How would you refurbish a Pendolino?

[TheKnightWho]

I would be interested to see what the actual time advantage of a Pendolino over something like a Cl350 actually is.

Loco hauled sets seemed to manage 2hr30 as it is, so I can't imagine the tilt actually gains very much.

To where, exactly?

Most of the Pendolino gains are on the northern half of the WCML.

 

[plastictaffy]

The time advantage is considerable. Acceleration wise, a Desiro will leave everything else for dead up to around 70mph. But let's not forget that Pendo's tilt to take advantage of the fact that they are cleared for 125mph. I can give an example of the acceleration thing - if I leave MK on the Down Slow at the same time as a Pendo, he's overtaking me when I'm going around 100, just around Ashton Neutral - assuming I stopped at Wolverton.
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At the end of the day if you refurbish them people won't know the difference..

As long as it turns up on time, it's warm, clean, dry, has working bogs and the Guard isn't a sullen, frosty faced jobsworth, personal experience tells me that the travelling public don't give a toss. Just saying.

 

[bronzeonion]

Abit drastic/impossible but lower the floor! To get rid of the silly step that folds out when you open a door, or just raise platforms where they stop. Mind you I would raise platforms at nearly all stations across the UK.

More realistically, MK4 coaches are built to a tilt profile aren't they? They're much more spacious inside. I'd strip the lot down to the body and rebuild the interior with as little unnecessary stuff as possible. I'd install more/brighter whiter lights and seat window alignment would be one of the highest priorities and more room in the luggage racks. Install a proper guards brake in a more suitable location than the 'office' with it's own door, droplight and emergency brake valve to replace the current 'office' making room for more seats.

 

[Nym]

Give the man a coconut.

Excellent idea, smartphones, ipads, ipods, all only need a USB socket and at just 5 Volts it should be a doddle to implement safely.

For one, the new USB standard is 5, 12 or 24V and secondly, that's a lot of cabling to get it into place. In reality as well, a lot of people still use BS1363 plugs...

 

[HSTEd]

To where, exactly?

Most of the Pendolino gains are on the northern half of the WCML.

To Manchester and similar.

AS I understand it there are not many EPS speeds north of Birmingham anyway.
IIRC a Class 350 at 110mph only loses six minutes to Rugby compared to a Pendo.
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For one, the new USB standard is 5, 12 or 24V and secondly, that's a lot of cabling to get it into place. In reality as well, a lot of people still use BS1363 plugs...

The new USB standard is rather crazy looking on the face of it.
And if you were going to implement BS1363 plugs you would likely put an SMPS on each socket individually, so all you gain is collapsing the 'wall warts' into the wall.

 

[starrymarkb]

To Manchester and similar.

AS I understand it there are not many EPS speeds north of Birmingham anyway.
IIRC a Class 350 at 110mph only loses six minutes to Rugby compared to a Pendo.
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Most of the Northern WCML is EPS isn't it?

 

[najaB]

AS I understand it there are not many EPS speeds north of Birmingham anyway.

Did you mean South of Brum? I've definitely seen EPS speed signs between Carstairs and Carlisle.

 

[transmanche]

For one, the new USB standard is 5, 12 or 24V and secondly, that's a lot of cabling to get it into place. In reality as well, a lot of people still use BS1363 plugs...

Might as well go the whole hog and opt for wireless charging...

 

[edwin_m]

There's a lot of EPS between about Lancaster and Carstairs.

 

[NotATrainspott]

The Eversholt Mk4 refurb concept included four wireless charging pads on each table in a seating bay. However, when the refurb work is going to last at least ten years in service, it's not a good idea to include things which will likely become obsolete well before then. BS1363 plugs won't be going anywhere for a very long time, but I can see having USB ports as a possible option if they are simple faceplates+transformer connected to the 230V AC supply which can be swapped out whenever a new USB standard comes out.

 

[plastictaffy]

IIRC a Class 350 at 110mph only loses six minutes to Rugby compared to a Pendo.

Those services that go through to Crewe from Euston are timed at xx.46 from Euston, and xx.41 at Rugby, with the intermediate stop at MKC timed at xx.19.
So that's 55 minutes start to stop by me. However, the one job that we have going to Rugby that way, it's often 3-4 minutes early at Rugby. I just looked at the Virgin timetable for a similar working, it leaves EUS at xx.33, arrives RUG at xx.22. But that doesn't include a Milton Keynes call. I guess if the VT service called at Milton Keynes, the two services would be neck and neck at Rugby.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

USB ports should never happen. My phone charger doesn't use USB and then there's laptop chargers and DVD player chargers as well as the one guy who used his Xbox with one! (However that is silly so that shouldn't be mentioned further). 230V plugs can have their voltage lowered by resistors and/or transformers and a USB would in most cases only allow one voltage, which results in all kinds of problems.
If it ain't broke...
(Although yes we do need more. This happened in our hotel in France, cue the 6-gang extension coming out...)

 

[edwin_m]

For one, the new USB standard is 5, 12 or 24V and secondly, that's a lot of cabling to get it into place. In reality as well, a lot of people still use BS1363 plugs...

Does this mean if somebody plugs in a device that runs at 5V and the supply is offering 24V that the device will go bang? Or, if the other way round, it won't charge? If so then the operators won't want to touch it with a bargepole.

I was on an airliner recently with sockets in the seat backs that appeared to be designed to accept any of the major international mains plug types.

 

[Nym]

Does this mean if somebody plugs in a device that runs at 5V and the supply is offering 24V that the device will go bang? Or, if the other way round, it won't charge? If so then the operators won't want to touch it with a bargepole.

I was on an airliner recently with sockets in the seat backs that appeared to be designed to accept any of the major international mains plug types.

No, it's negotiated by data link and would only ever provide 5V by default.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'd install more/brighter whiter lights.

Aaarrrgghhh, no, please! The 390s are just about the only modern stock which has lights that are actually comfortable on the eyes.