Class 321 storage/scrapping

[D7672]

The 322s will be scrapped in situ as the hxa's are in the other yard of where I reported units been readied to be broken up,like de bodied 1st and then the sub frame last,but anything goes with their cutting crew

 

[Ewan M]

Quite possibly gone by the end of this week, Sims are reputed for not hanging about!

They waste no time in dismantling and shredding anything that arrives

 

[D7672]

Sims are only now clearing all class 456 and 455 remains plus 319,322,321s what was left of first 2 deliveries

 

[3973EXL]

Confirming running through Camden Road with 37884 Cepheus the grim reaper doing the honours taking the final pair off 322 for scrap. R.I.P. 322s another sub class gone. 322484 and 322483 on rear.
3224 class what a Stirling service and from Scotland to the Stansted Express.
First North Western London Euston to West Yorkshire. R.I.P.
37884 Cepheus so epic with a lovely throttle sound and roar.

322485 not 322484

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Confirming running through Camden Road with 37884 Cepheus the grim reaper doing the honours taking the final pair off 322 for scrap. R.I.P. 322s another sub class gone. 322484 and 322483 on rear.
3224 class what a Stirling service and from Scotland to the Stansted Express.
First North Western London Euston to West Yorkshire. R.I.P.
37884 Cepheus so epic with a lovely throttle sound and roar.

322's started on the Stansted Express before moving to the general pool until transfer to Scotland. 321/9's started on the WYPTE Donny-Leeds services replacing clapped out slam door 304/5/7 units before Northern came into being.

I'm guessing all the units at Gasgoigne Woods will be going for scrap now. Are there any at Wolverton?

 

[Razorblades]

VSTP 22/09 5Q25 1245 Gascoigne Wood - Booths
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:80578/2022-09-22/detailed

Service cancelled.

 

[geoffk]

Roger Ford writes, in an item on ex-BR stock still in service, "perversely, given the pressure to decarbonise the railway, most of the ex-BR fleets facing an early visit to the scrapyard are Electric Multiple Units. Similarly, the survivors are dominated by the 1980s Sprinter and Super Sprinter DMUs."

 

[Razorblades]

Roger Ford writes, in an item on ex-BR stock still in service, "perversely, given the pressure to decarbonise the railway, most of the ex-BR fleets facing an early visit to the scrapyard are Electric Multiple Units. Similarly, the survivors are dominated by the 1980s Sprinter and Super Sprinter DMUs."

Absolutely right, and 100% squarely the product of the way franchise competitions were circumscribed and scored in the last ten years of the Privatised industry.

 

[Ilovetrains43]

Update on Class 321 & Class 322s:
Greater Anglia:
321 301 through 321 330, 321 403, 321 447, 321 903, 322 483 through 332 485.
Eversholt:
321 334, 321 428, 321 429
Off Lease:
321 331 through 321 333, 321 335 through 321 343, 321 406 through 321 410, 321 421, 321 423, 321 424, 321 426, 321 427, 321 430 through 321 434, 321 436, 321 439 through 321 441 and 321 444.
Converted to Class 320s:
321 401, 321 402, 321 404, 321 411 through 321 418 and 321 420.

Not mentioned trains are scrapped.

 

[warwickshire]

322's started on the Stansted Express before moving to the general pool until transfer to Scotland. 321/9's started on the WYPTE Donny-Leeds services replacing clapped out slam door 304/5/7 units before Northern came into being.

I'm guessing all the units at Gasgoigne Woods will be going for scrap now. Are there any at Wolverton?

8 still at Gasgoine Wood and quite a few at Wolverton especially the ex 3213 series.

 

[warwickshire]

322485 not 322484

Apologies 485 was on front with 483 on rear. From a mistype on mobile.

 

[warwickshire]

Service cancelled.

Maybe Booths are still processing the two which got sent there recently.
If Booths do get the other 321 from Gasgoine Wood this could be a lengthy slow process as they take a lot longer than Newport. However will any 321 ex Gasgoine Wood go to Newport Docks though?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

322's started on the Stansted Express before moving to the general pool until transfer to Scotland. 321/9's started on the WYPTE Donny-Leeds services replacing clapped out slam door 304/5/7 units before Northern came into being.

