Class 387

[JaJaWa]

New issue for me on a Class 387 this evening... walked in on someone using the accessible toilet, even though they had the door locked!

The sliding lock thing was on the Locked position - but the green light was still on showing that it hadn't registered being moved.

 

[southern442]

Or by sending some 458s the other way and buying a few more Desiros for SWT.

The whole thing was a big mistake.

First of all, the 460's were brilliant trains. The exterior was very modern and stylish, and they weren't just built for GatEx, they were designed for it. Very comfortable seats in both standard and first, so already miles better than the 387's that the poor passengers are going to have to be subjected to, with the Regulation Ironing Boards (or RIBs for short, which sort of reflects the shape of them when viewed from the side) and absolutely no difference in first. Second, they had loads of luggage space and were easily accessible, which is a 1up from the 442's. Yes, they didn't have that many seats for an 8-car train, but that doesn't matter as GatEx trains are hardly ever full.

Secondly, the whole 458/5 debacle meant that it would have been so much easier to get new build Desiros. The 458/5's aren't bad, but the 460's were brilliant and the 458/0's were also personal favourites of mine. It took a good 2-3 years to get them going, and even now they aren't all in service. New Desiros could have been built, tested and in service within a year or so, and for a much cheaper overall cost.

Now I usually prefer electrostars over desiros but why oh why could we not have just seen some 5-car 450's, that way the 458/0's would still be as they were (that is just a personal benefit), GatEx would still have their 460's and these horrible trains would never have had to be thought up of in the first place!

And maybe SWT and Southern could have split the 442's? I don't know

 

[physics34]

Of course there was. Back in 2006 the whole 458 fleet was about to go off lease, one reason being brinkmanship over the PIS displays being 2 mm out of tolerance or something.

Various rail forums probably had page after page of rumours, many of them started by forum members, probably comparable with the situation regarding 442s today...

Well according to the post above yours it seemed to be more than just a rumour.

I do now remember 2 x 458 being at Stewart's lane for a while.

And yes the PIS display debacle was laughable at the time!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

New issue for me on a Class 387 this evening... walked in on someone using the accessible toilet, even though they had the door locked!

The sliding lock thing was on the Locked position - but the green light was still on showing that it hadn't registered being moved.

Yeh recently I've gone into these toilets to find the lock device in the locked position, andhavehad to fiddle around with it to lock it for myself.

 

[urpert]

The whole thing was a big mistake.







And maybe SWT and Southern could have split the 442's? I don't know

They could have put them on Victoria - Ashford instead of those horrible mildly upgraded Networkers.

 

[swt_passenger]

Well according to the post above yours it seemed to be more than just a rumour.

I do now remember 2 x 458 being at Stewart's lane for a while.

That was a separate thing though. They were going to be the only two units done that way, the idea was that they'd be using the proper 8 x 8 car 460 sets more intensively, and the two units transferred would be there for use in emergency, or on late night quiet services when the normal trains would be maintained.

It wasn't really ever a precursor to a wider transfer of large numbers and full modification into Gatex interiors...

 

[Class377/5]

New issue for me on a Class 387 this evening... walked in on someone using the accessible toilet, even though they had the door locked!

The sliding lock thing was on the Locked position - but the green light was still on showing that it hadn't registered being moved.

Green light means it's been in the locked position. Any idea of the unit or if it was reported?

 

[jon0844]

Green light means it's been in the locked position. Any idea of the unit or if it was reported?

I'd have reported it. But then I used to report the broken buttons on 379s and it took, what, two years for them to be fixed? And I'm not even sure they've been fixed, as against just replaced and will fail again in time.

I do hope the 700s and 800s won't use buttons (including locks) from the same supplier that sells to Bombardier.

The revamped toilets on 365s have the same looking locks in the toilets, so that isn't very promising.

 

[trainmania100]

New issue for me on a Class 387 this evening... walked in on someone using the accessible toilet, even though they had the door locked!

The sliding lock thing was on the Locked position - but the green light was still on showing that it hadn't registered being moved.

All the time ive used electrostars Ive never had that problem.
I think I prefer the button toilets though...I got stuck in a 166 toilet not long ago...and so did a friend of mine, they have manually locking doors. Had fire crew get me out.

 

[JaJaWa]

Green light means it's been in the locked position. Any idea of the unit or if it was reported?

I believe it was Carriage 423121 - operated 1W64 (22:25 from St. Albans City) last night.

I couldn't actually recreate the problem (after flicking it back and forth) so no idea how they'd fix it. A sticker above saying to make sure the light goes red would probably be best.

All the time ive used electrostars Ive never had that problem.
I think I prefer the button toilets though...I got stuck in a 166 toilet not long ago...and so did a friend of mine, they have manually locking doors. Had fire crew get me out.

The Class 387 toilets are based off the famous "Bombardier buttons" just with a slider added.

 

[southern442]

They could have put them on Victoria - Ashford instead of those horrible mildly upgraded Networkers.

If only it was down to me....

I would have also thought that they would be good on the Ore and Littlehampton (or Southampton/Portsmouth and Bognor) trains as their large number of seats would come in handy - those services are often very full peak and off peak.

 

[MCR247]

If only it was down to me....

I would have also thought that they would be good on the Ore and Littlehampton (or Southampton/Portsmouth and Bognor) trains as their large number of seats would come in handy - those services are often very full peak and off peak.

Large number of seats? Compared to 12 377?

 

[GatwickDepress]

If only it was down to me....

I would have also thought that they would be good on the Ore and Littlehampton (or Southampton/Portsmouth and Bognor) trains as their large number of seats would come in handy - those services are often very full peak and off peak.

