London Midland 172 staff briefs

[Minilad]

172339 now safely put to bed at leamington ready for the 05.58 empties to Stratford.
172338 been and gone on its trip to Dorridge then Worcester before returning to Leamington for 23.45 tonight.

So I am guessing its 338 for 2B00 tomorrow then

 

[dooton]

What happened to 337, it died at Stourbridge around 5. Was stuck for ages whilst they tried to move it!

 

[85A]

had an electrical fault, brake stuck on.

 

[T163R]

had an electrical fault, brake stuck on. took a while to move due to fault in both cabs. 337 wont be out to play tomorrow

Amazing how modern trains are delivered late to break down months after delivery.

 

[atsf_fT]

172 337 was working saturday.

yardley wood platform almost finished .

172 336 stratford - tyseley

 

[MCR247]

Amazing how modern bombardier trains are delivered late to break down months after delivery.

Corrected :P

 

[Class172]

Corrected :P

I was wondering when someone would do that.

 

[T163R]

It's not only the case for Bombardier, guys. Only Siemens is still (a bit) "normal" these days...

 

[the sniper]

I was wondering when someone would do that.

Well, some people are highly predictable...

It's not only the case for Bombardier, guys. Only Siemens is still (a bit) "normal" these days...

You're unfortunately wasting your time pointing that out chap.

 

[Mojo]

Had my first trip on a London Midland 172 this morning, the 10.48 from Hall Green to Birmingham Moor Street. It's a lot better than the London Overground units and seems quieter inside with less rattling panels.

I hope London Midland instruct their Senior Conductors that sitting in the back cab is no longer acceptable; they should be out in the passenger saloons whenever possible.

 

[Techniquest]

Heh, I had my first one on Friday. 172341 from Kidderminster to Smethwick Galton Bridge, and my summary was made straight away:

London Midland's version of Voyagers.

Granted, they were a lot lighter than Voyagers inside, but virtually everything else was exactly like Voyagers! Irritating rattling all the time and those engines got on my nerves. I've not had to take medication to cure a headache caused by a train for years, but that was the case on Saturday night.

Had to suffer 172338 on Saturday morning from Smethwick Galton Bridge to Kidderminster, same problems and same summary. Not impressed to be honest, 150012 on Saturday night from Kidderminster to Great Malvern (and 150018 on Friday morning from Droitwich Spa to Kidderminster) was most welcome!

Definitely not rushing to get another 172!

 

[hippy]

Heh, I had my first one on Friday. 172341 from Kidderminster to Smethwick Galton Bridge, and my summary was made straight away:

London Midland's version of Voyagers.

Granted, they were a lot lighter than Voyagers inside, but virtually everything else was exactly like Voyagers! Irritating rattling all the time and those engines got on my nerves. I've not had to take medication to cure a headache caused by a train for years, but that was the case on Saturday night.



(and 150018 on Friday morning from Droitwich Spa to Kidderminster) was most welcome!

Definitely not rushing to get another 172!

I don't understand how you can complain about a rattle on a 172 when you can put up with the noise a 150 makes in comparison!

 

[IanPooleTrains]

I hope London Midland instruct their Senior Conductors that sitting in the back cab is no longer acceptable; they should be out in the passenger saloons whenever possible.

Tell you what bud, come down the Chase Line from Birmingham and you'll find out that that rule doesn't mean.............

Definitely not rushing to get another 172!

Well I definitely WILL

They are much more comfier than the 170s, much more smoother than the 170s and better in every single way than the 170s

Gimme a good ol' 172 any day of the week!

 

[northernrailer]

Today i visited Birmingham and travelled on 3 class 172 units, first impressions are very good they are lovely inside and you seem to feel higher up than on a class 150. They are very quiet and you cant hear the unit revving up.

Whilst travelling on 172338 on the delayed 1759 Moor Street - Kidderminster service the unit did seem to struggle in the tunnel between Moor St and Snow Hill and the rear carriage was pushing you could feel the bumping, i seriously thought it was going to fail, on departure from Snow Hill it crawled out of the station and it took it ages to reach the tunnel towards Jewerelley Quarter - suppose leaf fall season doesnt help, but when i was at Dorridge today there was a MPV on water jetting duties heading towards Birmingham.

