TfW withdrawals (170/175 all gone, now just class 15x to go)

[150249]

Good god, I didn’t realise it was still going. How many units are left to complete?

I believe 216 is the last as there are only 3 Angel owned units

 

[Last Hurrah]

Could excessive corrosion on the GWR Units been in part, attributable to salt air with the repeated coastal runs between Dawlish Warren & Teignmouth ?

This morning around 8.30am a pair of 3 coach 175’s were heading eastwards in the direction of Cardiff Central

An hour or so later, another pair of 3 coach 175’s also went past . .

Around 10.00am, one of the above (?) returned West - were they out on test runs following remedial works ?

 

[Scottish-Exile]

175 002 & 175 108 were on 07:36 departure, 5Q46, Landore to Ely for storage

then 175 111 & 175 114 went on a shakedown run, 08:45 Off Landore to Cardiff as 5F78, and returning as 10:44 off Cardiff as 5F79

 

[BillStampy]

then 175 111 & 175 114 went on a shakedown run, 08:45 Off Landore to Cardiff as 5F78, and returning as 10:44 off Cardiff as 5F79

Supposing these two will make their way to Ely next week (presumably Thursday as most Ely runs are?)

 

[Scottish-Exile]

Supposing these two will make their way to Ely next week (presumably Thursday as most Ely runs are?)

That's the plan, but as ever, subject to change.

 

[Thornaby 37]

Was 175111 under its own power ?
I'm sure that one was heavily cannibalised during its extended stay at Longsight

 

[BillStampy]

Was 175111 under its own power ?
I'm sure that one was heavily cannibalised during its extended stay at Longsight

Correct! I saw it myself at a very rainy Llanharan.

 

[Phil Scott]

I have the following now at Ely: 175002/003/004/005/007/009/010/011, 175102/104/106/108/110/113

Have I missed any from this list?

Are the rest at Swansea Landore, or are some still stored at Crewe/Chester etc.?

Thanks

 

[D1065]

I have the following now at Ely: 175002/003/004/005/007/009/010/011, 175102/104/106/108/110/113

Have I missed any from this list?

Are the rest at Swansea Landore, or are some still stored at Crewe/Chester etc.?

Thanks

The Ipswich Transport Society (covers all of East Anglia, plus Cambridgeshire and Essex) records indicate that there are 18 175s at Potters, Ely:
001/002/003/004/005/007/009/010/011, 102/104/105/106/108/110/112/113/115.

Sorry, can't help with the locations of the remaining (apart from 008 at Ilford).

 

[Western 52]

There are several at Landore, maybe all the ones not in Ely or Ilford?

 

[BillStampy]

175101 went to Barton a while ago and I'm unsure if it has left since. Can anyone confirm where it is?

 

[Scottish-Exile]

The following are at Landore:

006 / 103 / 107 / 109 / 111 / 114

Those last two, 111 & 114 are scheduled to go to Ely on Tuesday 27th Aug.

101 & 116 are at Crewe. They're booked to come to Landore on Wednesday, 28th Aug sandwiched between 2 x 37s with barrier coaches. That will be the last pair to come to Landore loco hauled.

As ever, plans may change but that's what we're currently working to.

 

[BillStampy]

The following are at Landore:

006 / 103 / 107 / 109 / 111 / 114

Those last two, 111 & 114 are scheduled to go to Ely on Tuesday 27th Aug.

101 & 116 are at Crewe. They're booked to come to Landore on Wednesday, 28th Aug sandwiched between 2 x 37s with barrier coaches. That will be the last pair to come to Landore loco hauled.

As ever, plans may change but that's what we're currently working to.

It shows another Ely run on Thursday, is that not meant to run?

Also, I should catch that last 37 drag! Two 175/1s being dragged will be an interesting one!

 

[diligentdave]

Unfortunately, the measures only affect the mileage based C4 exams. C6 exams are date based, and when they reach the 10 year drop dead date, it is game over. Thankfully there are only three more on the list this year, 237, 230 and 250. 237 has about two weeks to go.

Now that 150281 has gone I've been told that 150227 will be the next unit to follow.

 

[Spaceship323]

Now that 150281 has gone I've been told that 150227 will be the next unit to follow.

150227 was withdrawn a few weeks ago, it's already been de-branded at Canton

 

[LiftFan]

150227 was withdrawn a few weeks ago, it's already been de-branded at Canton

Possibly a stupid question- why bother spending the time to de-brand something that is literally just going to be torn to shreds and melted down in weeks to come?

 

[Western 52]

Possibly a stupid question- why bother spending the time to de-brand something that is literally just going to be torn to shreds and melted down in weeks to come?

