'one'/ex-VT MK3s

[ChristopherJ]

This evening I took a trip on the 2030 Liv St - Norwich to Chelmsford which was formed of 90019 'Penny Black' and a rake of Ex-Virgin Trains MK3s + DBSO 9705.

The first MK3 behind the DBSO really wasn't having a good day... The lights kept on cutting off and the button which activates the lights in the MK3 was held in by a piece of paper that the Train Manager had shoved in there to keep the lights on!! At speed it kept on coming out thus the lights turning off… IMHO I found the car without the lights on quite relaxing as it was nice to look out into the darkness without having my reflection staring back at me! But it wasn't convenient for punters who were trying to read or write something!

The suspension was too good either, 90mph between Shenfield and Chelmsford was look a roller coaster! I was observing the other MK3s down the train which were gently swaying whilst the one I was in was going left, right, centre and everywhere!

One thing that did worry me was when I alighted from Chelmsford I noticed that the Central Door Locking had failed to operate! the Train Manager noticed this and immediately locked the doors out with a BR1 key (I think!) on this MK3.

A about a month ago I was on the 1530 from Liv St - Norwich to Colchester and the brakes had failed to release on the MK3 buffet car when the Brake Pipe was recharged which caused dragging brakes, and very very dodgy flats on the car! Caused a massive 50min delay just outside Gidea Park CS as the driver attempted to release the brakes with the aid of a technician, which then had to be tested to make sure the brakes would not fail to release again by slowly crawling along at a snails pace and blowing the air out to cause an emergency application which wasn’t very comfy as it was continuously tested over and over again.

‘one’ really need to start sorting out their new rolling stock IMHO… They’re giving the 90’s all the TLC, now I think the coaches need a bit…! C'mon 'one' we know you can do better than this!!

 

[TheSlash]

About a month ago I was on the 1530 from Liv St - Norwich to Colchester and the brakes had failed to release on the MK3 buffet car when the Brake Pipe was recharged which caused dragging brakes, and very very dodgy flats on the car! Caused a massive 50min delay just outside Gidea Park CS as the driver attempted to release the brakes with the aid of a technician, which then had to be tested to make sure the brakes would not fail to release again by slowly crawling along at a snails pace and blowing the air out to cause an emergency application which wasn’t very comfy as it was continuously tested over and over again.

Dragging brakes don't cause wheel flats, they actually improve the roundness of the wheel face.
Only when they brakes drag so much that the wheels fail to turn, do they cause wheel flats, in which case the driver should really notice something is wrong, even if it is just 1 axle.
As for the 'roll past' you describe, this was actually needed to make sure that after releasing the brakes, the brake blocks/pads would be sufficently clear of the abbrasive surface on the wheel.
If the friction brake remains in contat with the abbrasive surface of the wheel, the excess friction would cause it to over heat, causing poor brake performance for that wheel, medium term effects are that the friction brake could become so hot that it catches fire, long term effects {providing it doesnt catch fire} are dramacticly increased wear on the fiction brake.
This could cause the axle's brake blocks/pads to go below safe limits before they can be examined by a compotent person at the correctly determined servicing interval

 

[yorkie]

The problem is, like many TOCs, 'one' were so keen to get rid of the Mk2s that they brought in Mk3s that were in desperate need of refurbishment before actually doing anything to them.

Not such a great idea. :roll:

 

[TheSlash]

Indeed i know precisely what the problem was without looking at the coach in question, poor maintenance would be the cause

 

[Jim]

I have had that set before, on the way to ACORP & coming back, hate that set

 

[Mojo]

‘one’ really need to start sorting out their new rolling stock IMHO… They’re giving the 90’s all the TLC, now I think the coaches need a bit…! C'mon 'one' we know you can do better than this!!

For a start, they have absoluely no financial incentive to do anything to their coaches, as they are already struggling to meet operating costs, let alone even pay back their premiums.

'one' total disaster

 

[ChrisCooper]

The worst thing was that Anglia has just spent quite a bit of money on technical improvements to the 86s and Mk2s to improve reliability. The Mk2s had quite a bit of work done to the air-conditioning to reduce the faults with that, and I think some work had been done on the electrics to reduce problems with the lights and TDM (the remote control system from the DBSO to the loco). The 86s were actually in the middle of being overhauled when they were withdrawn, with some not being used since they returned to Crown Point, and a lot being sent straight from Glasgow, where the work was carried out, to the scrap yard, even after the work was done. 'one' were in such a rush, pressured by the SRA, to replace the Mk2s and 86s that they didn't think about any of this, and reliability, and passenger comfort, has suffered. A lot of the issue with the Mk3s is there age. Whilst most of the First Class coaches are Mk3bs built in the mid 80s, the standard class vehicles were built from 1975 to 1977, and the buffet cars were built in 3 batches in 75, 79 and some in the early 80s. This means that the majority of the fleet is between 25 and 30 years old. The Mk2s 'one' has were built between 1972 and 1975, meaning that even the newest Mk3 TSO will only be 5 years newer than the oldest Mk2e, and the last Mk2s are a few months older than the first Mk3s. What is really funny though is that the 312s 'one' withdrew in 2004 were built between 1977 and 1978. Also, the Mk3s only have a matter of years on the last Mk1 EMUs built for the SR (the last was built in 1974).

 

[yorkie]

It's not about age, it's about treating them properly and overhauling them.

It's ridiculous that one TOC refurbishes older stock only for a new TOC to withdraw them, but that's just one reason why privatisation does not work!

There is no proper rolling stock strategy. While the cascade of Mk3s to Anglia is sensible, it should have been decided longer ago, thus allowing a better timescale and give a chance of having the Mk3s refurbished before entering service on 'one'.

Also if the ROSCO had known that the Mk3s had a future earlier, then they may not have done so little maintenance on them in their final years with Virgin.

 

[southy39]

It's not about age, it's about treating them properly and overhauling them.

It's ridiculous that one TOC refurbishes older stock only for a new TOC to withdraw them, but that's just one reason why privatisation does not work!

There is no proper rolling stock strategy. While the cascade of Mk3s to Anglia is sensible, it should have been decided longer ago, thus allowing a better timescale and give a chance of having the Mk3s refurbished before entering service on 'one'.

Also if the ROSCO had known that the Mk3s had a future earlier, then they may not have done so little maintenance on them in their final years with Virgin.

as far as im aware it was alstom who were not maintaining the caraiges...
mainly due to the fact that with pendolinos due to enter service they considered it easier to stand down the stock and replace it with stock that had received maintenance sooner... that was less life expired.