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GA Class 90 Mark 3 Sets Withdrawal

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BRX

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Seems to be standard practice for TOCs to give up on maintaining 'old' stock once it approaches the end of its use. Somehow it is considered that passengers shouldn't expect previously normal standards to be kept up, once the arrival of new stock is vaguely imminent.
 
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So if they have CET plugs by seats and wi fi, not to mention CDL, why arnt NR insisting on the charter companies having to use them over the MK1/2s, I know we prefer them over new stock but they really shouldn't still be on the mainline in this day and age
Maybe there's a place for them in replacing the AC Mk2s but there's limited demand for charter stock. There are probably only a couple of hundred coaches owned by charter operators (far far less servicable) and a lot of these will be for heritage operations which Mk3s would be unsuitable for. There's also a large fleet of 250 or so Mk4s becoming available, which might be preferable to Mk3s?
 

plugwash

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The downside of MK4s is they are less flexible than older coaches due to the use of nonstandard couplers/corridor joins in the middle of the rake. This is likely to lead (and I belive has already started to lead) to a bunch of MK4 center coaches being scrapped.
 

43096

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Maybe there's a place for them in replacing the AC Mk2s but there's limited demand for charter stock. There are probably only a couple of hundred coaches owned by charter operators (far far less servicable) and a lot of these will be for heritage operations which Mk3s would be unsuitable for. There's also a large fleet of 250 or so Mk4s becoming available, which might be preferable to Mk3s?
Mark 3s have the big advantage of extensive route clearance, which the Mark 4s don’t.
 

HamworthyGoods

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Seems to be standard practice for TOCs to give up on maintaining 'old' stock once it approaches the end of its use. Somehow it is considered that passengers shouldn't expect previously normal standards to be kept up, once the arrival of new stock is vaguely imminent.

As BR did before the world of TOCs...

Remember the mess Waterloo/Exeter go into before the arrival of class 159s, loco hauled sets went from 9 cars to 8s to 7s with some 6s by the end. The 50s and 47/7s were a total mess with no heat 47/0s drafted in and the Waterloo to Salisbury semi-fasts becoming DEMUs from Reading.
 

Adrian1980uk

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As BR did before the world of TOCs...

Remember the mess Waterloo/Exeter go into before the arrival of class 159s, loco hauled sets went from 9 cars to 8s to 7s with some 6s by the end. The 50s and 47/7s were a total mess with no heat 47/0s drafted in and the Waterloo to Salisbury semi-fasts becoming DEMUs from Reading.

It's just logical as it's dead money if you're going to get rid of them, not necessarily right.

Unfortunately given the last 6 months people will not remember the many years good service they've given
 

chubs

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They were junk when the came across to replace the mk2's and they are junk now.

It's been widely documented on here that maintenance issues are also down to the fact there is just no capacity for old stock maintenance in depots with Stadlers everywhere (although hard to find the posts since admin split the threads continuously).
 
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The downside of MK4s is they are less flexible than older coaches due to the use of nonstandard couplers/corridor joins in the middle of the rake. This is likely to lead (and I belive has already started to lead) to a bunch of MK4 center coaches being scrapped.
For Mk4 only charter rakes though that shouldn't be a huge issue? Although I imagine it'd mean that every set would have to bring a DVT with it, since it wouldn't be comparable with a Mk2 Brake.
 

357

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The last "planned" use was yesterday (90008) - with one set on standby until the end of the month.

This morning, there are reports that 90001 is working the 0700 NRW-LST.

Whilst I'd noticed logos removed from the locos for some time - yesterday I also noticed logos removed from some of the coaches
 

WesternLancer

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The last "planned" use was yesterday (90008) - with one set on standby until the end of the month.

This morning, there are reports that 90001 is working the 0700 NRW-LST.

Whilst I'd noticed logos removed from the locos for some time - yesterday I also noticed logos removed from some of the coaches
Thanks - wonder if some pics will go up - walking to a decent lineside location some meters from anyone else would be a great daily excercise routine in the current climate. Rail fans well trained to cope with this scenario IMHO!
 

delticdave

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Thanks - wonder if some pics will go up - walking to a decent lineside location some meters from anyone else would be a great daily excercise routine in the current climate. Rail fans well trained to cope with this scenario IMHO!
Good idea, any thoughts on suitable locations in / around Chelmsford area?
 

WesternLancer

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Good idea, any thoughts on suitable locations in / around Chelmsford area?
I don't know the area, so anything would do! Actually what I do if I'm going to be somewhere is to use streetmap.co.uk at the scale that shows Ordnance Survey with public footpaths that run near lines as a good way of getting to access points without trespassing. Tho this works better in the countryside. I can see a path (2 in fact) just south of Hylands Park and west of Chelmsford that go under the line - no idea if they present good locations but they look accessible at least.
 

Railperf

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I am hearing a rake of mk 3-s sitting in Norwich lower without a loco and looking ready for haulage away for storage/scrap. Reports that 90001 is out today with a mk 3 rake.
 

BRX

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I'd hoped for a last trip out to Norwich and back on the mk3s... and the weather has been perfect... sadly other events have overtaken things.
 

Railperf

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I'd hoped for a last trip out to Norwich and back on the mk3s... and the weather has been perfect... sadly other events have overtaken things.
I don't think you are missing too much - especially the additional virus catching risk of having to manually open door handles and droplight windows etc. The squeaking and lurching when starting/stopping won't be missed either.
 

Railperf

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745002-007/009/010/106 have been accepted so far.
That's eight 'Intercity' units and one Stansted. More than enough to maintain the current diagrams then. How much additional time and preparation is needed between official acceptance and availability for service?
Which other units are around Crown point undergoing fault free running and testing?
 

86246

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90001 won't be on 1P73 (22:00 to London) as that is already at platform 1 at Norwich. That should be it (again).
 

BRX

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I don't think you are missing too much - especially the additional virus catching risk of having to manually open door handles and droplight windows etc. The squeaking and lurching when starting/stopping won't be missed either.
3 or 4 decades of travelling on mk3s means I know exactly what I'm missing - and it includes the squeaking and lurching!
 

Railperf

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3 or 4 decades of travelling on mk3s means I know exactly what I'm missing - and it includes the squeaking and lurching!
Ahhh sorry lol. I was aboard a set last week, but after stepping out of a 755 regional train, the Mk3's (in standard class) seemed really dull dreary and quite dirty. First class is a lot nicer, but still, i was more pleased to have bagged a last Kings Cross to Aberdeen return trip, as the LNER Mk3's are a way superior environment in every way. And that is also a far more spectacular journey - scenery wise.

But as my sons noted a week ago, the loss of the 90's and Mk3's plus the older diesel units, takes away the traction variety from north Anglia now. It is completely Stadler land - except for the odd East Midlands 156/158.
 
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WesternLancer

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Have there been any more runs of these in recent days or are they all laid up now?
 

Meerkat

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Where are the 90’s and Mk3s going?
Any chance of a return for a railtours farewell, maybe in a classic livery?
 

47827

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Where are the 90’s and Mk3s going?
Any chance of a return for a railtours farewell, maybe in a classic livery?

Locos = 2 to LSL in Crewe, the rest to Freightliner to allow the 86s to be gradually dispensed with/fleet size reduced.

Carriages have already started going for scrap within days of some coming out of use although that will stall now with yards being closed during the lockdown. A few may go for further use at LSL in Crewe and other places but would expect most to be cut up later this year when things calmed down.
 
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