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Class 321 storage/scrapping

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Geeves

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Rochdale
I am sure this has likely been asked but was there a plan besides scrapping for the 321s? They have sat powered up in various sidings and yards for what seems like years only to finally end up getting the chop anyway vs other units that came out of service on Monday and were in SIMS yard by Tuesday afternoon!
 
Charged up

Charged up

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22 Oct 2023
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28
Location
South Lanarkshire
Geeves said:
I am sure this has likely been asked but was there a plan besides scrapping for the 321s? They have sat powered up in various sidings and yards for what seems like years only to finally end up getting the chop anyway vs other units that came out of service on Monday and were in SIMS yard by Tuesday afternoon!
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Given the long-standing strong links between TS, ScotRail and Eversholt [c318/ c320/ c334/ c380 owned] surely they were pushing the fully refurbished, modern [x30] Renatus fleet as suitable for relocation up to Scotland? Maybe by keeping them in warm storage they could offer the trains as a sensible short term fix to help with withdrawal of most of the [35+ year old] class 156s plus some of the class 318s across Strathclyde. Unfortunately the TS obsession with putting up wires and wasting over £100M, to electrify the 6 miles of the EK branch, is a missed opportunity to progress, earlier and potentially less expensive, de-carbonisation roll out across many routes to the south west of Glasgow.

As an initial step TS could have re-focused electrification delivery from the EK branch to the "less difficult" route south of Barrhead towards Kilmarnock as well as progressing the fitting of batteries to some existing class 380s for East Kilbride, Kilmarnock/ Girvan and/or class 385 for Edinburgh/ Borders/ Fife. A reallocation of the existing electric fleets supported with back filling with [x30] Renatus 4-car class 321s could have delivered a more efficient fleet operation as well as offering better passenger benefits vs the money being spent to put up wires along the EK line, knock down major road bridges, close the route for 5 months in 2025 as well as increase the long term maintenance costs of the railway from OHL.

Although this would have required some initial introduction works, staff training plus minor upgrades to the C321s , such as driver CCTV, the significantly more modern Renatus 4-car units could have allowed most of the C156 fleet to be replaced and some of the elderly class 318s to be withdrawn in the next 12-15 months. This is no longer possible and we are now looking at a new EMU/ BEMU fleet arriving across central belts around 2029/30 which will create the perfect storm as it will be happening when the HSTs are also, finally being replaced!
 
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D365

D365

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11,771
Further to the post above, it’s a real pity that the Eversholt / Vivarail project didn’t come to fruition. (fitment of the Renatus units with traction batteries)
 
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Nicholas Lewis

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Charged up said:
Eversholt were keen to get the fully refurbished x30 Renatus units in to Scotland and thought by keeping them in warm storage they could offer a sensible short term fix to help with withdrawal of most of the [35+ year old] class 156s plus some of the class 318s across Strathclyde. Unfortunately the TS obsession with putting up wires and wasting over £100M, to electrify the 6 miles of the EK branch, is a missed opportunity to progress, earlier and potentially less expensive, de-carbonisation roll out across many routes to the south west of Glasgow.

As an initial step TS could have re-focused electrification delivery from the EK branch to the "less difficult" route south of Barrhead towards Kilmarnock as well as progressing the fitting of batteries to some existing class 380s for East Kilbride, Kilmarnock/ Girvan and/or class 385 for Edinburgh/ Borders/ Fife. A reallocation of the existing electric fleets supported with back filling with [x30] Renatus 4-car class 321s could have delivered a more efficient fleet operation as well as offering better passenger benefits vs the money being spent to put up wires along the EK line, knock down major road bridges, close the route for 5 months in 2025 as well as increase the long term maintenance costs of the railway from OHL.

Although this would have required some initial introduction works, staff training plus minor upgrades to the C321s , such as driver CCTV, the significantly more modern Renatus 4-car units could have allowed most of the C156 fleet to be replaced and some of the elderly class 318s to be withdrawn in the next 12-15 months. This is no longer possible and we are now looking at a new EMU/ BEMU fleet arriving across central belts around 2029/30 which will create the perfect storm as it will be happening when the HSTs are also, finally being replaced!
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Indeed but they'd rather inflict older non air con units on their passengers than take anything second hand from England.
 
fgwrich

fgwrich

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Hampshire
Charged up said:
Eversholt were keen to get the fully refurbished x30 Renatus units in to Scotland and thought by keeping them in warm storage they could offer a sensible short term fix to help with withdrawal of most of the [35+ year old] class 156s plus some of the class 318s across Strathclyde. Unfortunately the TS obsession with putting up wires and wasting over £100M, to electrify the 6 miles of the EK branch, is a missed opportunity to progress, earlier and potentially less expensive, de-carbonisation roll out across many routes to the south west of Glasgow.

