GWR Class 800

[Mordac]

Well, I finaly got to travel on one of the sooper-dooper trains yesterday (10.00 ex Pz). Thoughts/experience? Seats are hard and (for me) uncomfortable. Armrests may as well not be there, they're so skinny as to be impractical. Windows seem larger and to-gether with the pale interior gives a brighter ambience than the HST coach. Luggage space is lacking. Buffet arrangement is an impractical joke. It must be a nightmare for the poor staff. A group of people in front of me made a not unreasonable order for several beers and spirits which involved the trolley dolly scampering along to wherever that they're stored to collect them. Two lots of punters later and it was repeated. Presumably as the train was two sets yoked to-gether there had to be two lots of buffet staff. The train was/is advertised in the timetable as having a restaurant car. It didn't, I went hungry. The sockets to plug a cellphone/laptop computer in are awkward to reach for someone who is not so flexible as they used to be. The ride was good over ordinary track but points and junctions produced some worrying clonks and thumps. I wonder if the ride quality will be as good as a forty year old HST in forty years time - if they last that long. Despit power operated sliding doors the platform work is as dismal as ever with the train steadily losing time through Cornwall just like the slam door HSTs . The rolling display at the end of each coach is a nice touch and the pre-recorded announcements are clear, concise and grammatically correct. Which begs the question of why the Conductor makes an announcement every time the auto announcement finishes. It's just so unnecessary and unprofessional. To sum up --in my experience/opinion - the fact that so little has improved over the HSTs shows just how advanced the HST was.

This is hardly unique to GWR, and indeed it a particular bugbear of mine. Maybe they reckon time spend doing the redundant announcement is time they don't have to leave the back cab to actually encounter some passengers... Or is my London Midland LNRW experience showing too much

 

[Wychwood93]

This is hardly unique to GWR, and indeed it a particular bugbear of mine. Maybe they reckon time spend doing the redundant announcement is time they don't have to leave the back cab to actually encounter some passengers... Or is my London Midland LNRW experience showing too much

A brief look at my spreadsheet here in Dorset, with regard to ticket checks on an IET on GWR would see them as minimal - you get the odd member of staff wander through, but would appear to be going from one end to the other rather than engaging with customers. 800s and 800/3s. The trolley - often double-staffed, drifts through from time to time. The double-staffing does not prevent collision with seats at times. I may be, and am, ex-staff and need to show them something - it just seems that nobody, in general, really cares. Why? Before anybody chips in, it would be fair to say that most major GWR stations are gated - yes, but - I could have joined a train at Mortimer, changed at Reading and Temple Meads and hopped off at Nailsea.

 

[JN114]

Well, I finaly got to travel on one of the sooper-dooper trains yesterday (10.00 ex Pz). Thoughts/experience? Seats are hard and (for me) uncomfortable. Armrests may as well not be there, they're so skinny as to be impractical. Windows seem larger and to-gether with the pale interior gives a brighter ambience than the HST coach. Luggage space is lacking. Buffet arrangement is an impractical joke. It must be a nightmare for the poor staff. A group of people in front of me made a not unreasonable order for several beers and spirits which involved the trolley dolly scampering along to wherever that they're stored to collect them. Two lots of punters later and it was repeated. Presumably as the train was two sets yoked to-gether there had to be two lots of buffet staff. The train was/is advertised in the timetable as having a restaurant car. It didn't, I went hungry. The sockets to plug a cellphone/laptop computer in are awkward to reach for someone who is not so flexible as they used to be. The ride was good over ordinary track but points and junctions produced some worrying clonks and thumps. I wonder if the ride quality will be as good as a forty year old HST in forty years time - if they last that long. Despit power operated sliding doors the platform work is as dismal as ever with the train steadily losing time through Cornwall just like the slam door HSTs . The rolling display at the end of each coach is a nice touch and the pre-recorded announcements are clear, concise and grammatically correct. Which begs the question of why the Conductor makes an announcement every time the auto announcement finishes. It's just so unnecessary and unprofessional. To sum up --in my experience/opinion - the fact that so little has improved over the HSTs shows just how advanced the HST was.

The 1000 from Penzance does convey a restaurant service - from Plymouth as it did when it was operated with HSTs - there’s not been a restaurant service in Cornwall for a very long time.

 

[Bikeman78]

Well the horse hair stuffing might be an issue....

The world has moved on from horse hair. What goes in modern sofas or plane seats?

 

[cactustwirly]

The world has moved on from horse hair. What goes in modern sofas or plane seats?

Synthetic foam, usually made from oil based products

 

[fgwrich]

I've read elsewhere on this forum, that the 2x802s on this working today may have possibly set on fire at Truro. I'm assuming very minor issue. The train ran empty from Truro to Penzance.

Suggested elsewhere that the 802 involved had a small traction motor failure. This then resulted in a brief spurt of flame and a resulting small amount of acrid smoke which entering the passenger saloons through the aircon.

Elsewhere it's being reported that the 802s seem to be suffering door failures as well, and somewhat unsurprisingly short forms (or just the effect of 5 cars!) in Cornwall.

 

[404250]

1st class in the GWR HSTs is outstanding. I don't think there'll ever be comfort like that on newer trains unfortunately.

 

[Goldfish62]

1st class in the GWR HSTs is outstanding. I don't think there'll ever be comfort like that on newer trains unfortunately.

I agree. They prove that firm seats can be comfortable if they're the right shape.

 

[Pete_uk]

Hope the 802's sent suffering from poorer Manufacturing.

