Ex LNER (and Grand Central) Mark 4 sets for TfW

[Welshguy1048]

11/04!24 - Class 67 - 67012 & DVT 82201 - Holyhead Car M.D. to Crewe C.S. - ECS move

 

[aar0]

The seats I found comfortable but I was hoping for the old LNER ones.

I think they are the old LNER ones, just with new headrests?

 

[sd0733]

I think they are the old LNER ones, just with new headrests?

HD01-03 are but the ex GC sets are refurbished just using the existing seat frames

 

[Western 52]

After 1W56 failed at Cardiff last Sunday, today it's a very late substitution with a 150! Looks like it will be about 30 minutes late off Swansea.

 

[185143]

After 1W56 failed at Cardiff last Sunday, today it's a very late substitution with a 150! Looks like it will be about 30 minutes late off Swansea.

Showing 11:00 on the boards at Swansea, with a note of "NO first class or catering onboard"

 

[sd0733]

After 1W56 failed at Cardiff last Sunday, today it's a very late substitution with a 150! Looks like it will be about 30 minutes late off Swansea.

Door fault on HD06. Seems to be a few of those creeping in again

 

[Jez]

After 1W56 failed at Cardiff last Sunday, today it's a very late substitution with a 150! Looks like it will be about 30 minutes late off Swansea.

ive just seen it passing Briton Ferry and confirm it is a 150! And yes very late.

 

[Caaardiff]

Surprised with it being a Sunday they couldn't find anything else to have replaced it instead of a 150!

 

[Jez]

Surprised with it being a Sunday they couldn't find anything else to have replaced it instead of a 150!

I'm surprised too although I suppose with less services on rhe Valleys on Sundays there would be a few spare at Canton.

 

[Topological]

Surprised with it being a Sunday they couldn't find anything else to have replaced it instead of a 150!

Maintenance plans, diagram computer, need 197s to go to Maesteg etc...

This is all the reality of life on the Marches these days.

 

[sd0733]

Next week is planned to start the same as many others, with the 06:27 from Manchester a planned substitution, after that though its planned for everything to run, that diagram should be covered from the 12:49 from Cardiff with HD05 which is already at Canton.

HD02s exam is now complete and is planned to head down from Crewe to Canton tomorrow with 67012 on https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:65208/2024-04-15/detailed
At Canton it will have tyre turning carried out and should be available from Thursday.

Set status:
67008+HD01- 5 car- In service
67012+HD02- 5 car- As above requires test run and tyre turning- should be available from Thursday
67015+HD03- 5 car- On exam back in service Tuesday on 1V31
67014+HD04- 5 car- On exam at Crewe
67022+HD05- 4 car- Loco exam will be back in service tomorrow on 1W19.
67013+HD06- 5 car- Door issues today but planned back out on 1W11 tomorrow will stop for exam towards the end of the week.
67025+HD07- 5 car- In service.

 

[IslandLine101]

Is there a way to even out the exams? It seems a pattern is developing where we have 2 or so weeks of excellent availability, and then the exam cycle comes round and we have two less good weeks with everything waiting for slots at Crewe. Anyway thank you SD for the info - amazing as always. I’m on a few this week so will plan accordingly

 

[sd0733]

Is there a way to even out the exams? It seems a pattern is developing where we have 2 or so weeks of excellent availability, and then the exam cycle comes round and we have two less good weeks with everything waiting for slots at Crewe.

They're pretty balanced now compared to what they were, there was a time where most of them were all bunched up but its quite well spread through the cycle. Some were pulled for exams early when availability allowed to balance it better.
The issue Is that the regular A/S/Z exams take around 2 days whereas the B exams currently taking place have averaged around 25 days, this hasn't been helped by poor 67 availability where the set on B exam has been left without a loco to keep sets out in traffic so has no power which slows things down drastically. Loco availability has improved the last few weeks so for example HD04 has a loco on it now for its exam almost from the start so it should be quicker.

Anyway thank you SD for the info

No problem!

 

[Envoy]

Are we ever going to get to a stage where all the Mk4 services are guaranteed to be running including the required exams taking place as & when?

 

[Caaardiff]

Are we ever going to get to a stage where all the Mk4 services are guaranteed to be running including the required exams taking place as & when?

I think the past 150 pages of this topic gives you the answer to that.
Nothing is guaranteed on the railway, especially a historically unreliable fleet.

 

[sd0733]

Are we ever going to get to a stage where all the Mk4 services are guaranteed to be running including the required exams taking place as & when?

Once this round of exams and lengthening are done it should catch up, without stacks of spares though nothing can be totally guaranteed of anything.
Exams have set amounts of operating days, hours or miles for all sets, they can't just be done as and when unless do them all early.

 

[Envoy]

Once this round of exams and lengthening are done it should catch up, without stacks of spares though nothing can be totally guaranteed of anything.
Exams have set amounts of operating days, hours or miles for all sets, they can't just be done as and when unless do them all early.

Surely, all the sets are doing more or less the same mileage? Can’t they just be spaced out for the exams - even if it means doing some early?

The way things are going, it really is looking to be a bad decision to use the 67’s & the Mk4’s. Don't get me wrong, I really wished the best of luck for TfW in trying to introduce an Inter City style train on this route - which it deserves.

 

[sd0733]

Surely, all the sets are doing more or less the same mileage? Can’t they just be spaced out for the exams - even if it means doing some early?

