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Class 707 - SWT: Introduction into service

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Dr_Paul

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I travelled on a 707 yesterday and today on the Kingston loop service, going anti-clockwise through Twickenham. On both days, the destination over the tannoy and on the screens was indicated as Strawberry Hill through to Twickenham, and only after Strawberry Hill was it indicated as Waterloo via Wimbledon. (Platform announcements and indicators at Richmond and Twickenham were for Wimbledon, as usual.) Then, approaching Teddington, the tannoy announcement was that one could change at Teddington for trains to Twickenham and Richmond, where the train had just been, rather than for the Shepperton branch. Neither of these seemed particularly helpful, especially for people who are not well acquainted with the route, and could be usefully sorted out.

On the positive side, the service today was running late at Twickenham, and went like the clappers between Strawberry Hill and Teddington and from there to Hampton Wick, and arrived at Kingston on time; I've never been so fast on that line; the acceleration of the 707s is impressive.
 
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TEW

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It is very disappointing that the PIS on 707s in most ways seems much worse than the system fitted to the much older 455s, they can handle the circular services relatively well, with the on-board information generally matching the platform information. Completely nonsensical announcements regarding destinations you can change for is very common on 707s.
 

STEVIEBOY1

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It is very disappointing that the PIS on 707s in most ways seems much worse than the system fitted to the much older 455s, they can handle the circular services relatively well, with the on-board information generally matching the platform information. Completely nonsensical announcements regarding destinations you can change for is very common on 707s.
The wonders of modern technology. :rolleyes:
 

spark001uk

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Noticed lately a few of the class getting some pretty nasty flats already. Where will they go for lathing/changing?
 

STEVIEBOY1

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I just saw a 707 at Raynes Park this evening and noticed that although the train was red, the doors are blue, as they seem to be on the 455 & 456s, have they always been blue, I thought they were red like the rest of the train, mind you I then saw a Blue 450 desiro with red doors. Shows how much I take notice of these things. :rolleyes:
 

spark001uk

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Part of PRM regs to have contrasting doors. Similarly the class 313 unit that was repainted into original BR blue/grey had to have all-grey doors (instead of blue/grey) for the same reason I believe?
 

jopsuk

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I just saw a 707 at Raynes Park this evening and noticed that although the train was red, the doors are blue, as they seem to be on the 455 & 456s, have they always been blue, I thought they were red like the rest of the train, mind you I then saw a Blue 450 desiro with red doors. Shows how much I take notice of these things. :rolleyes:
The blue Class 450s have had red doors since delivery fifteen years ago. Similarly, the 707s were delivered with blue doors. The class 458s in their original white livery had red doors on delivery in 1998- contrasting doors have been with us for two decades now
 

317 forever

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As I am going to Camberley later this month, I hope to ride a 707 from London Waterloo to Feltham, a 458 on to Ascot then a 456 to Camberley. Might be too much to ask though!
 

spark001uk

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As I am going to Camberley later this month, I hope to ride a 707 from London Waterloo to Feltham, a 458 on to Ascot then a 456 to Camberley. Might be too much to ask though!
You'll not get a 456 on the camberley line, they've all been tacked onto 455s now to strengthen them to 10 car. It'll be a 450 now on that line.
As for the London to Feltham (or Staines if you want longer on the 707), you'll want a Windsor service; they are split between 458s and 707s, and the leg to Ascot (Reading services) are mainly 458 but there are still a few 450s on them.
 
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317 forever

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You'll not get a 456 on the camberley line, they've all been tacked onto 455s now to strengthen them to 10 car. It'll be a 450 now on that line.
As for the London to Feltham (or Staines if you want longer on the 707), you'll want a Windsor service; they are split between 458s and 707s, and the leg to Ascot (Reading services) are mainly 458 but there are still a few 450s on them.