I'm guessing all the units at Gasgoigne Woods will be going for scrap now. Are there any at Wolverton?

That's not entirely accurate. Ordered for Stansted, occasionally showed up on other GN or West Anglia routes. Early privatisation they went to North Western Trains for their Manchester Airport to London services. When those were axed they had a bit of a nomadic existence for a while covering for 321s and 317s on various routes, it was quite odd seeing the old NWT Gold Star livery at Kings Cross. Next permanent home was Scotland for North Berwick services, replacing the short 90-hauled sets, before moving to Northern to supplement the 321/9s and 333s, and remove the last diesel diagram from the Airedale & Wharfedale lines.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

That's not entirely accurate. Ordered for Stansted, occasionally showed up on other GN or West Anglia routes. Early privatisation they went to North Western Trains for their Manchester Airport to London services. When those were axed they had a bit of a nomadic existence for a while covering for 321s and 317s on various routes, it was quite odd seeing the old NWT Gold Star livery at Kings Cross. Next permanent home was Scotland for North Berwick services, replacing the short 90-hauled sets, before moving to Northern to supplement the 321/9s and 323s, and remove the last diesel diagram from the Airedale & Wharfedale lines.

Oh yes, I forgot about the Manchester Airport services.... cheers for that

 

[Razorblades]

Oh yes, I forgot about the Manchester Airport services.... cheers for that

Yes, I too had forgotten about those - and we presumably looked after them at Longsight ETD! Unless it was just before my time.

EDIT to add: they were with NWT 1997-99 according to sources, so they possibly were heading back to WAGN by the time of my involvement.

 

[warwickshire]

Yes, I too had forgotten about those - and we presumably looked after them at Longsight ETD! Unless it was just before my time.

Yes they was at Longsight. Also one passenger train in the morning they was booked on was the 0751 Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly semi fast known as the rail house workers train. Before working ecs to the Airport to form a train mid morning to London Euston.
Which then saw the service 305 for a while. Another class which the 322 class also helped to replace. Remember well at Longsight myself parked alongside the 305 309 323. Happy times back then

 

[fgwrich]

That's not entirely accurate. Ordered for Stansted, occasionally showed up on other GN or West Anglia routes. Early privatisation they went to North Western Trains for their Manchester Airport to London services. When those were axed they had a bit of a nomadic existence for a while covering for 321s and 317s on various routes, it was quite odd seeing the old NWT Gold Star livery at Kings Cross. Next permanent home was Scotland for North Berwick services, replacing the short 90-hauled sets, before moving to Northern to supplement the 321/9s and 333s, and remove the last diesel diagram from the Airedale & Wharfedale lines.

Pretty sure they had another Stint on the Stansted Express. I remember travelling in one from Edinburgh to North Berwick, having just arrived from the South, complete with either Yellow or Green and white Stansted Express branding.

 

[Neptune]

322484 came to Neville Hill in NWT gold star livery in 2005(?) to cover for 321/9’s whilst they were refurbished.

Originally 321347 was borrowed from FGE but was unsuitable due to the lack of NRN. It hung around Neville Hill for a few weeks before going back and 322484 replaced it.

The 322 wasn’t suitable for certain services due to the original 2+2 seating capacity (1720 LDS - SKI for instance) so ended up on its own diagram which proved to be a bit too restrictive from a fleet point of view.

It was replaced by 321420 from Silverlink which in turn was replaced by 321407 (might have been the other way around with those 2).

 

[Wivenswold]

Filling in a little bit of the puzzle, in 2004 they transferred to Ilford in NWT trains colours including some with gold stars allowing the final Class 312 diagram to be replaced with non-slam-door stock.
They were very unpopular on the GEML back in 2004 due them being in a dire state and quickly found themselves replaced by Class 317s (a rarity on the GEML on weekdays back then) . The 322s got the proper refurbishment they deserved when they went off to Scotland.

A rare incidence of a micro-fleet being in demand all of their expected 30 year working lives. A credit to the build quality from BREL Limited too.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

322484 came to Neville Hill in NWT gold star livery in 2005(?) to cover for 321/9’s whilst they were refurbished.