The way things are going, it really is looking to be a bad decision to use the 67’s & the Mk4’s. Don't get me wrong, I really wished the best of luck for TfW in trying to introduce an Inter City style train on this route - which it deserves.

It's done on days for the Mk4 sets so it's easily scheduled and is exactly what's happened where some have been pulled early to balance, to be most efficient on a 7 set/28 day cycle its simple to have a set come due every 4 days which is the ideal. Unfortunately, with the lengthening and exams it's knocked it out of sync with how long they've taken

At various points in the past I'd have been inclined to agree but as it stands things have settled down, the diagrams have been mostly covered and theres spare sets most days. Unfortunately everything has been delayed so the Tranche 2(ex-GC) introduction then SDO fitment then 5 car have all ended up overlapping meaning there's never been a full fleet available but those projects will be at their end soon. This isn't unique to Mk4s either, fleet project and introductions across the board at all TOCs seem to have been a string of problems over the past few years both new and moved fleets have had all sorts of issues even within TOCs.
There's still 2 planned additional 67s to come and 5 car nearing its end so the 5th diagram can start, then there's still planned for an extra set on top of the current 7 to introduce a 6th diagram.
197 introduction is hardly any better with far more faults and substituting than the Mk4 fleet now. Passenger satisfaction on the Mk4s is much higher than the 197s which is one reason why they want to get the extra set now which wasn't planned for at the nadir of their reliability and availability.

 

[Welshguy1048]

Afternoon

Can anyone help with the allocation for 1W96 this evening please?

Dave

 

[sd0733]

Afternoon

Can anyone help with the allocation for 1W96 this evening please?

Dave

Should be 67013+HD06

 

[The exile]

What’s going to be happening with the four coaches that have been at Barton Hill (Bristol) for about 6 months (IIRC) now?

 

[Krokodil]

197 introduction is hardly any better with far more faults and substituting than the Mk4 fleet now.

Indeed. Where you see pairs of 197s coupled together (other than the LTP diagrams where this was already booked) it's not because TfW suddenly have enough availablity to put more capacity on, it's because the only way to keep the service going is to couple knackered units together. Three car units seem more likely than not to be running on two engines out of three.

 

[sd0733]

Indeed. Where you see pairs of 197s coupled together (other than the LTP diagrams where this was already booked) it's not because TfW suddenly have enough availablity to put more capacity on, it's because the only way to keep the service going is to couple knackered units together. Three car units seem more likely than not to be running on two engines out of three.

Exactly! And they seem to be getting worse not better.

What’s going to be happening with the four coaches that have been at Barton Hill (Bristol) for about 6 months (IIRC) now?

That's some of the planned for 8th set. Believe once the 5 car project is complete attention will turn to getting those coaches assessed/reinstated.

 

[Jez]

I think the past 150 pages of this topic gives you the answer to that.
Nothing is guaranteed on the railway, especially a historically unreliable fleet.

I think by guaranteed we mean a MK4 can be expected to run the booked services over 95% of the time. Nothing can be guaranteed 100%.

For example, before the massive issues with the 175s they ran almost all of their booked workings on the Marches/North Wales with very occasional subbing by a 158 or 150. If we can get to the level where very rarely one is covered by a unit we will have good progress.

 

[Lurcheroo]

I think by guaranteed we mean a MK4 can be expected to run the booked services over 95% of the time. Nothing can be guaranteed 100%.

For example, before the massive issues with the 175s they ran almost all of their booked workings on the Marches/North Wales with very occasional subbing by a 158 or 150. If we can get to the level where very rarely one is covered by a unit we will have good progress.

Yeah I think by that assessment, with enough locos, there shouldn’t be a reason with 7 (potentially 8) sets covering 5 diagrams that it cousins become pretty reliable for the diagrams to get get covered fully.
Only time will tell I suppose.

 

[Welshguy1048]

Should be 67013+HD06

Thank you @sd0733

Dave

 

[Caaardiff]

Yeah I think by that assessment, with enough locos, there shouldn’t be a reason with 7 (potentially 8) sets covering 5 diagrams that it cousins become pretty reliable for the diagrams to get get covered fully.
Only time will tell I suppose.

This would be great. I know a lot of work has been going on to get them to a suitable stage of reliability and I truly hope it pays off. The First Class TFW offers on these is excellent, it's just a shame the stock reliability lets it down. People will soon start to avoid it if there's regular inconsistencies with it. But if truly reliable I can see it being a great success.

 

[BillStampy]

That's some of the planned for 8th set. Believe once the 5 car project is complete attention will turn to getting those coaches assessed/reinstated.

It would be great to have the 8th set in service to be another backup incase the sets are on exam, certainly need it!

 

[sd0733]

It would be great to have the 8th set in service to be another backup incase the sets are on exam, certainly need it!

Last I heard its not planned as a back up, it's to get a 6th diagram although not sure what that would be.

 

[Lurcheroo]

This would be great. I know a lot of work has been going on to get them to a suitable stage of reliability and I truly hope it pays off. The First Class TFW offers on these is excellent, it's just a shame the stock reliability lets it down. People will soon start to avoid it if there's regular inconsistencies with it. But if truly reliable I can see it being a great success.

Totally agree. We’ve seen a serious improvement since their introduction so I’m hopeful that we will see further improvements.
I suppose with only 1 4car set left, the 5 car programme is nearing completion and it will be interesting to see how well the 5 diagrams can be covered.

Last I heard its not planned as a back up, it's to get a 6th diagram although not sure what that would be.

Must say, I personally think that would be fantastic. That would free up yet another 2 197’s.