Standard StanEx Cl317's

[O L Leigh]

<Snipped.>

 

[Julian G]

they are meant to replace 317/6 to release them to do other diagrams

317324 was delivered at about 01.00 to Hornsey depot from Donny
works
> (5Z50). It has arrived carrying the number 317324 and is in
Stansted
> Express livery. Depot staff quote it will be renumbered 317884
before
> going into traffic. It would seem the current plan is to gradually
> replace the 317/1s on the Cambridge services with 317/6s displaced
from
> the Stansteds (paired with 317/7s) by refurbishing the 317/1s into
> 317/8s. Absolutely no idea what has been done internally to 324.
>
> The 317/5s are very much concentrated in the Hertford East
services as
> speculated, however the use of the small batch mentioned does
appear at
> first glance to be a coincidence. Hope to post some more on this
on

As you should expect from a guru of combinations the 317/3+317/6 and
317/5+317/6 combinations are separately identified.

The One WA 317/3s are 317321/324-328/330/331/333-336 and these
should become 317881-892 in numerical order.

As has already been suggested, I'm expecting 317/8s to take on
Stansted Express diagrams currently worked by 317/6s, and the 317/6s
to be cascaded onto the diagrams currently worked by 317/3s.

 

[O L Leigh]

Hi Julian,

Where did you get that lot from (and what are their sources)...? Some of that is correct, some fanciful and the rest is not terribly accurate.

• 317324 (and 317321, for that matter) is still carrying it's original number. To the best of my knowledge, there are currently no units numbered in the 3178XX range.
• The Cl317/6 + Cl317/7 combinations were always a temporary measure until the Cl317/8's came on-stream. They were always going to go back into traffic on other duties once released; not least because the Cl317/8 refurbishment program is going to reduce the available Cl317/1 fleet.
• I would suggest that whoever has said that Cl317/1's in the 3175XX range are being concentrated on Hertford East services has simply seen most of these units on such services. They are not being concentrated anywhere on any service and have been seen on services to Bishops Stortford, Cambridge and Stansted Airport.
• The Cl317/5's have only renumbered to prevent confusion with the Cl321's at Ilford EMUD and not for any other operational reason. Don't forget that we currently have a split allocation of Cl317's, with some still based at Hornsey and others at Ilford. All Cl317's should eventually be at Ilford.
• Combinations of units are not identified as such (to drivers, at least). Each unit is allocated a unit diagram number corresponding to that day's duties. It's true that diagram numbers in different ranges should correspond to different unit types and sub-classes, but there is no differentiation between Cl317/1's in the original 3173XX range and those in the newer Ilford 3175XX range. Where units are booked to operate in multiple, the train is identified in the drivers diagrams by both unit diagram numbers stated together (e.g. "158/168"). I doubt that this is any different for the maintenance crews given that they need to know precisely which units are doing what, or for the control staff or signallers who would refer to a train by it's headcode.
• The requirement for 12 Cl317/8's sounds very high given that they are intended to operate in multiple with the existing Cl317/7 fleet, and there are only 9 of those. What are the rest for...?

All that aside, my points remain. The Cl317/8 refurb would appear to have gone wrong. These units are no different from the other refurbed Cl317/1's (317508/509) in every respect other than the interior and exterior colour schemes, which makes them unsuitable for airport express services. The Cl317/6's are not totally ideal either, but these Cl317/8's are no better than a Cl317/1.

one TN

 

[O L Leigh]

Hi Gang!!

Finally managed to get a closer look at one of these "new" units today, and can confirm that the refurbished condition is almost exactly as I mentioned before. However, I was hasty in saying that there was no additional luggage space, as there is. A number of seats have been removed from each carriage and a full height luggage rack installed by each door vestibule.

one TN