As much as I would absolutely squee for joy for a 442 to Ore (my home station, yay!), the 377s are better on the East Coastway in every single way as it's essentially a local stopping service until Polegate, and then every second counts when the Brighton main line is involved.

 

[Bald Rick]

They could have put them on Victoria - Ashford instead of those horrible mildly upgraded Networkers.

Slight problem in that they're not cleared on the route.

 

[tsr]

I couldn't actually recreate the problem (after flicking it back and forth) so no idea how they'd fix it. A sticker above saying to make sure the light goes red would probably be best.

Such a sticker would be a good idea.

The problem occurs when the slider is put from "unlocked" to "locked" before the door is fully closed. The door will then remain unlocked even if the slider is in the "locked position". Sometimes the only way to fix this is to completely reopen the door, put the slider to "unlocked" and try again.

This is to prevent people from being able to lock the door with the slider, push the "close" button on the outside of the toilet module, and walk away - having locked the toilet out of service...

...so there is a good reason! This is also a good reason for toilets not to have "close" buttons on the outside (a relatively new addition on Electrostar variants) - but there are so many people who try to look for a button to close the door behind them when leaving the toilet that one probably had to be fitted based on user testing.

 

[JaJaWa]

Green light means it's been in the locked position. Any idea of the unit or if it was reported?

Just read this again. There's a green unlocked light and red locked light.

 

[Antman]

They could have put them on Victoria - Ashford instead of those horrible mildly upgraded Networkers.

That's exactly what I thought, the only place dwell times might be an issue is Bromley South
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Slight problem in that they're not cleared on the route.

Does that mean 442's can't physically do the route or have they just never been tested on it?

 

[SPADTrap]

Just read this again. There's a green unlocked light and red locked light.

If the user 'locked' it before the door was shut then although the handle will move to the locked position the door will not actually lock, at least that's how our Electrostars work.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Just seen a 387/2 in the metal at Horley on its way to GTW. Leccystars look good in red

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Of course there was. Back in 2006 the whole 458 fleet was about to go off lease, one reason being brinkmanship over the PIS displays being 2 mm out of tolerance or something.

Various rail forums probably had page after page of rumours, many of them started by forum members, probably comparable with the situation regarding 442s today...

One of the rumours was that the 458s would be converted to AC operation and sent to Scotland to work with their fellow Junipers the 334s. Besides the fact that it seems conversion wouldn't be simple, this might well have lead to each one being reduced to 3-car much like the 321s have... I suppose those removed trailers could've possibly extended the 460s to 9-car, but I'm rather in danger of falling into a pit of "what if?" wibble!

 

[swt_passenger]

One of the rumours was that the 458s would be converted to AC operation and sent to Scotland to work with their fellow Junipers the 334s.

...yes, and didn't that rumour continue well after Modern Railways had said it had been assessed and ruled out?

 

[GatwickDepress]

Just seen a 387/2 in the metal at Horley on its way to GTW. Leccystars look good in red

There's been one in Bletchey TMD's sidings visible from my work. It really, really does stand out among the dull grey sky, knitting, skeletal trees and brown grass.

 

[southern442]

Large number of seats? Compared to 12 377?

Those services are hardly ever 12-car off-peak; I don't think I have ever been on an 12 car 'Mainline West' train.

Peak hour is a different story though, so maybe they should be kept off of busy routes then.

 

[Kite159]

When the 387/1s start going over to GWR later in the year, will they be sub-leased back to another TOC or sit in warm storage until more wiring is complete?

 

[southern442]

When the 387/1s start going over to GWR later in the year, will they be sub-leased back to another TOC or sit in warm storage until more wiring is complete?

Well GWR are going to be running the Paddington-Hayes and Harlington shuttles with 387's when they first get them, and then Paddington-Maidenhead trains as soon as they can too, so whilst some might be sitting around for a bit, there will be a good few out and about.

 

[Norwich317]

Delivery of 29 class 387/1 to GWR should be as follows:-
6 units by end of March 2016
4 units by end of April 2016
8 units by end of February 2017
11 units by end of March 2017

 

[Deepgreen]

I noticed a 12-car formation of red 387s at Purley up slow platform yesterday evening.

 

[jonboy]

I noticed a 12-car formation of red 387s at Purley up slow platform yesterday evening.

yes the were 387205/208/209

 

[ScotGG]

Delivery of 29 class 387/1 to GWR should be as follows:-
6 units by end of March 2016
4 units by end of April 2016
8 units by end of February 2017
11 units by end of March 2017

Will all be in use shortly after the respective round of transfers, or has the wiring delays meant they be sitting about for a while? So, the 10 this year will quickly go on Hayes routes but I'm guessing the 8 and 11 next year may not find a role soon after transfering while they wait to complete work?

 

[swt_passenger]

Will all be in use shortly after the respective round of transfers, or has the wiring delays meant they be sitting about for a while? So, the 10 this year will quickly go on Hayes routes but I'm guessing the 8 and 11 next year may not find a role soon after transfering while they wait to complete work?

Stockley Jn to Maidenhead should also be wired by the time the third batch arrives. GWR have been quoted in another thread as running as far as the wires allow, the implication being that certain services will be split or some may be added.

 

[D365]

Stockley Jn to Maidenhead should also be wired by the time the third batch arrives. GWR have been quoted in another thread as running as far as the wires allow, the implication being that certain services will be split or some may be added.

With the Class 387 units that GWR are expecting to receive this year and next, will they be expected to operate some sort of 'pre-Crossrail' electric service, in the style of what TfL Rail/MTR are doing?