Originally 321347 was borrowed from FGE but was unsuitable due to the lack of NRN. It hung around Neville Hill for a few weeks before going back and 322484 replaced it.

The 322 wasn’t suitable for certain services due to the original 2+2 seating capacity (1720 LDS - SKI for instance) so ended up on its own diagram which proved to be a bit too restrictive from a fleet point of view.

It was replaced by 321420 from Silverlink which in turn was replaced by 321407 (might have been the other way around with those 2).

Remember occasionally catching Silverlink 321s from Leeds to Wakefield Westgate on the odd occasions they were on loan. Definitely remember having 321420 a few times. Never had a 322 (or even saw one) in Yorkshire until they came here permanently though.

 

[Bikeman78]

Roger Ford writes, in an item on ex-BR stock still in service, "perversely, given the pressure to decarbonise the railway, most of the ex-BR fleets facing an early visit to the scrapyard are Electric Multiple Units. Similarly, the survivors are dominated by the 1980s Sprinter and Super Sprinter DMUs."

If they had pulled their finger out and wired all the lines around Manchester we could have 323s or dusty bins on everything for a few years until funds could be found for new trains. Then the 150s would be going in the bin (or to TfW) instead.

 

[Crossover]

For old times sake, here is a photo of my last journey on one of the ex Northern ones. 322483 at Harwich Town on 7th Sep 2021

 

[Islineclear3_1]

For old times sake, here is a photo of my last journey on one of the ex Northern ones. 322483 at Harwich Town on 7th Sep 2021

Nice pictures. 322.483 was my last photo

 

[D7672]

Only one coach from 322485 exists,322483 Only just four until next week.
Sims newport 23rd September 2023

 

[Ewan M]

Only one coach from 322485 exists,322483 Only just four until next week.
Sims newport 23rd September 2023

I had a feeling Sims wouldn’t be wasting time in taking them apart

 

[driverd]

Absolutely right, and 100% squarely the product of the way franchise competitions were circumscribed and scored in the last ten years of the Privatised industry.

Sorry - no. The quoted chap is getting a damp eyes over 1980s/90s EMU that are as equally life expired as the DMUs. They all belong in the scrap yard, as, frankly, its embarrassing that in the 7th largest global economy, were asking people to pay through the nose to commute on 40 year old trains lacking basic facilities.

The fact the DMUs survive has nothing to do with privatisation - its squarely the fault of the last 15 years or so of government who have failed to deliver any electrification.

Back on topic, I'm a little sad to see the loss of the 321/9s - many childhood memories of these units. However, as a grown up, I realised they were pretty grim trains with horrifically uncomfortable seats. So ciao trains, was nice knowing ya.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Sorry - no. The quoted chap is getting a damp eyes over 1980s/90s EMU that are as equally life expired as the DMUs. They all belong in the scrap yard, as, frankly, its embarrassing that in the 7th largest global economy, were asking people to pay through the nose to commute on 40 year old trains lacking basic facilities.

The fact the DMUs survive has nothing to do with privatisation - its squarely the fault of the last 15 years or so of government who have failed to deliver any electrification.

Back on topic, I'm a little sad to see the loss of the 321/9s - many childhood memories of these units. However, as a grown up, I realised they were pretty grim trains with horrifically uncomfortable seats. So ciao trains, was nice knowing ya.

I always quite liked those seats (the originals), they had a spring to them that vaguely reminded me of the slammers they replaced. The main problem was they were a bit low for the height of the windows of the units they were in. If they were being dismantled by a more meticulous scrapper I'd be tempted to try getting some rescued from Rotherham!

 

[Razorblades]

The fact the DMUs survive has nothing to do with privatisation - its squarely the fault of the last 15 years or so of government who have failed to deliver any electrification.

With respect, the failure to electrify properly is/ was/ has been everything to do with privatisation.

 

[Richard Scott]

With respect, the failure to electrify properly is/ was/ has been everything to do with privatisation.

And a very apathetic Labour government who, I believe, electrified absolutely nothing or, at the most, a few small infills?

 

[Class360/1]

And a very apathetic Labour government who, I believe, electrified absolutely nothing or, at the most, a few small infills?

Only a 39mi length route