Metrocar updates and withdrawals - Tyne & Wear Metro

[jkkne]

Todays Railways are reporting that Beamish have expressed an interest in acquiring a Metrocar for static display.

Beamish isn’t the museum I was aware of so there’s potentially two more museums in addition to the North Tyneside Steam Railway hoping to preserve a Metrocar.

They put out a call in 2013 for 1980s objects as part of their long term plan. The Regional resource centre up at Beamish has 90s stuff in there now so it's great to see they're looking at securing one of these.

Outside of the National Rail Museum at York, it'll probably be seen by more people at Beamish than anywhere else in the region

 

[Bigchris]

I've come up to Newcastle for a last chance (for me) to see some of the original Metros working. Saw the following on South Gosforth depot this evening from passing and then walking around the back on Cheswick Drive:

BL2 shunter moving units about
4002, 4004, 4015, 4016, 4020, 4024, 4026, 4033, 4046, 4049, 4060, 4068, 4069, 4072, 4073, 4076, 4087
555004 at the Regent Centre end plus one other that I couldn't identify up the east end.
Plenty of other original Metros stabled too but too far away to identify them.

Hope this is of use.

 

[DanNCL]

They put out a call in 2013 for 1980s objects as part of their long term plan. The Regional resource centre up at Beamish has 90s stuff in there now so it's great to see they're looking at securing one of these.

Outside of the National Rail Museum at York, it'll probably be seen by more people at Beamish than anywhere else in the region

Beamish even have a 2000s Nissan Micra in their collection!

I think even at Shildon it would be seen by fewer people than Beamish, even when many people at Beamish won't explore the whole site and could easily miss some of the transport exhibits.

555004 at the Regent Centre end plus one other that I couldn't identify up the east end.

The unit at the east end is 555003.

 

[Bigchris]

Beamish even have a 2000s Nissan Micra in their collection!

I think even at Shildon it would be seen by fewer people than Beamish, even when many people at Beamish won't explore the whole site and could easily miss some of the transport exhibits.


The unit at the east end is 555003.

Thanks Dan, thought it probably was from sightings posted elsewhere

 

[DanNCL]

I’ll be updating the list in the opening post this evening once I’m back at the computer. There have been multiple changes since the last update which was only a week ago. To summarise briefly, 4004, 4012, 4020 and 4061 have all been stored. 4040, 4067, 4069 and 4083 are under attention at Gosforth. I’ll provide more details as to what’s where when I update the list in the opening post.

 

[Paul_10]

What is the purpose of the "stored" metrocars when it seems some come back into service whilst others go into store it does seem quite a fluid situation.

That is an awful lot of metrocars not available though, no wonder there is fleet shortages! I very much doubt 4076 will come back into service, pretty sure that is definitely being used as a Christmas tree unit.

 

[Trestrol]

Stored awaiting parts as they are short of spares. 4001 should be departing soon for preservation. I believe a unit is also pencilled in to go for scrap soon as well.

 

[Paul_10]

Stored awaiting parts as they are short of spares. 4001 should be departing soon for preservation. I believe a unit is also pencilled in to go for scrap soon as well.

Will they be fitting the windows back in before departure or leaving it as it is?

 

[Class142sbad]

I believe a unit is also pencilled in to go for scrap soon as well.

What unit is due for the scrap?

 

[DanNCL]

01, 02 and 76 have all been used as parts donors. 01 is missing most/all windows. 02 is missing its pantograph. 76 is missing some door buttons.

Units entering and leaving store is fluid and at first the list was mostly dependent on Facebook for updates so not the most reliable hence the frequent changes. At a guess some of the units initially thought to be stored were in fact simply under exam. I have more sources now which are much more reliable than Facebook so there should be less frequent changes on the list going forward unless more units enter store or long stored units are reactivated. Some of the units stored are awaiting delivery of parts before repair and return to service. Others have long standing faults that are for the time being not considered viable to repair although that position is being kept under review.

