Lumo (East Coast Trains) Class 803 Updates/Discussion

[greatvoyager]

Of which more than half the power is needed to supply auxiliaries on 9car...
The available traction power is equivalent to an 08 going flat out!

Which now makes me wonder if there is any point in having the generator on the 801s for movement at all.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Which now makes me wonder if there is any point in having the generator on the 801s for movement at all.

It is to avoid the classic 3+ hour strandings that are noted on here far too often, by allowing the train to be moved at very low speed to the next platform where it can be evacuated.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Are the WCML units going to have any kind of resilience provision, e.g. batteries?

Apparently they will be identical to the 800/801 units, so I'm guessing that means that they will be.

According to Modern Railways (Jan) the WCML Hitachi AT300 units will be pure electric without either diesel packs or batteries.
They will also have a new seat design (to be fitted to Pendolinos as well).

 

[MotCO]

The modern OHLE used on GWML and GEML renewal hasn't suffered from failures like the low cost 1980s ECML wiring - may be the best solution is to make sure the ECML wiring is reliable and there aren't failures?

How difficult is it to put in extra stanchions to strengthen the OHLE in areas where it is weakest? (I assume the weakness is partially due to extended gaps between existing stanchions.)

 

[swt_passenger]

How difficult is it to put in extra stanchions to strengthen the OHLE in areas where it is weakest? (I assume the weakness is partially due to extended gaps between existing stanchions.)

It isn’t technically difficult, and it’s already being done, there’s a thread about it somewhere...

 

[hwl]

How difficult is it to put in extra stanchions to strengthen the OHLE in areas where it is weakest? (I assume the weakness is partially due to extended gaps between existing stanchions.)

That issue can largely be sorted by increasing the tension and swapping from pulley + dead weight to coil spring tensioning (á la tape measure).

Independent registration (i.e. no head spans above 20mph) is also a big improvement as the extent of destruction and disruption caused is far smaller.

See this recent rail engineer article for more on the initial ECML trial upgrade:
https://www.railengineer.co.uk/2019/09/27/back-to-portals/

 

[MotCO]

It isn’t technically difficult, and it’s already being done, there’s a thread about it somewhere...

There usually is

 

[an7li721]

First 803 bodyshell arriving today in Southampton

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

First 803 bodyshell arriving today in Southampton

any pictures?

 

[800001]

First 803 bodyshell arriving today in Southampton

First one (possibly 2 as another empty low loader is outside ) have been at Hitachi Aycliffe for nearly 2 weeks.

It is still sat outside underneath crane due to factory now being in shutdown.

I photographed it 27th March, and believe it arrived the day before

 

[Domh245]

They look distinctly standard!

(picture via Richard Clinnick)

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Is Blue the Colour of East Coast Trains then and is the name going to be East Coast Trains or something else?

Looks Great anyway!

 

[800001]

They look distinctly standard!

(picture via Richard Clinnick)

It's an empty shell in a base colour of blue, fresh from Japan, how do you want it to look?

 

[Domh245]

It's an empty shell in a base colour of blue, fresh from Japan, how do you want it to look?

There had been plenty of speculation about how different these units would be in terms of the design. The original renders suggested it'd be a bit of a departure from the other 80x fleets that had been revealed previously - both with the front design but also door positioning (doors are shown at thirds on these render)

The picture confirms that it's going to be a pretty standard 800/1/2 bodyshell. Perhaps not too surprising as it minimises the cost, but it's confirmation of the exterior design of the train

 

[cj_1985]

Is Blue the Colour of East Coast Trains then and is the name going to be East Coast Trains or something else?

Looks Great anyway!

Bit paler than I was expecting...
I expected the Dark 'first' blue... like the HT 802/3s

 

[Roast Veg]

They look distinctly standard!

(picture via Richard Clinnick)

Those bogies look pretty nonstandard to me

 

[RailWonderer]

On the subject of seats, might they get the design planned for use on Avanti West Coast services instead of Fainsa Sophias?

It appears that FirstGroup/TI are finally coughing up to certify a wholly new design.

If the new design is considerably more comfortable than the Fainsa Sophia to convince passengers to travel with First instead, it would make it worth the money. Is there a blueprint of this seat?

 

[57Tonic]

Looks like Garter Blue to return to the ECML

 

[hexagon789]

Those bogies look pretty nonstandard to me

It's to allow more panoramic views from the train by raising it up, as well as a cheap way of increasing the headroom in tunnels

 

[hexagon789]

Looks like Garter Blue to return to the ECML

It's certainly much nicer than plain white, grey or green

 

[Wyrleybart]

It is to avoid the classic 3+ hour strandings that are noted on here far too often, by allowing the train to be moved at very low speed to the next platform where it can be evacuated.

Absolutely. A couple of months ago a KGX-LDS service operated by an 801 had OLE issues at Wakefield Westgate and eventually continued to destination losing around 20 mins, but some of that may have been signals.
Those emergency GUs are useful

 

[dorsetdesiro]

A very nice shade of blue, will these come with yellow ends otherwise it'll be too alike to Hull Trains' Paragons?

Agree a bit disappointing these won't match the artist's drawings which do resemble the Southeastern Javelins in a way! But many new trains have appeared slightly different in reality (like SWR's 701s and GA's FLIRTs not having black ends)!

The new AT300s for Avanti WC seem standard too, no redesign here either.

The real redesign to watch out for is probably the 810s for EMR - reshaped nose & new headlight design also possibly the reason for the class number spaced apart, 810 instead of 804, to draw attention to the new look.

 

[Purple Orange]

They really need to be black at the front, with that gorgeous blue. If it was down to me, I’d have this as an LNER train with the letters picked out in gold.

 

[TRAX]

They really need to be black at the front, with that gorgeous blue. If it was down to me, I’d have this as an LNER train with the letters picked out in gold.

I agree with you about the black front.
But with that blue I’d prefer silver letters rather than gold.

 

[swt_passenger]

Agree a bit disappointing these won't match the artist's drawings which do resemble the Southeastern Javelins in a way!

I think that was always PR cock-up rather than evidence. Too much time spent sidetracked by a drawing error.

Logically why would they ever have chosen a commuter style layout over 26m end door stock? How can it be “disappointing”?

 

[57Tonic]

Never believe the pictures, when Stevenage Council announced we were to get new trains and a new platform (5) they printed a Photoshop picture of a Bombardier Regina X53, Had someone miss typed Swedenage.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Never believe the pictures, when Stevenage Council announced we were to get new trains and a new platform (5) they printed a Photoshop picture of a Bombardier Regina X53, Had someone miss typed Swedenage.

Don't forget the world's largest operator of the Regina - China Rail High-Speed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Aren't the vehicle pictured end vehicles, which are end-doored on the artist's impressions?

 

[hexagon789]

Aren't the vehicle pictured end vehicles, which are end-doored on the artist's impressions?

Yes, but while not impossible I'd venture it's unlikely the intermediates won't be end-doored as well

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, but while not impossible I'd venture it's unlikely the intermediates won't be end-doored as well

I'd be inclined to agree that they will be bog-standard 80x. The style of service would not seem to be one that would benefit from doors at thirds, and it would restrict the options for seating layout.