I travelled on 172333, 338 & 340 today.

class 172 units i saw in service today : 172215, 217, 218, 333, 337, 338, 340, 341, 342, 343, 345.

172212, 172220 and a couple more 3 car 172s noted on Tyseley along with 150015 & 150019 coupled together.

 

[Techniquest]

I don't understand how you can complain about a rattle on a 172 when you can put up with the noise a 150 makes in comparison!

Thing is, you know the 150 is going to make a noise, so you expect it. The rattling panels there is no need for and it gets on my nerves. There's also the fact I like 150s

The comfort of the seats on 150s is far superior to those seats on 172s! I know those on 172s are so new they're still rock hard and will get better, but I just don't see me developing much of an interest in 172s. Red pen them and get off as soon as possible!

 

[TEW]

Whilst travelling on 172338 on the delayed 1759 Moor Street - Kidderminster service the unit did seem to struggle in the tunnel between Moor St and Snow Hill and the rear carriage was pushing you could feel the bumping, i seriously thought it was going to fail, on departure from Snow Hill it crawled out of the station and it took it ages to reach the tunnel towards Jewerelley Quarter - suppose leaf fall season doesnt help, but when i was at Dorridge today there was a MPV on water jetting duties heading towards Birmingham.

The bumping sensation you describe sounds pretty much like what a train slipping on greasy rails feels like. It's unusual to suffer poor adhesion in a tunnel though.

 

[Marvin]

It is a pretty steep tunnel...

 

[es373]

Tunnels are a popular place for wheel-slip.
Brake dust, general crap from trains carried into tunnels, rails in tunnels don't get a 'wash' from the rain....

All the more things to make the wheels slip!

 

[Class172]

Had a 'productive' evening today: first I saw 172212 at Worcester Shrub Hill, dispaying 'Birmingham N St' on the destination board — as it passed through the station bound for the depot is saw the side destination board and it said calling at Sandwell & Dudley, why would that be? Then saw a 166 stabled south of the station and as I strolled down to platform 3 I heard the distinctive sound of two 37s in the yard. I then boarded 170631 to Fgt St as a 153 passed on a service to Southampton. I then caught 172341 to Droitwich and as we passed the depot I saw a 66 pulled up behind a track cleaning loco. All that in 25mins.

 

[dooton]

Had a 'productive' evening today: first I saw 172212 at Worcester Shrub Hill, dispaying 'Birmingham N St' on the destination board — as it passed through the station bound for the depot is saw the side destination board and it said calling at Sandwell & Dudley, why would that be? Then saw a 166 stabled south of the station and as I strolled down to platform 3 I heard the distinctive sound of two 37s in the yard. I then boarded 170631 to Fgt St as a 153 passed on a service to Southampton. I then caught 172341 to Droitwich and as we passed the depot I saw a 66 pulled up behind a track cleaning loco. All that in 25mins.

I think it was on driver training, saw it go non-stop through Moor St at half 12ish. Didn't know they were being trained through New Street, if it had calling at Sandwell and Dudley - well thats where the shrewsbury 170's call so could they soon be seen on a few other routes?

 

[AlexS]

Probably just loaded into the PIS in case one ever ends up on a Shrewsbury by some bizarre contrivance as it's a LM West Midlands route? I don't think the crews that work Shrewsbury jobs will sign them.

 

[sprinterguy]

Whilst travelling on 172338 on the delayed 1759 Moor Street - Kidderminster service the unit did seem to struggle in the tunnel between Moor St and Snow Hill and the rear carriage was pushing you could feel the bumping, i seriously thought it was going to fail, on departure from Snow Hill it crawled out of the station and it took it ages to reach the tunnel towards Jewerelley Quarter - suppose leaf fall season doesnt help, but when i was at Dorridge today there was a MPV on water jetting duties heading towards Birmingham.