I went to Cheswick Drive yesterday to see the units on the depot avoiding line. From East-West were 4076, 4060, 4046, 4020 and 4004. All are heavilly graffitied and all are in cold storage. The two cabs from 4022 are also visible from Cheswick Drive now that 4002 has been moved. From a distance they looked like they were in a skip, but they're actually located behind a wall that's not quite as tall as the cabs themselves.
4002 has joined 555003 at Gosforth East End, it was moved there yesterday by BL2 from the avoiding line to allow demolition of the former heavy lifting building to continue. The best view of 4002 is from the garage block and car park on Salters Close. This is a very short walk from the eastern end of Cheswick Drive via a footpath past the houses, alternatively Salters Close can be accessed directly from Hollywood Avenue.
Photos of these units taken yesterday are attached, all photos taken from the public side of the fence.

4040 and 4083 have been stopped pending repair and the two units have been uncoupled. They're expected to return to service as soon as both are operational again, although only able to work with each other they're once again very much being considered as part of the main fleet alongside the Wabtec refurbished units.

The status of 4010 remains unknown, however it's not ran in service for at least a couple of months, nor is it in any of the locations that are being used to store other units. For now it's marked as under attention, presumed to be in the shed at Gosforth, but it would be great if anyone can confirm what the situation is with 4010.

4016 and 4089 remain marked as operational on the list for now but haven't been seen for a few weeks. If there aren't any sightings of them in the next few weeks I'll consider marking them as under attention. All of the other units marked as operational on the list have been seen in service in the last few weeks.

I'm unsure of the exact condition 4001 will be in when it leaves but it requires further work to get it into a condition where it can be towed to Howdon before it can leave, whether this involves replacing the windows I'm not sure.

The identity of the unit(s) due to leave isn't yet known nor is the destination. All that's known at this point outside of Nexus and Stadler is that at least one Metrocar other than 4001 is due to leave the network soon. Whether it's going to a scrapyard, a museum or to be used as one of the community units remains to be seen.

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed to this thread so far.

 

[Trestrol]

Will they be fitting the windows back in before departure or leaving it as it is?

Already done so I'm told and other parts replaced so complete when it goes. But obviously not going in working order but NOT for scrap.

What unit is due for the scrap?

I'm told 4010 although the problem is there aren't enough accommodation bogies to send it away. Units are supposed to be complete when going for scrap. But this has been waved until more units are read to be scrapped.

 

[MPR]

Not sure where 4010 is now, but last time I saw it at the depot all the door buttons on the saloons had been removed along with a number of windows.
Pretty sure it was full of rubbish as well, but this was a number of weeks ago now.

 

[Paul_10]

Quite a sad sight seeing those units heavily graffitied like that, hopefully once the last of the old sheds get knocked down they might move them to a more secure location.

From the sounds of it, 4010 is permanently withdrawn now, are the units still heading for scrap via road? Would be more interesting if it was by rail although I understand there probably be complications with that!

 

[DanNCL]

Given the reports on 4010 I've now marked it as withdrawn. Have to admit I'm surprised this one is going first and not 76, with 76 having been the parts donor earlier, but 76 by the sounds of things is the more complete of the two units.

4040 and 4083 have returned to service too. It would appear they'd been stopped for an exam rather than repairs, had I known I wouldn't have marked them as out of use in the first place!

Quite a sad sight seeing those units heavily graffitied like that, hopefully once the last of the old sheds get knocked down they might move them to a more secure location.

From the sounds of it, 4010 is permanently withdrawn now, are the units still heading for scrap via road? Would be more interesting if it was by rail although I understand there probably be complications with that!

Seeing them in that condition at Gosforth seems to rather defeat the purpose of them being kept there in the first place and not moved out of the way to Stoddart Street, if they're only going to be heavily graffitied regardless!

All Metrocar departures will be by road from Howdon.

 

[Trestrol]

A safer place to store stuff would be the over run Tunnels at St James. I believe you can get eight cars in there.

 

[Tramfan]

Don't believe 4010 has run in passenger service since last May

 

[DanNCL]

Seems to have gone unnoticed that at some point in the last few weeks 4055 and 4062 have moved from South Shields to Howdon, where they're being stripped of all reuseable parts before leaving the network for scrap. List updated to reflect this. 4041 and 4047 remain at South Shields.