I thought the same. I don't think the Merseyrail units that also end up at SIMS were debranded?

 

[Towers]

Could excessive corrosion on the GWR Units been in part, attributable to salt air with the repeated coastal runs between Dawlish Warren & Teignmouth ?

That and, supposedly, the fact that they spent a number of years immediately prior to their overhaul wrapped in vinyl for FGW’s “Local Lines” livery, which is believed to have trapped moisture and attracted corrosion.

It does seem very odd seeing a 150 on the back of a lorry bound for the chop, it seemed like they’d go on forever! Not a surprise at all to see the TFW fleet in disarray, this is of course the same TOC who proudly scrapped it’s 14x fleet en masse and left itself chronically short of stock, causing regular overcrowding right in the middle of Covid. Regretfully, 1 + 1 rarely equals 2 on the confused modern railway.

 

[Caaardiff]

Not a surprise at all to see the TFW fleet in disarray, this is of course the same TOC who proudly scrapped it’s 14x fleet en masse and left itself chronically short of stock, causing regular overcrowding right in the middle of Covid. Regretfully, 1 + 1 rarely equals 2 on the confused modern railway.

Slightly unfair given it was a government requirement to be PRM compliant and to convert the 14x fleet to be compliant would've been an expensive and complicated refit for a unit type that most passengers wanted to see the back of anyway.

 

[Bob Price]

Agree, the 142's had a massive step up into them which would have required a big rebuild, plus the government in Westminster decreed that the Pacers would need to go across the network. ATW procured the 769's to allow the 150's to be taken out of service to be made PRM compliant and then Kelios obtained more, a pile of 153's and the 170's to cover the Pacers being withdrawn. TFW then had to sort the mess out having had the franchise handed back from Kelios.

 

[Towers]

Fair point, but an extension would have been a sensible thing for all parties to agree.

 

[3RDGEN]

Fair point, but an extension would have been a sensible thing for all parties to agree.

An extension was in place for around six months until the extra 769's turned up. TfW then released the final Pacers in mid 2021.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-50893156 -

"Older trains in Wales can stay on track despite new accessibility rules -​

Rail bosses have been given the green light to keep using older trains which do not meet new accessibility rules coming into force on New Year's Day.

Transport for Wales services are among those affected, with firms having had 10 years warning of the need to comply. UK transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris said he was giving the extension as long as operators proved new or refurbished trains were still on track. Extra services and capacity on trains in Wales were introduced this month. New Porterbrook-owned Class 769 trains, which meet disability laws, were due to have been delivered to Transport for Wales (TfW) last spring."

 

[Caaardiff]

TFW even did some marketing telling people the Pacers were going, and many months later they were still running around south Wales longer than advertised.

 

[Bikeman78]

Agree, the 142's had a massive step up into them which would have required a big rebuild, plus the government in Westminster decreed that the Pacers would need to go across the network. ATW procured the 769's to allow the 150's to be taken out of service to be made PRM compliant and then Kelios obtained more, a pile of 153's and the 170's to cover the Pacers being withdrawn. TFW then had to sort the mess out having had the franchise handed back from Kelios.

The 170s didn't really replace any Pacers. They started in December 2019 but all the Pacers carried on until the first lockdown. The 170s did allow a considerable increase in the number of four car trains on the valleys.

 

[JakeMurphy]

I don’t know if anyone’s heard anything but I’ve had reports 150227 is sims bound..

 

[BillStampy]

I don’t know if anyone’s heard anything but I’ve had reports 150227 is sims bound..

Heard that it's in Brickyard and headed there this afternoon

 

[Anonymous10]

Heard that it's in Brickyard and headed there this afternoon

So not even being stripped of parts?

 

[diligentdave]

So not even being stripped of parts?

These units are going to be stripped at Sims (not via use of the crane!) and the parts are all earmarked for "other operators". There's been lists of required parts knocking about for some time now (within the rail industry).

 

[Jez]

The 170s didn't really replace any Pacers. They started in December 2019 but all the Pacers carried on until the first lockdown.

The 170s didnt directly replace any Pacers however they allowed 150's to be moved from the likes of Maesteg and Ebbw Vale to replace some of the Pacers lost on other services.

 

[Scottish-Exile]

This week:

Tuesday 3rd: 175 101 came to Landore from Crewe hauled by 37510 & 37884. This is the final 175 to come into LE for handback works (7W78)

Thursday 5th: 175 114 & 175 111 left Landore for storage at Ely under their own power (5Q46)

Friday 6th: 150 237 made its final trip under its own power, running from Canton to Landore following withdrawal (5Z37)