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Class 350/1 refurbishment

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Mordac

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Just saw on my train this morning that LNR seem to be taking an interesting approach to seat refurbishment in 350/1s.... 20190227_095725.jpg
 
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Kite159

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Better than some of the thread-bare seat bases before.

The 350s are probably due for a good interior refurbishment (i.e. plug sockets, new carpets/seat covers)

(come to think of it, if the 350/1 & 3s were fitted with plug/USB sockets at every pair of seats it would be another advantage over a 390 with plug sockets only at the tables)
 
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jcc

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Oops, just noticed this thread. Just posted some renders of the refurbishment here.
 

sd0733

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Just saw on my train this morning that LNR seem to be taking an interesting approach to seat refurbishment in 350/1s.... View attachment 59718
Unless theres 2 knocking about thats one of the driving coaches of 350104, its a right mess, some of the bases are old worn blue, some are new blue ones, some new green ones and some green ones which are obviously ex /2 as they are worn, filthy and thinner. Not sure what happened to it to require that. Hopefully itll be one of the first to go in.

Looking at the renders, its a real shame that there look to be no additional sockets fitted. Huge oversight if thats the case. Do generally look nice though.
 

Mordac

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Unless theres 2 knocking about thats one of the driving coaches of 350104, its a right mess, some of the bases are old worn blue, some are new blue ones, some new green ones and some green ones which are obviously ex /2 as they are worn, filthy and thinner. Not sure what happened to it to require that. Hopefully itll be one of the first to go in.

Looking at the renders, its a real shame that there look to be no additional sockets fitted. Huge oversight if thats the case. Do generally look nice though.
I didn't get the number but it was definitely a driving coach. I always try to get in the front coach to be closer to the B end of New Street. Didn't notice any former 350/2 ones though, they all looked like they are from 3s.
 

Bletchleyite

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I didn't get the number but it was definitely a driving coach. I always try to get in the front coach to be closer to the B end of New Street. Didn't notice any former 350/2 ones though, they all looked like they are from 3s.

/2 bases won't fit /1 seat frames, they are a couple of inches narrower. They must be out of a /3.
 

xc170

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The build quality of the 350's really shows here, if all that really needs changing is carpets and seat covers after 10 years in service on the WCML then that's pretty good going.
 

Bletchleyite

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The build quality of the 350's really shows here, if all that really needs changing is carpets and seat covers after 10 years in service on the WCML then that's pretty good going.

As a regular passenger they are superb units. It's a real shame the money didn't stack up to do what I think would have made more sense for the south WCML - to keep the /2s and reseat to 2+2, and bring in the 360s to expand the fleet, rather than buying Aventras.
 

BucksBones

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I didn't get the number but it was definitely a driving coach. I always try to get in the front coach to be closer to the B end of New Street. Didn't notice any former 350/2 ones though, they all looked like they are from 3s.

Why would they swap seat bases between trains like that? I presume there aren’t any /3s running about with occasional grimy, threadbare brownish-blue seat bases?!
 

sd0733

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Ive had 104 today, theres a massive difference between bases. No way some of these are off a 3. 15513690956185813915961558319243.jpg
 

Andrew1395

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As a regular passenger they are superb units. It's a real shame the money didn't stack up to do what I think would have made more sense for the south WCML - to keep the /2s and reseat to 2+2, and bring in the 360s to expand the fleet, rather than buying Aventras.
Yep, best units ever on WCML. The 317s were a step change on the 310s with sliding doors and the acceleration to keep to an EBW schedule. The 321s were solid and reliable. But the 350s are again a massive improvement. It was a surprise to me that the winning franchise included fleet replacement.
 

Silverlinky

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Three weeks until the first mark 1 goes away for refurbishment.

New carpets, new seat covers, new PIS system, and new CCTV including external cameras to make them DCO ready.
 

Silverlinky

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Well...why would they spend money fitting them out for DCO if they were not intending on introducing DCO?

Well they are going to introduce DCO...thats hardly a secret. The 350's will be converted, the 730's will be delivered capable of operating ONLY in DCO mode.......

Its happening...theres no getting away from that.
 

BucksBones

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The lighter colour one isn't (as) faded (as it appears), they are different colours as new. Though I can't remember if that's true of /3s, which might mean they are indeed off /2s and only the back is narrower!

I think the /3s are one colour. I still don’t understand why all this swapping about of old seat bases is happening. Does anyyone know?
 

sd0733

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The lighter colour one isn't (as) faded (as it appears), they are different colours as new. Though I can't remember if that's true of /3s, which might mean they are indeed off /2s and only the back is narrower!
Yes the 2s have different shades but the 3s are all the same.
 

Mordac

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I think the /3s are one colour. I still don’t understand why all this swapping about of old seat bases is happening. Does anyyone know?
I'm only guessing, but I'd say they are out of replacement blue covers. Don't know why they were so keen to replace them, though, given the state of some of the other bases they never bothered. Did anyone bleed to death on that unit? Particularly bad vomit on a last train? :D
 

BucksBones

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I'm only guessing, but I'd say they are out of replacement blue covers

Er... yes, I had guessed that myself!!:D What I don’t get is why they are using OLD covers from 350/2s - and what’s replacing the old covers on the trains they’ve come out of!
 