A safer place to store stuff would be the over run Tunnels at St James. I believe you can get eight cars in there.

St James can take eight Metrocars when the platforms are both used as well as the overrun tunnels. Four in the overrun tunnels themselves.

 

[ModernRailways]

A safer place to store stuff would be the over run Tunnels at St James. I believe you can get eight cars in there.

This would be less safe. St James is an operational station, and would require the vandals going onto a live and active railway. The depot avoiding line, whilst it is still a live railway, is very much the best place beyond the scrap yard.

Seems to have gone unnoticed that at some point in the last few weeks 4055 and 4062 have moved from South Shields to Howdon, where they're being stripped of all reuseable parts before leaving the network for scrap. List updated to reflect this. 4041 and 4047 remain at South Shields.

This is going to be your tell tale signs for units due to be sent for scrap, they will be dragged to Howdon and further stripped. Some units are planned to go under their own power but the vast majority will end up being dragged - a couple of units are now essentially just shells with some wheels attached

The fleet situation is becoming fairly dire and in all honesty I envisage further timetable cuts shortly. Nexus are pushing Stadler but there’s not much else that can be done, what we have to work with is what we have till we have the new fleet operational and it’s only getting worse.


As an aside and unsure if mentioned previously as they’re marked out of traffic, but 40 and 83 are very much in traffic and are fairly reliable to boot. These will remain in day to day traffic for the foreseeable (unless some disaster strikes one of them), with the exception of exams.
Also, for your updates can you mark as spoiler and then keep a dated list in the op. This helps everyone keep an eye on what’s updated/changed and when and will provide historical value rather than having to dig through the entire thread for your specific posts.

 

[Fleetmaster]

I suspect Howdon was chosen precisely because it's out of the public gaze, it's right next to a main road, and the whole area is awash with scrap merchants. If they have any sense then yes, the way to avoid any further embarrassment is to drag stripped units to Howden under cover of darkness, and let the scrappers take them away by road.

 

[7522]

Today on the metro I saw 4016 and 4089 paired together and in service and also 4015 in service but can't remember what it was paired with.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Wasn't one Tyne and Wear métro car at Bristol?

 

[SeaKing]

Wasn't one Tyne and Wear métro car at Bristol?

That was 4022 when accident damage was being accessed. I believe it was then taken to Burton for scrapping.

 

[traintimemf]

what happened to the unit that hit the car at Callerton parkway the other week? I was on the metro coming the other way when it happened and the metro that hit it didn't look too bad but I know its not always as simple as that....

was less than impressed having to try and get a taxi to the airport for my flight lol, it turned up at the park and ride carpark and we couldn't cross so had to send it back round the other way to pick us up from the other side lol

 

[Trestrol]

what happened to the unit that hit the car at Callerton parkway the other week? I was on the metro coming the other way when it happened and the metro that hit it didn't look too bad but I know its not always as simple as that....

was less than impressed having to try and get a taxi to the airport for my flight lol, it turned up at the park and ride carpark and we couldn't cross so had to send it back round the other way to pick us up from the other side lol

Minimal damage apparently.

 

[Tramfan]

Yeah it was back in service within a couple of days I believe

 

[7522]

Saw metrocar 4048 with 4069 in service on Shields line and 4068 with 4080 on Airport line.

 

[DanNCL]

Thanks for all the updates, I've updated the list in the opening post.

I'll work on getting a change log done for the opening post too but it'll probably be tomorrow I get the time to do that.

The fleet situation is becoming fairly dire and in all honesty I envisage further timetable cuts shortly. Nexus are pushing Stadler but there’s not much else that can be done, what we have to work with is what we have till we have the new fleet operational and it’s only getting worse.

Seems to be very variable. On Wednesday there were enough units to run the full core service as well as two of the peak diagrams, yet a couple of days later and there aren't even enough for the core service.

