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Major Problem on the South Western - Gearbox Seizure!

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Coxster

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Written at 12:18.

A 444 (expected to be the 11:59 to London) has stopped under a bridge me and dad trainspot from, despite having a double-yellow. Another train has overtaken it with a double-yellow signal (which I believe is the 12:16 stopper to London) leaving me to assume the 444 has broken down, and all trains that should use the up slow are having to use the up fast, then rejoining the slow lines in Farnborough station. This means if you are travelling from Hook, Winchfield or Fleet, don't expect a train anytime soon :D
 
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Tom

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And I quote...

Train services between Basingstoke and Farnborough Main via Fleet are being disrupted due to a train failure.

Engineers are working as fast as possible to restore services to normal. Short notice alterations can be expected. Only London-bound train services are affected by this problem.

Good afternoon, XX24/XX54 Basingstoke to London Waterloo services unable to call at Fleet station until further notice. Passengers to Circulate via Farnborough...
 

Coxster

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Myself and Dad went to the scene and chatted to a couple of railway blokes. The train will be skated away at midnight due to a gearbox seizure. Because it broke down on the up slow line, trains towards London will not call at Fleet up direction for the rest of the day! Detonators have been put in place. It was 444029 leading 444037. The lead unit (444029) continued to London (albeit over an hour and a quarter late) as it was unaffected. It is what was the rear unit (444037) that is on the scene with the gearbox seizure.

This means the up slow to London will have been blocked for over 12 hours today as it happened before lunchtime!

Class444DesiroBreakdown01.jpg
 
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Tom

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444s are quite good IMO ... quite nifty things as 442s will soon be going in the next few years!
 

TheSlash

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I'd of thought it would of been easier to skate it to Woking immediatly, then move it to Northam tonight.
 

The Gricer

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Tom said:
444s are quite good IMO ... quite nifty things as 442s will soon be going in the next few years!
I really hope they last for a good few years yet! I like the 442s.

A bit like this chap who just yesterday posted this on the SEmG in reply to someone asking what was actually so bad with 458s that after only 8 years they have been pulled out of service.

quote from the Southern Email Group.

If they're anything like Electrostars, or Doritos/Arkwright, they'll
be uncomfortable, overcrowded due to 3/4 of the seats being in 1/2
the space due to the enormous vestibules, enormous toilet area and
hopelessly small luggage racks stuffed in the ends, the overhead
storage will be uselessly small, the onboard computer will remind you
three million times where the next station is, you'll be bombarded
with announcements about personal safety, the air-con will be
deafeningly loud, the doors will ping in a shockingly irritating
manner on arrival and departure from each station.... need I go on??

Hence why I wait 35 mins at Soton Ctl for a Wessex (1 or 2 stops)
rather than get an all-stations Dorito/Arkwright (9 stops). Quieter,
comfy, has a bar ;) and best of all, you can sit in the 'snug' with
a beer and listen to the gorgeous wail of English Electric traction
motors in a British rail built train that passengers actually fit in,
and their bikes too! I doubt that the design team for the current
generation of stock ever travels in a train...!!

Nick

Although I don't have quite such strong feelings about the newer trains as Nick, I must agree he has a point.


Frank
 
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