Class 455 to Weymouth?

[Railengineer]

I am hearing rumours of class 455's going to Weymouth shortly. Can anyone else confirm this and have they been there before?

 

[455driver]

They are not cleared in passenger service or empty stock.

Why would they send 455s to Weymouth?

 

[Carlisle]

They have certainly been as far as Eastleigh many times for works visits but never seen them further south of there myself but perhaps they have visited Bournemouth depot in the past

 

[swt_passenger]

They have certainly been as far as Eastleigh many times for works visits but never seen them further south of there myself but perhaps they have visited Bournemouth depot in the past

The class are going through a repaint and DDA mods programme at Bournemouth, they definitely go there, and have done for many years.

 

[Domh245]

They do occasionally go to bournemouth, and that is where the most recent refurbishments are being carried out

 

[Bigfoot]

Tut Tut 455driver! Read your late notice case!

They are cleared all sorts of places now Inc Weymouth and Lymington! It's for AC motor tests out of Bournemouth.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

458s have also been down to the Poole area, seen a clip of one on youtube. No idea about 456s but the 159s must be cleared down to the Poole area as years ago during the open days at Bournemouth Traincare (think it was late 90s), a 159 was used for the shuttle train from Bournemouth station to the depot.

 

[NSEFAN]

158s and 159s must be cleared all the way down to Weymouth as they were used to work extra services from Bournemouth for the Olympics in 2012.

 

[BestWestern]

158s and 159s must be cleared all the way down to Weymouth as they were used to work extra services from Bournemouth for the Olympics in 2012.

I've also known the 158 be pulled off the Lymmy to run mainline through the forest during flooding and no juice; might only have been as far as Bomo though.

 

[jopsuk]

The 458s were down past Poole during trials of the regenerative braking

 

[fgwrich]

The 458s were down past Poole during trials of the regenerative braking

And down into Weymouth. The tests were conducted during the night, with day stabling in the sidings just up from Weymouth Station.

 

[TEW]

The first 458/5 runs were also done down to Weymouth.

 

[1018509]

I've seen most stocks SWT use pass by my lounge window on the Bournemouth main line - tonight a Black Five made a change.

 

[455driver]

Tut Tut 455driver! Read your late notice case!

They are cleared all sorts of places now Inc Weymouth and Lymington! It's for AC motor tests out of Bournemouth.

I dont sign past Basingstoke so why would I be interested in them being cleared for the route now?

 

[Bigfoot]

I dont sign past Basingstoke so why would I be interested in them being cleared for the route now?

The route clearance notice covered Alton and Guildford to Aldershot too...

 

[Aictos]

It's all part of a Baldrick plan to move the 444s to the Pompy route

 

[jopsuk]

The basic bit is that the Bournemouth-Weymouth stretch is readily available at night as an extended test track.

 

[Lockwood]

So, how long until we get 12 car 455s on the Weyloo services?
And the even more important question: Will they be repainted white for that?

 

[455driver]

The route clearance notice covered Alton and Guildford to Aldershot too...

I already knew that bit so skimmed over it.

 

[Railengineer]

It's all part of a Baldrick plan to move the 444s to the Pompy route

You could be right, release some 444's by running a 455 Bournemouth to Weymouth shuttle service?
I hear they will be visiting weymouth before the end of the month.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

You could be right, release some 444's by running a 455 Bournemouth to Weymouth shuttle service?
I hear they will be visiting weymouth before the end of the month.

Pointless really, a number of the stations on that section can only handle 5 car trains, by using 455s you'll be cutting capacity

 

[swt_passenger]

Why are people going off on a complete tangent? They'll be testing the 455s new AC traction package down there, but that's all it is.

As jopsuk pointed out above it is effectively SWT's test track, where in recent years they've done testing on new 444s, 450s and trials of both Desiros and 458/0s for DC regeneration introduction.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Is the Poole-Parkstone section the steepest section on the Bournemouth-Weymouth route or is the section around Upwey the steepest?

 

[455driver]

Why are people going off on a complete tangent?

Dont they always?

They'll be testing the 455s new AC traction package down there, but that's all it is.

Now you have gone and spoiled it, I was just going to post that SWT are taking on some of Southerns 455s, remotor/gear them for 100mph running, fit them with air conditioning and a full interior reconfiguration so they could replace the 444s on the Weymouth route and the displaced 444s would be used on the Portsmouth services instead!

 

[MCR247]

Now you have gone and spoiled it, I was just going to post that SWT are taking on some of Southerns 455s, remotor/gear them for 100mph running, fit them with air conditioning and a full interior reconfiguration so they could replace the 444s on the Weymouth route and the displaced 444s would be used on the Portsmouth services instead!

I heard it was 125mph and pantographs were being fitted for the future wiring?

EDIT: Sorry, that was 442s

 

[Railengineer]

Pointless really, a number of the stations on that section can only handle 5 car trains, by using 455s you'll be cutting capacity

Could run them more often to increase capacity, say every 15 mins? Three or Four portaloos on each station platform will make up for not fitting toilets to the trains.

This will release 444's so they can be converted to 25KV for the new sections of electrified line.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Could run them more often to increase capacity, say every 15 mins? Three or Four portaloos on each station platform will make up for not fitting toilets to the trains.

This will release 444's so they can be converted to 25KV for the new sections of electrified line.

That wouldn't work in any case as you've got a single line section, plus between Dorch and Weymouth you've got the Bristol-Weymouth line. Also in the future who knows if there will be regular trains all year from Swanage (my gut feeling long term it'll be SWT operating them)

 

[Railengineer]

I am hearing rumours of class 455's going to Weymouth shortly. Can anyone else confirm this and have they been there before?

Units ran to weymouth last night I hear. Also possibly going again tonight.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Units ran to weymouth last night I hear. Also possibly going again tonight.

Possibly this train?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Q46318/2014/07/31/advanced

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Slightly off topic, but I've seen photos of off-lease 460s being run through Pokesdown at night to keep them in working order before the 458/5 conversion got started. It seems that section of the SWML is often used for testing/running-in and the like...