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Class 442s - Now at the end of the road and to be withdrawn permanently

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Thumper1127

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According to RTT it looks like tests are on for the early hours this Saturday. A set is going up to Clapham late Friday night and then doing some return trips to Surbiton before the unit runs to Fratton.
 
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Thumper1127

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As per my post earlier the paths are back in RTT for the Fratton-Bournemouth-Fratton runs next week which were previously used for Driver training. Presumably this is pre-emptive so that if the Earlsfield tests are successful Driver training/refreshers can take place. Could this see the resumption of the limited diagrams in service back in August to release stock for the December timetable?
 
RichSwitch

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So... just to be clear, it’s definitely 100% the static converters which are causing the issue? I got the impression - rightly or wrongly - that SWR’s engineers didn’t really know what the problem was and that the static converter was just singled out as being most likely cause.

The new traction package has been proved in its separate elements. As discussed above. However from what I make of what’s been said, those elements have not yet been tested as the ‘whole package’. And that’s before they’ve even been taken out on the track.

Assuming the strike goes ahead, the strike timetable doesn’t utilise the 442s which would give SWR pretty much until January to ‘test and train’. 6 weeks looks pretty dicey for reintroduction of just the one that’s supposed to have the whole package. I suspect it’ll take more than just a good deal of luck to meet the requirements of the new timetable - when it starts properly - without short-forms, cancellations, and turnarounds short of destinations to prevent overcrowding.
 
HamworthyGoods

HamworthyGoods

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RichSwitch said:
So... just to be clear, it’s definitely 100% the static converters which are causing the issue? I got the impression - rightly or wrongly - that SWR’s engineers didn’t really know what the problem was and that the static converter was just singled out as being most likely cause.

The new traction package has been proved in its separate elements. As discussed above. However from what I make of what’s been said, those elements have not yet been tested as the ‘whole package’. And that’s before they’ve even been taken out on the track.

Assuming the strike goes ahead, the strike timetable doesn’t utilise the 442s which would give SWR pretty much until January to ‘test and train’. 6 weeks looks pretty dicey for reintroduction of just the one that’s supposed to have the whole package. I suspect it’ll take more than just a good deal of luck to meet the requirements of the new timetable - when it starts properly - without short-forms, cancellations, and turnarounds short of destinations to prevent overcrowding.
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It’s the interference between the static converters and the signals that is the problem; what the engineers aren’t quite sure on is what tweaks to both stock and signal will remove the issue.
 
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Thumper1127

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Does anyone know if the test runs between Southampton and Brockenhurst recently, which I understand was to test the interference at Millbrook, went without a hitch? If they did my guess is that the tests in the early hours this coming Saturday are to confirm the same there and, if successful, could be the green (rather than red!) light to look at getting enough units modified to bring back limited diagrams as soon as possible. The reinstatement of the paths in RTT next week between Fratton and Bournemouth as per previous Driver training could be a preemptive indication.
 
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Thumper1127

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Interesting. RTT is showing a 5Q95 1848 Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via the New Line on Monday. I’ll do a bit more searching.
 
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Thumper1127

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Looks like it is coming up from Bournemouth Monday morning in the pathway of the 0628 Southampton Parkway but as ECS - shadow running.
 
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theironroad

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pompeyfan said:
why would they choose to test it in the mainline path of 1B95, during the rush hour?
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Real world conditions. It's one thing testing for electrical interference at 0200 when there's no other trains running for miles around, but they need to be proved again with loads of trains and current draw etc nearby.

Also, the 1848 as you'll know isn't currently running in any form so running it as ECS doesn't impact on the current passenger expectations.

I am a wee bit confused about the Tuesday one terminating at haslemere, as currently it shows no onward path for it, but a service train is shown using the platform 20 mins later....
 
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Thumper1127

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There’s also a 2116 ecs from Poole to Basingstoke and back to Bournemouth on Tuesday (the stock off the 1848 ecs from Waterloo). Interestingly both RTT and the public timetable show the 0628 Southampton Parkway to Waterloo and 1848 Waterloo to Poole as being reinstated from Monday 2nd.
 
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Thumper1127

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Yes, it would have been. I think this was postponed from the previous Friday/Saturday morning. If the empties then ran to Fratton this would mirror what was meant to happen the previous weekend and would explain why there are units now at Fratton.
 
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swt_passenger

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Thumper1127 said:
Yes, it would have been. I think this was postponed from the previous Friday/Saturday morning. If the empties then ran to Fratton this would mirror what was meant to happen the previous weekend and would explain why there are units now at Fratton.
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Thanks. I noticed there was a third out and back Surbiton trip that was cancelled, I wonder whether that meant early success or early failure...
 
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Thumper1127

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Your are right, the empties ran back early to Bournemouth (not Fratton as I assumed). Trying to find out where the units at Fratton came from (possibly Direct from Bournemouth). I’ll have a dig round.
 
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theironroad

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Generally any movement throughout between Bournemouth and Fratton and vice versa is related to training of Fratton drivers and guards, which is still ongoing.

Other movements ,such as shuttling between Surbiton and Clapham/wat and Southampton to Brockenhurst and the Waterloo to Poole throughout this week are for testing purposes to see if the issues have been resolved regarding interference.
 
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theironroad

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Thumper1127 said:
There’s also a 2116 ecs from Poole to Basingstoke and back to Bournemouth on Tuesday (the stock off the 1848 ecs from Waterloo). Interestingly both RTT and the public timetable show the 0628 Southampton Parkway to Waterloo and 1848 Waterloo to Poole as being reinstated from Monday 2nd.
Click to expand...

Regards the second part, if the strike goes ahead then the 442s won't be in use as afaik few, if any contingency guards are trained on them and highly unlikely to be.
 
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theironroad

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Thumper1127 said:
There’s also a 2116 ecs from Poole to Basingstoke and back to Bournemouth on Tuesday (the stock off the 1848 ecs from Waterloo). Interestingly both RTT and the public timetable show the 0628 Southampton Parkway to Waterloo and 1848 Waterloo to Poole as being reinstated from Monday 2nd.
Click to expand...

Unless I'm missing something, I can't see a 2116 ECS off Poole on 26/11????
 
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Thumper1127

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Sorry for quoting the wrong day for the Poole - Basingstoke run!

Looks like this morning’s run only got as far as Bournemouth before returning to the depot.
 
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