Bletchleyite

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Well they are going to introduce DCO...thats hardly a secret. The 350's will be converted, the 730's will be delivered capable of operating ONLY in DCO mode.......

Its happening...theres no getting away from that.

It didn't happen at Northern.

It didn't happen at Merseyrail.

I reckon it won't happen at SWR either.

All that will happen is months of strikes, until it doesn't happen.

<sigh>
 

ForTheLoveOf

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It didn't happen at Northern.

It didn't happen at Merseyrail.

I reckon it won't happen at SWR either.

All that will happen is months of strikes, until it doesn't happen.

<sigh>
DCO is definitely on the cards for any or all of these operators. The question of whether there will be a second member of staff on-board is a different one, as is whether any such member of staff will be safety critical, as is whether a train can depart without the rostered second member of staff.

But unfortunately, much as the RMT have implicitly accepted DCO (subject to a safety critical second member of staff) through the agreements they have reached with the above TOCs - I agree that there are likely to be strikes.
 

DarloRich

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Just saw on my train this morning that LNR seem to be taking an interesting approach to seat refurbishment in 350/1s....

seeing that photo actually made me laugh out loud fair play!

what is the issue? better than pulling a train from service because you don't have the right moquette in stock!

The build quality of the 350's really shows here, if all that really needs changing is carpets and seat covers after 10 years in service on the WCML then that's pretty good going.

As a regular passenger they are superb units. It's a real shame the money didn't stack up to do what I think would have made more sense for the south WCML - to keep the /2s and reseat to 2+2, and bring in the 360s to expand the fleet, rather than buying Aventras.

Yep, best units ever on WCML. The 317s were a step change on the 310s with sliding doors and the acceleration to keep to an EBW schedule. The 321s were solid and reliable. But the 350s are again a massive improvement. It was a surprise to me that the winning franchise included fleet replacement.

Agreed - fantastic trains. Us regular customers really like them. Fast, reliable, comfortable and flogged hard every day. They simply do not break down in service. One in service train failure is all I have experienced using 350's on a daily basis for nearly 9 years. The qualitative difference between a 3650 and a 319 is stark even allowing for age. They are in desperate need of an internal refresh mind.

I have absolutely no idea why experts here seem to hate these trains. Everyone I know is baffled as to why they are being replaced with new trains rather than augmented with similar models. The maintenance and supply chains must be solid, the staff know the trains inside out, the customers like them. Madness to swap them for what looks, form the outside in, like an inferior product.
 

Mordac

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what is the issue? better than pulling a train from service because you don't have the right moquette in stock!
I just thought it'd look funny, and that I'd share. No criticism was intended....





Agreed - fantastic trains. Us regular customers really like them. Fast, reliable, comfortable and flogged hard every day. They simply do not break down in service. One in service train failure is all I have experienced using 350's on a daily basis for nearly 9 years. The qualitative difference between a 3650 and a 319 is stark even allowing for age. They are in desperate need of an internal refresh mind.

I have absolutely no idea why experts here seem to hate these trains. Everyone I know is baffled as to why they are being replaced with new trains rather than augmented with similar models. The maintenance and supply chains must be solid, the staff know the trains inside out, the customers like them. Madness to swap them for what looks, form the outside in, like an inferior product.
Agreed, but I do dislike the 350/2's seating. If they'd replaced it with the same seating the others have that'd be fine, but apparently the lease terms are onerous and the ROSCO may not have wanted to play ball.
 

Bletchleyite

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Agreed, but I do dislike the 350/2's seating. If they'd replaced it with the same seating the others have that'd be fine, but apparently the lease terms are onerous and the ROSCO may not have wanted to play ball.

The TOC wouldn't have done that; the new Aventras for use south of Northampton are to be 3+2 in basically the same layout as the East Anglia ones give or take the addition of First Class.
 

hwl

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Everyone I know is baffled as to why they are being replaced with new trains rather than augmented with similar models. The maintenance and supply chains must be solid, the staff know the trains inside out, the customers like them. Madness to swap them for what looks, form the outside in, like an inferior product.

The /2s have very high leasing costs.

They needed lots more stock overall, more 350s weren't an option.

24m Avetnra are comparatively cheap as you have fewer cabs per 240m train.

Aventras are much more energy efficient and lower maintenance cost but you would want a minimum decent size of new fleet.
 

Bletchleyite

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The /2s have very high leasing costs.

They needed lots more stock overall, more 350s weren't an option.

Taking the 360s from TfL and Greater Anglia may have been. OK, no gangways, but otherwise they are the same train.

Or actually what I'd have done would be to order something InterCity specific for the Trent Valley services - possibly even 125mph. Something like the CAF units for TPE would be ideal, perhaps in a 7 or 8x24m formation. Or Stadler.
 
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