GWR Class 800

[superalbs]

Lost about 10 minutes at Dawlish Warren due to a door fault, but otherwise, the first run was relatively trouble-free.

 

[D1009]

Lost about 10 minutes at Dawlish Warren due to a door fault, but otherwise, the first run was relatively trouble-free.

Presumably had it not been for that, it would have recovered most of the time it had lost earlier in the journey.

 

[swt_passenger]

I thought they were going to operated by Class 802's.

You are mistaken. Although the original plans back in 2014 or so were that 800s would not operate through to Plymouth and Penzance, they did allow for services to Paignton, which is why the CP5 IEP gauge clearance plans until mid 2015 always included Paignton, but no further.

 

[superkev]

According to this months Modern Railways TIN watch (miles per techinical incident) class 800 is 6326. For comparison a 700 is 5715, 707 9111 and a 345 is just 3266. A 30 year old pacer MTIN is 8933. Pretty poor really.
K

 

[samuelmorris]

Good to see that the 345s are finally starting to increase, that's almost double the previous month's figure, but still a long way to go. I note four staff operating a fair few of the units I've been on (i.e. 1 driver and 3 techs), which for a DOO metro unit laughable.
More on topic I'm pretty sure those other two numbers have decreased since last issue, a bit of a worry. I wonder why that is?

 

[TractiveEffort]

Lost about 10 minutes at Dawlish Warren due to a door fault, but otherwise, the first run was relatively trouble-free.

3 minutes on TRUST and it wasn’t a fault, just a consequence of the first run.

 

[D1009]

3 minutes on TRUST and it wasn’t a fault, just a consequence of the first run.

It was booked to stand at Dawlish Warren for 7 minutes to be overtaken by 1C76, but because 1C75 was late, 1C76 was already in front. That leaves a question as to the nature of the "consequence of the first run".

 

[TractiveEffort]

It was booked to stand at Dawlish Warren for 7 minutes to be overtaken by 1C76, but because 1C75 was late, 1C76 was already in front. That leaves a question as to the nature of the "consequence of the first run".

The consequence wasn’t a door fault, Driver/train interface would be more accurate.

 

[Pete_uk]

I wonder how meny drivers had their first taste of driving in the rain over the weekend

 

[Bringback309s]

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/new-super-trains-penzance-launch-1842195 "Modifications needed to get up the hills at Totnes" - hang on, they were designed to do this wern't they?

 

[The_Engineer]

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/new-super-trains-penzance-launch-1842195 "Modifications needed to get up the hills at Totnes" - hang on, they were designed to do this wern't they?

Modification - electrify the railway!!

It's a non-news event really, it just says the Class 800 can't do it so a more modern Class 802 is being used instead.....

 

[JN114]

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/new-super-trains-penzance-launch-1842195 "Modifications needed to get up the hills at Totnes" - hang on, they were designed to do this wern't they?

Cornwall Live appear to have put 2 and 2 together and gotten 9...

IET introduction to full-distance West Country services remains on track for a “Summer 2018” introduction - albeit pushed back from late July to mid-late August - indeed the first service to Paignton has already operated over the weekend.

Separately Network Rail have announced that the proposed Jan 2019 timetable change on GWR is to be put back to May - but critically this has NO impact on IET introduction, it will just take a few more months for some of the benefits afforded by the upgraded line and timetables to be felt.

The 802 are already routinely operating over the Devon banks on driver training, including in a variety of engine out configurations and conditions. No issues of concern have been noted; and the trains are performing as designed.

 

[Master29]

Cornwall live is useless anyway. About as reliable as paraffin fireguards.

 

[TractiveEffort]

“A 'bimodal' system will allow the trains to run on electric motors, switching to diesel after Newbury.”

Not sure how that works then.... I guess the reporter isn’t very technical!!

 

[Charlie M.]

Cornwall live is useless anyway. About as reliable as paraffin fireguards.

The whole of the local online news website are now, ads everywhere and stories not worth reading.

 

[TwistedMentat]

“A 'bimodal' system will allow the trains to run on electric motors, switching to diesel after Newbury.”

