. Right now I'm slowly working on a film about the Class 306s which these replaced. I have a little super 8 film from the 1970s plus still image photos - including a few with 315's in the same image! I just wish I had filmed more...

Simon
 

samuelmorris

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Just a single four car unit - must have been off-peak.

I know that many people diss Firstgroup but I was sad when First lost this franchise, as I felt that they had been decent stewards of this route.

Years later I still regret their going.

I also regret the timetable changes which may have been good for off-peak passengers but saw rush hour services slashed from over 20 trains to around 15 in the busiest hour... this in my view is a significant part of reason for the severe overcrowding we see on this route nowadays.

One day (not yet!) I will make a film showing these trains over the years. My footage goes back to blue / grey. Right now I'm slowly working on a film about the Class 306s which these replaced. I have a little super 8 film from the 1970s plus still image photos - including a few with 315's in the same image! I just wish I had filmed more...

Simon
I regret their going too. It might have been a case of rose-tinted glasses as I was too young to be a regular London commuter back then but FGE seemed to do a reasonable job. One thing I didn't like was the use of single 4-car 315s on Sundays as that got pretty rough at Stratford, maybe not as bad as current 8-cars in weekday peaks, but it was unnecessarily restrictive.
 

Peter Mugridge

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There were four 315s which received the new lights: 804, 806, 809 and 812.

It was more a major overhaul rather than a refurbishment as the interiors remained untouched cosmetically (as I recall). The four units did, however, receive new window frames and glass as part of the overhaul. The frames are a beige colour and are also unique as the 'one' refurbishment specified black window frames instead.

Here's the two versions to compare.

The original version, as seen on 315 811, is definitely the better looking of the two.

upload_2018-12-28_13-0-0.png
 

klewer

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Looking through my files I've found some video of 315s at Stratford which had been refurbished and given electrostar style lights - including a third light at the top.

Is that rare? Would it be of interest if I put this on YouTube?

The trains are:
315 809
315 804
(I am not sure if they still exist)

From memory, the First Great Eastern plan was to paint them all blue and then add “Barbie” decals, and they also intended to replace all seating with a new, high-backed design. Unfortunately they were informed that they wouldn’t be getting the new franchise after these few units were done, so the project was quickly cancelled. Rumour has it that the new seats were even procured as part of this plan, so they were serious about getting these units up to scratch.
 

samuelmorris

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From memory, the First Great Eastern plan was to paint them all blue and then add “Barbie” decals, and they also intended to replace all seating with a new, high-backed design. Unfortunately they were informed that they wouldn’t be getting the new franchise after these few units were done, so the project was quickly cancelled. Rumour has it that the new seats were even procured as part of this plan, so they were serious about getting these units up to scratch.
I also heard there were rumours that more 360s would have been procured had the franchise renewal gone to First that presumably would have seen off some of the 317s and augmented / replaced some of the 321s. No idea if that would have actually come to pass or not, but considering what we got out of NX - other than the 379s at the very end of the franchise, it was pretty underwhelming wasn't it? Straying off-topic a bit I know, but it would have been very interesting if the 315s had received that level of refurbishment prior to the era when I commuted on them every day. I don't find them terribly uncomfortable anyway but would have made a difference - any highback seating that could have been procured before they all became hard as rock would have been very welcome!
 

Dave91131

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Class 315 Drag happening Thursday this is the loco coming down to ilford to pick it up and then go to a scrap location

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R22316/2019/01/03/advanced

Is this loco definitely taking more 315's away for scrap, or is it to take an off-lease 365 back to Crewe ex mods and bring another one down to Ilford for mods?

I ask because, according to my records, 365531 (the 5th of the 9 off-lease ones to visit) has been at Ilford since 11th Dec so theoretically should be about ready to head back to Crewe and be parked up once again.

In addition, unless there's slack in the TfL 315 fleet that I'm not aware of, I'd be surprised to see any more 315's heading off to meet their maker until either Crossrail opens or more 345's are shortened to 7-cars to take over more 315 workings out of Liverpool Street.

Any input, elaborations or corrections welcome.
 

Far north 37

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Is this loco definitely taking more 315's away for scrap, or is it to take an off-lease 365 back to Crewe ex mods and bring another one down to Ilford for mods?

I ask because, according to my records, 365531 (the 5th of the 9 off-lease ones to visit) has been at Ilford since 11th Dec so theoretically should be about ready to head back to Crewe and be parked up once again.

In addition, unless there's slack in the TfL 315 fleet that I'm not aware of, I'd be surprised to see any more 315's heading off to meet their maker until either Crossrail opens or more 345's are shortened to 7-cars to take over more 315 workings out of Liverpool Street.

Any input, elaborations or corrections welcome.
No further path from ilford forward apart from one to wembley lhs which is where the rog locos usually stable could possibly be a route learner or refresher.
 
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No further path from ilford forward apart from one to wembley lhs which is where the rog locos usually stable could possibly be a route learner or refresher.

That’s because the path is not set for it to leave ilford yet but is definitely a 315 drag
 

Far north 37

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That’s because the path is not set for it to leave ilford yet but is definitely a 315 drag
Theres also daily paths for a light engine to ilford from wembley in the system also the majority of these are unlikely to run a lot of the rog paths end up as non runners.
 
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306024

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Is this loco definitely taking more 315's away for scrap, or is it to take an off-lease 365 back to Crewe ex mods and bring another one down to Ilford for mods?

I ask because, according to my records, 365531 (the 5th of the 9 off-lease ones to visit) has been at Ilford since 11th Dec so theoretically should be about ready to head back to Crewe and be parked up once again.

In addition, unless there's slack in the TfL 315 fleet that I'm not aware of, I'd be surprised to see any more 315's heading off to meet their maker until either Crossrail opens or more 345's are shortened to 7-cars to take over more 315 workings out of Liverpool Street.

Any input, elaborations or corrections welcome.

The loco may need scrapping before it gets to Ilford as that path is a dead hit with the 11.48 Liverpool St to Braintree at Maryland ;)

There is a bit of 315 slack as there are 9 x 345 diagrams currently on the GE (including driver training) but the equivalent number of 315s haven’t all been withdrawn yet. There won’t be any more 7 car 345s above the 15 already planned, but with four of them on GW for the Hayes service the 315s soldier on.
 

gc1982

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The loco may need scrapping before it gets to Ilford as that path is a dead hit with the 11.48 Liverpool St to Braintree at Maryland ;)

There is a bit of 315 slack as there are 9 x 345 diagrams currently on the GE (including driver training) but the equivalent number of 315s haven’t all been withdrawn yet. There won’t be any more 7 car 345s above the 15 already planned, but with four of them on GW for the Hayes service the 315s soldier on.

Did I read on another thread that 9 car 345's were due to start today on the Hayes shuttle? Seems to be taking ages!
 
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