I suspect Howdon was chosen precisely because it's out of the public gaze, it's right next to a main road, and the whole area is awash with scrap merchants. If they have any sense then yes, the way to avoid any further embarrassment is to drag stripped units to Howden under cover of darkness, and let the scrappers take them away by road.

Howdon was one of at least three brownfield sites considered for the sattelite depot. Sites in Fawdon and Walkergate were also considered, others may have been too. Howdon's biggest selling point over the other two sites was it's direct access to the A19.

As an aside and unsure if mentioned previously as they’re marked out of traffic, but 40 and 83 are very much in traffic and are fairly reliable to boot. These will remain in day to day traffic for the foreseeable (unless some disaster strikes one of them), with the exception of exams.

40 and 83 were corrected in the opening post a few days ago, I'd marked them as out of service following gen that turned out to be incorrect.

Wasn't one Tyne and Wear métro car at Bristol?

That was 4022 when accident damage was being accessed. I believe it was then taken to Burton for scrapping.

4022 went to Barton Hill in Bristol in July 2017 for assessment and repair. Ultimately the damage was deemed too severe so in early 2020 the unit moved to Nemesis Rail in Burton and was quickly scrapped. Both cabs returned to Gosforth where they remain.

Diamond Rail Services have been contracted to provide a "deep clean" to the remaining units, which'll involve reupholstering threadbare seats, deep cleaning the floors, handrails etc, and repainting interior panels. The work will be done in house at Gosforth and is being funded entirely by Stadler.

Metro train fleet set for major deep clean and interior repair work | nexus.org.uk

A major programme of deep cleaning and interior repair works are being undertaken on the current Tyne and Wear Metro fleet to improve the customer experience during the transition to the new trains. Stadler has commissioned the works on behalf of Metro operator Nexus and are in addition to its...

www.nexus.org.uk

5 May 2023
A major programme of deep cleaning and interior repair works are being undertaken on the current Tyne and Wear Metro fleet to improve the customer experience during the transition to the new trains.
Stadler has commissioned the works on behalf of Metro operator Nexus and are in addition to its contractual obligations to maintain the current train fleet.
The work, which will focus entirely on the 43 year-old rolling stock, will see all of the carriage floors cleaned, resealed, and then polished.
Damaged and threadbare seats will be replaced, grab poles will be polished and interior panels and windowsills repainted.
All of the cleaning and repair works are being carried out by a specialist company, Diamond Rail Services, who have a track record for undertaking deep cleans and carriage refurbishment schemes across the UK railway industry.
Major Projects Director at Nexus, Cathy Massarella, said: “Both Nexus and Stadler are committed to maintaining and improving the current Metro fleet during the transition to the modern new fleet of trains.
“This deep clean will also include a focus on a series of interior repairs to enhance the comfort and appearance of these 43 year-old carriages.
“This will help to improve the customer experience in the old trains as we get ready to gradually start removing them from service through to 2025, making way for the new Stadler trains, which are going to be transformative for both our customers and our colleagues.”

 

[TWM Fan]

Seen 4010 on the avoiding line at Gosforth Depot. It has missing windows and door buttons at the moment. Just behind it was 4001 too which had graffiti on it too, did you know yet?

 

[Paul_10]

Seen 4010 on the avoiding line at Gosforth Depot. It has missing windows and door buttons at the moment. Just behind it was 4001 too which had graffiti on it too, did you know yet?

Was there any other metrocars still on the avoiding line, thinking of 4046, 60 and 76?

No surprises the units have been quickly tagged though, guess it does not really matter, be interesting too see if 4001 gets a new vinyl applied as even before any vandalism there seemed quite a bit of damage to the livery/vinyl from the tape they used to hold down the plastic that was covering the missing windows.

 

[TWM Fan]

Was there any other metrocars still on the avoiding line, thinking of 4046, 60 and 76?

No surprises the units have been quickly tagged though, guess it does not really matter, be interesting too see if 4001 gets a new vinyl applied as even before any vandalism there seemed quite a bit of damage to the livery/vinyl from the tape they used to hold down the plastic that was covering the missing windows.

It was 60 and 76 apart from 10 and 01. 46 did not seem to be there