I've experienced what seemed to be a very rough set of gear changes while passing through the Moor Street-Snow Hill tunnel at slow speed on a 172, which felt very much like what you have described. The unit settled down once it had the opportunity to get up to a reasonable speed out towards Stourbridge.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

London Midland's version of Voyagers.

Granted, they were a lot lighter than Voyagers inside, but virtually everything else was exactly like Voyagers! Irritating rattling all the time and those engines got on my nerves. I've not had to take medication to cure a headache caused by a train for years, but that was the case on Saturday night.

I didn't detect any interior rattles on the LM 172 I travelled on, and the soundproofing of the passenger saloon seemed to be excellent. I feel that the seats on the 172s are vastly more comfortable than the hopelessly low, cramped, 3+2 seating on the 150s.

 

[Techniquest]

Comfortable? I disagree hugely. Granted, after spending most of the day on MK1s, I wasn't going to be blown away by the 172s seating, but even FGW's new seating on the HSTs when they were still really new was better!

 

[hippy]

Comfortable? I disagree hugely. Granted, after spending most of the day on MK1s, I wasn't going to be blown away by the 172s seating, but even FGW's new seating on the HSTs when they were still really new was better!

Quit moaning! The 172's are here to stay

 

[Techniquest]

I'm British, I'm entitled to moan!

I know they're here to stay, doesn't mean I have to like the dreadful (and not in the good way!) things!

 

[Ostrich]

First trip yesterday (Saturday), 338 from Snow Hill to Stourbridge Junc.

Departure from Snow Hill was slow and laboured, and it sounded as if the engine was being "nursed". After Jewellry Quarter, the unit ran fine if unspectacularly, and was a minute down on arrival at Junction.

I certainly noticed the vibrations! I was in the centre compartment of 79338, and my seat, the seat in front of me, and the windows were vibrating distinctly at idle in stations and at slow speeds on departing.

The constant automated announcements became a bit intrusive after a while.

Return was on 150116, OK, the 150's are noisy beasts but they're robust and "honest workers". By contrast, the 172 seemed claustrophopic and plasticy. Just my first impressions, FWIW.

172's seemed to be operating around 50% of the services west of Snow Hill, 172337/38/40/41/43/45 were noted.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

First trip yesterday (Saturday), 338 from Snow Hill to Stourbridge Junc.

Departure from Snow Hill was slow and laboured, and it sounded as if the engine was being "nursed". After Jewellry Quarter, the unit ran fine if unspectacularly, and was a minute down on arrival at Junction.

I certainly noticed the vibrations! I was in the centre compartment of 79338, and my seat, the seat in front of me, and the windows were vibrating distinctly at idle in stations and at slow speeds on departing.

The constant automated announcements became a bit intrusive after a while.

Return was on 150116, OK, the 150's are noisy beasts but they're robust and "honest workers". By contrast, the 172 seemed claustrophopic and plasticy. Just my first impressions, FWIW.

172's seemed to be operating around 50% of the services west of Snow Hill, 172337/38/40/41/43/45 were noted.

People keep saying that they are slow heading west out of Snow Hill, this is due to the 15 mph psr through the long platform and then 25 mph through the station throat down to Livery Street bridge. They make far less noise than a 150 to do this.

As for Claustrophobic try being in the middle seat of three on a 150 in the evening peak.

 

[trains2064]

172336 in service yesterday.

 

[shaun]

As for Claustrophobic try being in the middle seat of three on a 150 in the evening peak.

Absolutely, unfortunately despite the 172s being out i still have to suffer this. The 172s are very spacious in comparison, i'd say they are even better than the 170s in terms of space.

 

[GazzaB24]

Absolutely, unfortunately despite the 172s being out i still have to suffer this. The 172s are very spacious in comparison, i'd say they are even better than the 170s in terms of space.

Absolutely they are more spacious, because there are less seats than on a 150! Coversely, there is more room to stand up now. Every cloud.

I had 172333 back from work on Monday night and suffered some serious wheel slip on the slightly wet rails. Its gonna be fun when the snow comes......