Creation of class 230 DEMUs from ex-LU D78s by Vivarail

[mde]

(giggles)

Given it’s frankentrain status I guess it’s the only reasonable classification… nice to see it on the move though!

 

[TheDavibob]

It's skipped the wait in Banbury Goods loop and is essentially back on time. Soon will reach Coventry, only about a year late.

Anybody snapped it en route?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Apologies in case I have missed this information much earlier in the thread, but noting that firm orders are now placed for Class 230 units, can someone say what was the month and the year when these units received their full approval to run revenue-earning services on the main lines?

 

[Clip]

Apologies in case I have missed this information much earlier in the thread, but noting that firm orders are now placed for Class 230 units, can someone say what was the month and the year when these units received their full approval to run revenue-earning services on the main lines?

Do believe this is only testing of the trains and not full runs in revenue service as yet. Think its December for the Bletchley branch but could be wrong.

Will you be having a jolly down to test out on of these trains you have been so vocal about in opposition when they do start?

 

[The_Engineer]

It's skipped the wait in Banbury Goods loop and is essentially back on time. Soon will reach Coventry, only about a year late.

Just skipped Coventry yard and reversed in Platform three - running 55 early towards Rugby now.....

 

[The_Engineer]

Arrived Rugby 55 early - having a well-earned recess in Rugby yard!!

 

[matt]

Sitting the loop at Rugby just now

 

[Cjjb98d]

Arrived Rugby 55 early - having a well-earned recess in Rugby yard!!

Do you think it'll pass MK central early? I was going to head out to see / snap it.

 

[matt]

Appears to be being held to time.

 

[tnxrail]

Seen at Coventry:

 

[HLE]

Sounds like a right bag of nails

 

[t_star2001uk]

Sounds like a right bag of nails

I've heard worse, and at least its moving on the mainline, unlike a certain other bimode train....

 

[northwichcat]

Path in place for new secondhand former underground chugs to arrive at Bletchley this evening: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O39575/2018/09/18/advanced

(giggles)

Looking at how it's done overall over a long distance it seems to be able to match 14x timings but on some sections it lost time (considering how much recovery time was in those timings) and on other sections it made up time. That could mean it can match end to end timings on branch lines but crucially is slower on a faster more congested section of track.

 

[northwichcat]

Do you think it'll pass MK central early? I was going to head out to see / snap it.

It got delayed in the Northampton area. Now arriving at Milton Keynes around 17 minutes behind the original schedule.

 

[northwichcat]

Some commenting on the D-Train being very loud. Based on a YouTube video I've just seen of it arriving at and leaving Coventry it sounds like a class 150 combined with a T68 Metrolink tram.

 

[The_Engineer]

Looking at how it's done overall over a long distance it seems to be able to match 14x timings but on some sections it lost time (considering how much recovery time was in those timings) and on other sections it made up time.

It did get signal checked in a few places, I think that's where the time was lost......

 

[The_Engineer]

And breathe!! On to depot just 5 late in the end...… Vivarail tweet - and pictures: https://twitter.com/Vivarail/status/1042122207416201216

 

[DarloRich]

here it is at Bletchley: Bletchley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr

 

[krus_aragon]

Sounds like a right bag of nails

I hope they'll sound better when they're bedded in.

Hmm. Cue comments about "bed of nails" etc...

 

[The_Engineer]

Sounds like a right bag of nails

????? It sounds quite OK from that video - hardly any diesel engine noise on pulling off, mostly the normal inverter whine of a three-phase EMU electric drive! Better than most EMUs and DMUs I think.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Looking at how it's done overall over a long distance it seems to be able to match 14x timings but on some sections it lost time (considering how much recovery time was in those timings) and on other sections it made up time. That could mean it can match end to end timings on branch lines but crucially is slower on a faster more congested section of track.

Though to be fair, the whole concept isn't really aimed at services which run at high speeds along busy main lines. They had to get it from the factory to Bletchley somehow, and you know how some people on here get whenever a train is moved by road!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Will you be having a jolly down to test out on of these trains you have been so vocal about in opposition when they do start?

I think that very many months have now elapsed since I voiced my views solely on a matter of commercial rather than operational success based upon the total sales made since this project was launched. Having in the earliest days of the Class 142 Pacer trains sampled that particular mode of rail travel and now being 73 years of age, I have no wish whatsoever to travel the many miles to where Class 230 units can be seen in revenue earning service, preferring to sample rail travel in 21st century styled rail units in the 21st century.

 

[The Planner]

Looking at how it's done overall over a long distance it seems to be able to match 14x timings but on some sections it lost time (considering how much recovery time was in those timings) and on other sections it made up time. That could mean it can match end to end timings on branch lines but crucially is slower on a faster more congested section of track.

If its got shed loads of pathing time in it then it is going to be on yellows for a considerable amount of time and is a cack path, it was shoe horned in basically.

 

[edwin_m]

I'd be very surprised if there were any Sectional Running Times for 14x on this route, given that none has ever been near it as far as I'm aware. I'm thinking they just put 14x in because they had to put something in the Timing Load box, and the actual timings would have come from a performance simulation or just guesswork.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sounds like a right bag of nails

I guess it's had new AC traction motors? That doesn't have the nice DC motor sound the prototype did, sadly. (No doubt more reliable though)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Though to be fair, the whole concept isn't really aimed at services which run at high speeds along busy main lines. They had to get it from the factory to Bletchley somehow, and you know how some people on here get whenever a train is moved by road!

Precisely. Apart from the slightly odd and temporary proposal to use one on Crewe-Chester shuttles, it is intended as a captive branch line train, not to be running in service along the WCML or similar other than for very short sections if at all.

Being a DEMU, the acceleration should be markedly superior to anything with a hydraulic transmission as it won't be wasting energy heating up hydraulic fluid rather than making it move. This could well allow a significantly improved timetable on the Vale. Hopefully it has also been set up for driver release/guard close on the doors which would provide yet further improvement and make the guard's job loads easier.

 

[Cjjb98d]

Does this mean we’ll be seeing 230002 on the test paths? Do they have to do mileage accumulation? When is the other arriving?

 

[samuelmorris]

I guess it's had new AC traction motors? That doesn't have the nice DC motor sound the prototype did, sadly. (No doubt more reliable though)

Yeah I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Vivarail state they were only using the original traction kit for the test units, though that being said you could still potentially be hearing a DC PWM system there rather than AC IGBT, it's a pretty low frequency compared to what is common nowadays, so I'd like to see that confirmed.

 

[class387]

Yeah I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Vivarail state they were only using the original traction kit for the test units, though that being said you could still potentially be hearing a DC PWM system there rather than AC IGBT, it's a pretty low frequency compared to what is common nowadays, so I'd like to see that confirmed.

Other videos such as this one show what sounds like DC motors: (skip to 5:05)

It could possibly the AC motors used on the retractioned SWR 455s, as they have the low whine like DC motors.

Anyway, I am very glad to see this delivered and running. Do we have any interior shots yet?

 

[dorsetdesiro]

It's great to see old stuff given a new lease of life, like the 442s, but oh dear... ironing boards...

Thought the old underground seats were retained like the Welsh 230s as seen in the Vivarail-TfW CGI video, anyway they do look good compared to the outgoing Marston Vale trains which are looking tired and battered