Class 800 upgrades to address performance and reliability issues

[CharlesR]

Hello everyone. I hope this is relevant to this thread - another (but quite new problem) with the 10-car GWR IET's is that for instance you could be sat in Coach H at the starting station then around 5 minutes before departure it changes to Coach B (same layout as H).

On the 14/08/19 at Cardiff Central I noticed the 16:50ish IET to Swansea with Coach A at the front (looking at the timetable this would have run the 19:25 to Didcot Parkway I had seat C36 on) and Coach G at the rear.

When the 19:25 came into Cardiff Central, coach A being at the front meant my booked seat was actually facing forwards unexpectedly (clicked 'Don't Mind when booking as I can't fully trust the GWR IET's to run in the correct formation).

I got off at Didcot at like 20:45 and it showed the incorrect formation - anyone wanting say Coach A or B would have had to run virtually the length of Platform 2 to get to their seat.

So it looks as though Coach G (rear coach) to Swansea (14:45 from London) changed to Coach A (front coach) for its 18:30ish to London Paddington.

If GWR encounters this regularly then maybe it's time to opt for more 9-car sets, avoiding this issue and give the 2x5-formed sets to say XC who would have much newer trains. I know this would require training obviously but at least the 5-car sets have more seats than the Voyagers!

In my Modern Railways magazine (the one with the GWR special in it), GWR admitted that a uniform fleet of 9-car sets might have been more preferable.
Interesting!

It’s all to do with when the TM/Driver enters the code into the train I believe.

Regarding your last sentence, where’s the quote for this? If so, then how would have they intended to deliver 4tph Bristol, 1tph Cheltenham, Bedwyns and Oxfords?

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

It’s all to do with when the TM/Driver enters the code into the train I believe.

Regarding your last sentence, where’s the quote for this? If so, then how would have they intended to deliver 4tph Bristol, 1tph Cheltenham, Bedwyns and Oxfords?

Sorry, sounds confusing I know. Just saying they admitted that a uniform fleet of 9-car IET's might have been preferable which was interesting as 2x5 formations mean you can carry on with one set of 5 coaches.

 

[a_c_skinner]

It’s mainly about modifying the engine software to replicate the 802 performance profile. That is what is being done now. It’s a further tweak from the software modification that took them up to 700kw.

The fuel tanks were large from new in the majority of the 800 fleet. 800004 was the first retrofit (done prior to the fuel tests in early 2017) and, iirc, 800001-3 were the only other ones that had to be retrofitted.

Thank you. I thought the engine issue was software but wasn't aware the fuel capacity had been addressed so early on.

 

[jimm]

If GWR encounters this regularly then maybe it's time to opt for more 9-car sets, avoiding this issue and give the 2x5-formed sets to say XC who would have much newer trains. I know this would require training obviously but at least the 5-car sets have more seats than the Voyagers!

In my Modern Railways magazine (the one with the GWR special in it), GWR admitted that a uniform fleet of 9-car sets might have been more preferable.
Interesting!

Sorry, sounds confusing I know. Just saying they admitted that a uniform fleet of 9-car IET's might have been preferable which was interesting as 2x5 formations mean you can carry on with one set of 5 coaches.

I'd suggest that if you still have the magazine to hand, you go back and read the article again.

GWR admitted no such thing.

The line about a uniform fleet of nine-car IETs was in an article about GWR maintenance depots in the August issue on page 68 - with no author's byline, but equally no suggestion whatever that it was written by someone at GWR and no direct quotes from anyone at GWR to support the comment.

What it said, after musing about the four different types of train, the number of customer hosts on 2x5 trains and a vague reference to duties for single five-car sets, as though pretty much all these would amount to is the Bristol limited-stop trains off-peak, was:

With the benefit of hindsight, uniform fleets of nine-car sets might have been preferable.

That was it. One sentence in a two-page article. It was a bit of musing/opinion by the unnamed writer, really no different from posts on this forum calling for an all-nine-car fleet. And certainly not an official statement from GWR.

 

[irish_rail]

5 cars are fine for the Bedwyn off peak oxford and some of the 4tph bristols off peak.
But the 5s and 10s for the wofe will ultimately prove a mistake, the number of crews as mentioned mean it will never make financial sense. Not only the ridiculous number of customer hosts on a 10 car, but the additional drivers employed for the shuttling to and from Laira. I feel this side of things wasn't properly looked into when the order for 5 cars for the wofe was made.

 

[ainsworth74]

There has been more than sufficent opportunity to discuss any potential upgrades and we do now appear to be wandering well off-topic onto other matters which have been discussed to death previously as such this thread is now locked. Once there is news regarding any further upgrades to improve the performance and reliability of the class 800s then please feel free to report this post and the thread can be considered for re-opening.