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The breeze and I

Blow or no-blow

  • Full air conditioning

    Votes: 13 50.0%
  • Natural ventilation

    Votes: 13 50.0%

  • Total voters
    26
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HR2

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What's your opinion on ventilation in rolling stock? Should new trains have aircon? Or should they be provided with opening windows as is tradition? Aircon to my mind is a bloody waste of money. It's noisy and half the time it does not work. The other half it's working when its not supposed to. It also harbours dust and dirt which carry disease. You look inside any domestic fan heater and see the amount of muck in there and you'll see what I mean.
 
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eezypeazy

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4 Jul 2005
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Properly maintained aircon and heating has to be the way ahead... how many times have you been on a local train in summer with the heating full on and the windows tight shut? Or the depths of winter with no heating?

eezypeazy
 

Lewisham2221

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23 Jun 2005
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One thing that doesn't seem to be included is forced air ventilation (the not quite air-con type system usually used on coaches) where natural outside air is forced in, any nasties such as wasps and the like are kept out, and each seat has a little nozzle that can be adjusted accordingly to keep it's occupant suitably cooled.
 

Met Driver

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I'm in favour of air con as long as there's the option of opening a window in case of failure (as seen on 166s etc).
 

ChrisM

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14 Aug 2005
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Seth said:
I'm in favour of air con as long as there's the option of opening a window in case of failure (as seen on 166s etc).
Agree with that, it's also easier to throw rubbish out the window if they can be opened. :laughing:
 

Tomnick

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10 Jun 2005
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5,827
Aircon's probably the way forward, as long as it's reliable! Opening windows are important for when it doesn't work though - as long as they can only be opened by the guard and are normally kept shut...gives the aircon chance to start working before everyone opens the windows and leaves it with no chance.
Also stops people throwing rubbish out of the window to make the lineside look unsightly!
 

bunnahabhain

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As long as the AirCon works, and it's reliable, and it doesnt make me feel sick like some of the systems do, then it's far better than hoppers or toplights. But it's always best to dot the odd hopper or toplight along the coach incase of AirCon failure, like the 158's and 171's.
 

Tomnick

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10 Jun 2005
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Windows on most modern units are pretty useless anyway - it's all very well and good opening a hopper window on a 14x/15x unit, but you're getting no benefit at all - whereas the chappy three seats back is having his hair blown all over.

Assuming he's not bald, that is.
 

matt

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7,812
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Rugby
Desiro air coditioning is rather good. I remember my first trip on a 350 was from Rugby to Coventry. It was very refreshing after a hot day photting. Although it was also refreshing to stick my head out of the window of CrossCountry Class 90 as well
 

16CSVT2700

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Don't forget the Voyagers.. I had to put up with 220025 with duff aircon in Coach D (my coach) for 2 hours from Reading to Birmingham New Street on the way to Chester!!

Give me an opening window anyday!

(No I could not move to another carriage.. they were packed full of pax getting away from my coach!)
 

Tomnick

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5,827
That's the thing though - the TM can't open a window even if he wanted to?

Spent a bit of time on a 144 unit in this hot weather, and it quickly became unbearable on a slow, all-stations service, even with the windows all open - it was a relief to pass through a tunnel! In fact, the breeze was so refreshing, several passengers immediately leant up to slam the windows shut!
 

16CSVT2700

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Tomnick said:
That's the thing though - the TM can't open a window even if he wanted to?

Aye that's why I'd take a Mk2 or 3 over a Voyager, Pendo or IC225!
 

Tomnick

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Yeah, don't blame you! In terms of feeling refreshed and not too hot though, I'd go for a train with working aircon any day! It's the 'working' bit that's the issue too often though.
 

Coxster

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Joined
9 Jun 2005
Messages
9,244
Jim said:
450 aircon is the way forword :lol:
Seconded - Desiro aircon is lovely on days like these. I've rarely been on a 444/450 with broken air-con. Not really travelled on 185s, 350s or 360s enough times to judge them ;)
 

asopu10

Member
Joined
16 Feb 2006
Messages
59
Air con definetly, the downside though is when it does'nt work, which is a lot of the time on any trains with the words central and trains on the side. The heating always seems fine on them, but when its hot its getting normal to hear "We appolergise but this train has no air condition ing due to a fault, it was decided to run the train against a cancerlation. Joy, central seem to be preety bad at maintaining thier trains, there very produ to be getting thier highest reliability in six years. Thats right over 8 out of ten trains are on time, well I'm really impressed, there trains are dirty and unreliable and they justr increased my fare, oh, bit off topic, sorry :/
 

Nick W

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5 Nov 2005
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1,436
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Cambridge
The other day, I found the aircon very nice on a 158, probably to compensate for the lack of "no smoking signs".

Even FGW's Mark 3 stock has air-con probs though.
 

Andrew

Member
Joined
7 Jun 2005
Messages
175
Yes, FGW have said that it struggles above 30ºC - meaning it's been failing a lot the last few days.

I still think full air con is the way forward. Desiro air con is particularly nice, though somthing subtler would be nice for when the weather is not as hot as it is at the moment!
 
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