As an initial step TS could have re-focused electrification delivery from the EK branch to the "less difficult" route south of Barrhead towards Kilmarnock as well as progressing the fitting of batteries to some existing class 380s for East Kilbride, Kilmarnock/ Girvan and/or class 385 for Edinburgh/ Borders/ Fife. A reallocation of the existing electric fleets supported with back filling with [x30] Renatus 4-car class 321s could have delivered a more efficient fleet operation as well as offering better passenger benefits vs the money being spent to put up wires along the EK line, knock down major road bridges, close the route for 5 months in 2025 as well as increase the long term maintenance costs of the railway from OHL.

Although this would have required some initial introduction works, staff training plus minor upgrades to the C321s , such as driver CCTV, the significantly more modern Renatus 4-car units could have allowed most of the C156 fleet to be replaced and some of the elderly class 318s to be withdrawn in the next 12-15 months. This is no longer possible and we are now looking at a new EMU/ BEMU fleet arriving across central belts around 2029/30 which will create the perfect storm as it will be happening when the HSTs are also, finally being replaced!
Click to expand...
I’m surprised TS didn’t even consider chopping them down to 3 cars and using them to replace the 318s. Granted, they aren’t much older but the refurbishment brings a considerable step up from the 318 and would allow them ti have a solely 320/321 fleet on the suburban network.
 
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skyhigh

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6,097
Nicholas Lewis said:
Indeed but they'd rather inflict older non air con units on their passengers than take anything second hand from England.
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That's complete and utter nonsense.

The HSTs are ex GWR.
The 320/4s are ex London Midland.
The 153s are from England.
They took on 365s that were ex Great Northern.

There is zero evidence that they refuse to "take anything second hand from England".
 
D6130

D6130

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skyhigh said:
That's complete and utter nonsense.

The HSTs are ex GWR.
The 320/4s are ex London Midland.
The 153s are from England.
They took on 365s that were ex Great Northern.

There is zero evidence that they refuse to "take anything second hand from England".
Click to expand...
....plus the 305s and 322s, going back further in time.
 
DBS92042

DBS92042

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1,381
Cumberland Gap said:
324 and 301 due to depart Wembley Yard to Wolverton 16/10 Loco hauled
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Is anyone able to confirm that these units were the ones that went to Wolverton? Seen a report that 321321 also went with them but not sure if this was confusion with the cancelled scrap run from Ilford?
 
G

Geml246

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Essex
DBS92042 said:
Is anyone able to confirm that these units were the ones that went to Wolverton? Seen a report that 321321 also went with them but not sure if this was confusion with the cancelled scrap run from Ilford?
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There was still a Renatus 321 at Ilford when I went past at 10 this morning.
 
P

physics34

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Sorry... without reading to far back.. the Renatus 321s at wembley are going to Wolverton for... what?
 
DBS92042

DBS92042

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B

Bigvernicus

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Linslade
maybe going to Wolverton for component recovery before going to Sims, maybe others from Wembley/Warrington will go Via Wolverton as well.
 
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Merle Haggard

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Northampton
Silverlinky said:
5Z00 shows in the system as having moved on Monday 7th, 1306 Northampton Up Sidings to Wembley Inter City depot. 321334 was the blue one. There would appear to be a 5Z01 return trip booked tomorrow evening (2038 departure from Wembley)
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Passing the Up Sidings a couple of times this week it seems to be there's just the 3 stored together, the blue one hasn't returned as far as I can see. The 3 have had the pans down, too.
 
C

class442

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12 May 2024
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Midlands
DBS92042 said:
Possibly more 321s for scrap, this time from Wolverton Works, on Monday 21/10:

Realtime Trains | 5Q88 1005 Wolverton Centre Sidings to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) | 21/10/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q88 1005 departure from Wolverton Centre Sidings to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) on 21/10/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk www.realtimetrains.co.uk
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I saw this this morning, didn't catch the number but it was a Renatus unit.
 
T

Tourveg

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10 May 2018
Messages
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321324 with 37884, 125 late at Patchway, quick video here, see channel for other similar scrap moves.
 
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