Thank you for preparing me. I reckon on trying a 707 to Feltham (on my Oyster), a 458 to Ascot and inevitably a 450 to Camberley. Hopefully a 456 will run on a Saturday next year to somewhere such as Hounslow or Kingston.
 

spark001uk

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Yes you won't have much problem finding a 456, I've seen them on Woking, Chessington, new line to Guildford, Shepperton, Kingston, Hounslow loop rounders, pretty much any of the suburban really.
 

TEW

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Hounslow Loop is rare for a 456. Only happened a handful of times. Similarly the line via Chertsey, only aware of them running services there a couple of times.
 

spark001uk

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Yes hardly ever 455 on chertsey branch (though 2S77 was last Wednesday). Woking stoppers down the main line often have a 456 on.
 

43096

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Depending on when you want to travel the 19:35 Waterloo - Reading is booked as 2 x 707
It has been booked for a single 707 (and before they arrived single 458/5) since that service was introduced.

The 1911 Hounslow loop arrival splits to form 1922 Weybridge and 1935 Reading.
 

Goldfish62

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You'll not get a 456 on the camberley line, they've all been tacked onto 455s now to strengthen them to 10 car. It'll be a 450 now on that line.
As for the London to Feltham (or Staines if you want longer on the 707), you'll want a Windsor service; they are split between 458s and 707s, and the leg to Ascot (Reading services) are mainly 458 but there are still a few 450s on them.
Off peak the Reading services are four pairs of 458s and three pairs of 450s, grouped together by class in the cycle. The peak extras are all 458s.
 

TEW

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Yes hardly ever 455 on chertsey branch (though 2S77 was last Wednesday). Woking stoppers down the main line often have a 456 on.
Sundays when there are engineering works seem to be the best chance of a 455 via Chertsey. Due to the short platform at Virginia Water in the up direction only single 455s are able to operate, and that isn't great for capacity so it doesn't happen too often anymore.
 

317 forever

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Thank you to all of you for your additional information. One concern I have is if the 456 is attached to the front of a 455 at Waterloo and is not clearly visible there. What I shall probably do, albeit not until a Saturday next year, is to finish a bus trip at Kingston and wait for the first 456 back to Waterloo from there. Should be plenty of choice via Richmond or Wimbledon all being well.
 

spark001uk

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Thank you to all of you for your additional information. One concern I have is if the 456 is attached to the front of a 455 at Waterloo and is not clearly visible there. What I shall probably do, albeit not until a Saturday next year, is to finish a bus trip at Kingston and wait for the first 456 back to Waterloo from there. Should be plenty of choice via Richmond or Wimbledon all being well.
One way I check for traction types somewhere, is just go to YouTube and search for "trains at [station name]", then reorder the results by newest uploads. There's usually someone who's filmed at or near the required location recently.
 

spark001uk

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Anyone know what the purpose of 5Z55 is today? It's down as a VSTP from wim.pk down to weybridge, staines up loop, reverse, windsor, and return to wim.pk by same route. It's a pair of 707s.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Thank you to all of you for your additional information. One concern I have is if the 456 is attached to the front of a 455 at Waterloo and is not clearly visible there. What I shall probably do, albeit not until a Saturday next year, is to finish a bus trip at Kingston and wait for the first 456 back to Waterloo from there. Should be plenty of choice via Richmond or Wimbledon all being well.

The departure boards at Waterloo say how many carriages the train has. If there's a 455 at the barriers end and the boards say it's a 6 or 10 car train, there will be a 456 at the country end.
 

Bigfoot

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Anyone know what the purpose of 5Z55 is today? It's down as a VSTP from wim.pk down to weybridge, staines up loop, reverse, windsor, and return to wim.pk by same route. It's a pair of 707s.
Don't know exactly why it's running but if say it's some kind of test trip as it was booked to stop at each station on the Windsor lines. Perhaps stop mark/cctv monitor checks.
 

superalbs

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Modern Railways says that the miles per technical incident rate for the Class 707 is now 67,676. :)
 
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