Not sure how that works then.... I guess the reporter isn’t very technical!!

If the reporter is just a generalist local reporter it makes sense for them not to understand the difference between overhead and diesel power. As far as they can see it looks and sounds like a truck. Power comes from the overheads as electricity and then a diesel gets switched in to power the wheels directly is probably what they think. No need to be snarky.

 

[TractiveEffort]

If the reporter is just a generalist local reporter it makes sense for them not to understand the difference between overhead and diesel power. As far as they can see it looks and sounds like a truck. Power comes from the overheads as electricity and then a diesel gets switched in to power the wheels directly is probably what they think. No need to be snarky.

Local reporting is in a dire state now, I’m not sure why we shouldn’t expect it to be accurate, it wouldn’t take much research, or even a little less BS written to convey a article that isn’t full of errors, this article is far from alone in that. Still, best not go on and derail the thread into a digression on shambolic local rags.

 

[Doomotron]

Getting back on to the Class 80x, people have been complaining about the seats. I probably wouldn't because I can't stand soft seats (I hate the Mark 1 seats), but I've thought of a fix.

The seats in the Class 80x are probably going to be changed because of the complaints, so how about replacing the seats with the ones from the GW HSTs? I find them rather nice.

 

[jimm]

The seats are not going to be changed - GWR is trying out a different type of material to cover them instead.

And other people, me included, dislike the seats in the GWR HSTs and are glad they are going - I could say glad to see the back of them, but that was one of the problems - all you could see when sat in them was the back of the seat in front.

 

[gallafent]

The seats are not going to be changed - GWR is trying out a different type of material to cover them instead.

It does feel a bit more comfortable / luxurious, and may well not show stains as badly as the original, seems a bit darker and more “mottled”. Definitely an improvement over the original cloth on the earlier deliveries, for me.

And other people, me included, dislike the seats in the GWR HSTs and are glad they are going - I could say glad to see the back of them, but that was one of the problems - all you could see when sat in them was the back of the seat in front.

I too really disliked the claustrophobic effect they created (though that would have been much reduced with even as little as 5cm more pitch … and less tinting on the windows … and less harsh lighting … and less dark fabric, ……… !) … but, speaking of backs, they definitely fit my body enormously better than those in the IETs, and were pretty comfortable all round for me (185cm, 89kg).

I've travelled in quite a few now, and all of the following are right in the HSTs and wrong in the IETs (for me): lumbar support height (is there even any at all in the IETs?); shoulder “cavity” (too low in IETs, matches my lower ribcage area); headrest height (also too low, the “ears” press into my shoulders!); armrest height (seriously, they are so low that they're about half way between the seat base and my elbows, with my arms hanging vertically from my shoulders, you'd have to be amazingly short (or have amazingly long arms) for them to be at the right height!) … the net result being that I end up with my back fairly strongly curved forward and a fairly rapid onset of shoulder and back pain if I try to sit “in” the seat. To stay comfortable I just perch forward and ignore the backrest altogether. Luckily the seat pitch is (or at least /seems/) a lot larger than in the HSTs so this is an option.

Quite looking forward to the wires getting to Oxford so I can opt for 387s and their luxurious (but, seriously, seemingly more supportive and ergonomic) ironing boards when possible

 

[Charlie M.]

Quite looking forward to the wires getting to Oxford so I can opt for 387s and their luxurious (but, seriously, seemingly more supportive and ergonomic) ironing boards when possible

Well, it may be electrified: but in nearly 3-5 years!

 

[jimm]

I too really disliked the claustrophobic effect they created (though that would have been much reduced with even as little as 5cm more pitch … and less tinting on the windows … and less harsh lighting … and less dark fabric, ……… !) … but, speaking of backs, they definitely fit my body enormously better than those in the IETs, and were pretty comfortable all round for me (185cm, 89kg).