 

[Warwick]

The 1000 from Penzance does convey a restaurant service - from Plymouth as it did when it was operated with HSTs - there’s not been a restaurant service in Cornwall for a very long time.

I'm aware of that. As the train ran into Exeter I walked along to the leading end (I was sitting in the second coach from the rear) to be told by the catering lady that there was no restaurant service. I wasn't the only disappointed punter.

 

[co-tr-paul]

011 was the errant 802 at Truro. Staff saying station was evacuated then trouble getting the rest of the engines to start to get it back to Long Rock, some 5 mph where it is now.

 

[southern442]

Synthetic foam, usually made from oil based products

Might have to move back to horse hair then!

 

[ANP1990]

Apprently one of the 800s has brought down the wires near Hanwell. I suspect it was an 802 because the quite a few of the seats had plastic sheet covers.

Not a good two nights on the GWML!

 

[samuelmorris]

Perhaps it's my imagination but are most of the seriously problematic units recently all 802s? Could be a coincidence but given the cause for the major incident at Exeter being put down to a manufacturing issue, the stuff coming out of Pistoia is starting to have me worried, given what that facility was associated with in the past.

 

[FGW_DID]

Apprently one of the 800s has brought down the wires near Hanwell. I suspect it was an 802 because the quite a few of the seats had plastic sheet covers.

Not a good two nights on the GWML!

Perhaps it's my imagination but are most of the seriously problematic units recently all 802s? Could be a coincidence but given the cause for the major incident at Exeter being put down to a manufacturing issue, the stuff coming out of Pistoia is starting to have me worried, given what that facility was associated with in the past.

802016!

 

[samuelmorris]

Presumably this means that 802016 and 802011 will both be out of service for considerable time?

 

[43096]

Presumably this means that 802016 and 802011 will both be out of service for considerable time?

802016 isn’t even in service yet: it was going to Stoke Gifford for commissioning!

 

[Thunderer]

I rode on 802011 eleven days ago in South Wales (London-Swansea service) post #8789 on this thread and it was making some very odd noises then? I know now that the braking systems are different to that on an 800, so different noises are to be expected during breaking, but the engine under my coach (composite coach) sounded like a bag of bolts (noisy and rough) on leaving Newport and Cardiff, it didn't feel or sound right, based on previous IEP journeys. Im inclined to agree with other members questioning the quality of the work coming out of Italy with regards to the 802's

 

[TractiveEffort]

I rode on 802011 eleven days ago in South Wales (London-Swansea service) post #8789 on this thread and it was making some very odd noises then? I know now that the braking systems are different to that on an 800, so different noises are to be expected during breaking, but the engine under my coach (composite coach) sounded like a bag of bolts (noisy and rough) on leaving Newport and Cardiff, it didn't feel or sound right, based on previous IEP journeys. Im inclined to agree with other members questioning the quality of the work coming out of Italy with regards to the 802's

The engine would have come out of Germany.

 

[samuelmorris]

But it would surely have been installed in Italy. Entirely possible that whatever defect (if it was a defect) caused that noise could have been a fault with the engine itself but there's been at least one case of 'incorrectly fitted' come up already with 802s, it's not too much of a stretch for this to be another.

 

[JN114]

Without going too much further neither the 802 or the Infrastructure were the cause of the wiring issue at Hanwell

 

[irish_rail]

I rode on 802011 eleven days ago in South Wales (London-Swansea service) post #8789 on this thread and it was making some very odd noises then? I know now that the braking systems are different to that on an 800, so different noises are to be expected during breaking, but the engine under my coach (composite coach) sounded like a bag of bolts (noisy and rough) on leaving Newport and Cardiff, it didn't feel or sound right, based on previous IEP journeys. Im inclined to agree with other members questioning the quality of the work coming out of Italy with regards to the 802's

Likely just the uprated engines on the 802 they are certainly noisier / rougher, but they do go much better than the 800s on diesel ( though still slower than a HST on Devon banks)

 

[TractiveEffort]

Without going too much further neither the 802 or the Infrastructure were the cause of the wiring issue at Hanwell

BBC radio reporting a Crossrail test being the issue.

 

[ANP1990]

BBC radio reporting a Crossrail test being the issue.

GWR stated that its a Hitachi test train (so most likely an 800)

https://mobile.twitter.com/GWRHelp/status/1052468871125487616

 

[mushroomchow]

Hoo boy, there's going to be a lot of wibble over this one.

I'll start, shall I? The 80X introduction is fast turning into a PR disaster for GWR.

 

[reddragon]

802016 is innocent until proven guilty sir!

It may be the victim here

 

[cactustwirly]

Hoo boy, there's going to be a lot of wibble over this one.

I'll start, shall I? The 80X introduction is fast turning into a PR disaster for GWR.

Not exactly the 80xs fault that the OLE in that section is cheap & nasty, and not fit for purpose...

 

[michael74]

Hoo boy, there's going to be a lot of wibble over this one.

I'll start, shall I? The 80X introduction is fast turning into a PR disaster for GWR.

Apparently the hard seats on the 800s also contribute to the decline in sighting of song birds in the the UK as well.....

 

[FGW_DID]

GWR have said that it was an 800

https://mobile.twitter.com/GWRHelp/status/1052468871125487616

No That tweet says it was an Hitachi test train.

It was 802016 (driven by a GBRF driver) that ended up wrapped in the wires (although the unit may not have been the cause)

 

[samuelmorris]

Without going too much further neither the 802 or the Infrastructure were the cause of the wiring issue at Hanwell

Makes it sound like human error, hence not elaborating, but I'm surprised that could cause this level of damage.