I've travelled in quite a few now, and all of the following are right in the HSTs and wrong in the IETs (for me): lumbar support height (is there even any at all in the IETs?); shoulder “cavity” (too low in IETs, matches my lower ribcage area); headrest height (also too low, the “ears” press into my shoulders!); armrest height (seriously, they are so low that they're about half way between the seat base and my elbows, with my arms hanging vertically from my shoulders, you'd have to be amazingly short (or have amazingly long arms) for them to be at the right height!) … the net result being that I end up with my back fairly strongly curved forward and a fairly rapid onset of shoulder and back pain if I try to sit “in” the seat. To stay comfortable I just perch forward and ignore the backrest altogether. Luckily the seat pitch is (or at least /seems/) a lot larger than in the HSTs so this is an option.

Quite looking forward to the wires getting to Oxford so I can opt for 387s and their luxurious (but, seriously, seemingly more supportive and ergonomic) ironing boards when possible

The HST seat backs may be great for you but they aren't great for me - I have never been able to sit comfortably in them, unlike the IETs.

We are all different shapes and sizes, so no one is ever going to be able to design a train seat that suits everyone. As every thread on this forum where seats get mentioned proves time and again.

 

[ainsworth74]

On which note might I suggest we move on from yet another circuit of "I like this seat", "well you're wrong this seat is infinitely preferable", "no it isn't", "yes it is", etc, etc?

If anyone has a burning desire to argue the merits of their preferred seat then please feel free to do so in a new thread. I'm not sure there's much else to be gained by continuing to discuss seats in this thread.

 

[Jimini]

<snip> armrest height (seriously, they are so low that they're about half way between the seat base and my elbows, with my arms hanging vertically from my shoulders, you'd have to be amazingly short (or have amazingly long arms) for them to be at the right height!) … <snip>

Completely agree -- they're ridiculous! Admittedly I'm 6' tall but they're so low. Shame really as I don't have any other complaints about the 800s (commuting Swindon <> Paddington).

P.S Sorry ainsworth74, hadn't reached your post before replying to this one.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Swarms (?) of 80x on the ECML this evening, got four passing Doncaster in just 30 minutes - two all white, one GW and one of the new TPE in dull grey.

 

[aar0]

Swarms (?) of 80x on the ECML this evening, got four passing Doncaster in just 30 minutes - two all white, one GW and one of the new TPE in dull grey.

Saw one at York at about 5, pantograph up.

I'm on 1B88 (2015 Paddington - Swansea) which broke down after Reading, but then switched to diesel, and, although it embarked Hitachi engineers at Swindon, appears now to be fine.

 

[Charlie M.]

Rumour has it that the fastest HST run on the GML broke some 125 limits, when ATP did not exist.

Another reason the IET won’t beat performance..

 

[Sean Emmett]

I

Rumour has it that the fastest HST run on the GML broke some 125 limits, when ATP did not exist.

Another reason the IET won’t beat performance..

Railway Performance Society database confirms that IET, on electric of course, has beaten the best ever HST times between Reading and Didcot and vv.

Paddington - Reading will be difficult due to the lower speed limits now in force out to Ladbroke Grove.

Not seen a log of the PAD RDG 20m 46s HST run, but another HST run in 20m 49s published in Milepost did not exceed 129 mph.

In the up direction, IET on electric has got within 10 sec of fastest RDG-PAD HST run in the RPS database.

 

[Charlie M.]

I

Railway Performance Society database confirms that IET, on electric of course, has beaten the best ever HST times between Reading and Didcot and vv.

Paddington - Reading will be difficult due to the lower speed limits now in force out to Ladbroke Grove.

Not seen a log of the PAD RDG 20m 46s HST run, but another HST run in 20m 49s published in Milepost did not exceed 129 mph.

In the up direction, IET on electric has got within 10 sec of fastest RDG-PAD HST run in the RPS database.

Interesting. There diesel performance is not great but that defeats the object - they still provide faster services with more capacity.

 

[Master29]

Just curious to know whether the named trains from Penzance i.e. Cornish Riviera, Cornishman, Royal Duchy and Golden Hind will specifically use 9 car 802`s as they`re usually guaranteed busy but the slower services perhaps taking a 5 car split at Plymouth or even just a straight 5 car from Paddington? I know this has been loosely discussed in the passed but now the entry date is almost upon us there may be more info available.