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[Trivia] Unused Features in rolling stock?

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Doctor Fegg

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French-language announcements on (pre-refurb) 166s.

Spalding destination blinds on 317s.
 
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gimmea50anyday

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185s max power setting has never been isolated for eco settings. That is a myth.

Mk4 interior door open buttons still fitted but never used as intercity opted for foot pressure mats instead.

Catering trolley bay for at seat service within the shop of VT voyagers were never used evem tho the power plug, water fillers were in the cupboards the trolleys werw never introduced. The cupboard became the UPS for the IRIS till system

ETS sockets for 442's proved troublesome and have never been used, as was their loco hauled capability in passenger service at least (thus far but forever threatened!)
 

fgwrich

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Well, I wouldn't say never used - never used in Anger maybe, as the ETS sockets have been refitted in Eastleigh Works to enable the fleet to be kept in Warm Storage.
 

Mikey C

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They did have fire extinguishers when they first entered service, however within a few years a decision was taken to remove them system-wide.

I don't think the door buttons on the 95 stock were ever used - and indeed they have been removed or plated over at the recent refurbishment. I think the 96 stock did occasionally use them when the trains first entered service on the Jubilee - perhaps influenced by the fact that they replaced the 83 stock which always used passenger open, so it was logical for this to continue on the new trains. Didn't take long before they fell into disuse though.

From memory, while the 95s have had their door buttons plated over, the 96s still have them (albeit not used)
 

bramling

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From memory, while the 95s have had their door buttons plated over, the 96s still have them (albeit not used)

Correct, but not for long - the 96 stock is about to undergo a similar refurbishment to the 95 stock, part of which will be similar treatment of the door buttons. The rotary switch in the cab which enables passenger open will presumably also be removed or blanked off.

(It's a bit of a legend that if you wanted to screw over a colleague, go into their cab before they take over the train and flick the switch to "passenger open", then if they don't notice that the switch is in the wrong place, and it's a safe bet they wouldn't as there's little reason to even think about the switch, they will take the train out of service for defective doors, and then get "done" for a staff error. I don't know if this has ever happened for real, but it's certainly messroom rumour).
 

Ianno87

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French-language announcements on (pre-refurb) 166s.

Spalding destination blinds on 317s.

Original 319 blinds included "Milton Ernest" - an unbuilt station to serve a housing development north of Bedford.

Similarly, the orignal CR4000 trams in Croydon had Crystal Palace as an option for the blinds - possibly also Sutton as well.
 

Ianno87

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Speaking of the original trams, the Request Stop buttons are being removed as they're refurbished.

For most of the day Requesting Stops was fairly pointless as all stops usually always had people getting off and on anyway during the day. When I lived in Croydon (2008/9) some stops would occasionally be omitted on very late evening journeys, but that would be it.

Probably just easier to stop everywhere at night with a small time penalty than risk trouble with "you didn't stop at my stop, mate!"
 

Bletchleyite

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Correct, but not for long - the 96 stock is about to undergo a similar refurbishment to the 95 stock, part of which will be similar treatment of the door buttons. The rotary switch in the cab which enables passenger open will presumably also be removed or blanked off.

Given that the S-stock has passenger open buttons and timed door closure, it's surprising to see a different approach on the deep Tube.
 
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Northern's 323s have the electronic destination information on the side vinyl'd over, i'm not sure if London Midland's are the same but Northern's haven't been in use since FirstGroup ran the franchise between 97 - 04.
 

Domh245

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Given that the S-stock has passenger open buttons and timed door closure, it's surprising to see a different approach on the deep Tube.

The Deep Tube Stock doesn't have air conditioning and so doesn't need the auto close feature that the S stock have.
 

DarloRich

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The only one i can think of is the guards office on the LM 350/1's - it wants pulling out at the next refurb

Is the buffet counter on the sleeper Mk2s ever used? I just tend to see seated sleeper passengers in the lounge car rather than the counter. Don't see why it should only be limited to sleeper passengers anyway.

because one has paid for superior service and should not have to mix with the oiks in the seats

Antimacassars - does anyone use macassar oil these days?

not as much now this new fangled brilliantine has come onto the market

.

DVTs for Mk 3/4 stock which are unused apart from the driver's cabin.

No they aren't. They have the guards office at the train end with the space in between there and the cab used for carrying bikes, luggage and other useful stuff
 

SpacePhoenix

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The only one i can think of is the guards office on the LM 350/1's - it wants pulling out at the next refurb



because one has paid for superior service and should not have to mix with the oiks in the seats



not as much now this new fangled brilliantine has come onto the market



No they aren't. They have the guards office at the train end with the space in between there and the cab used for carrying bikes, luggage and other useful stuff

Do guards of other SWTs (444s & 450s) and TPE (350/4) make much use of the guard's office on their trains?
 

185143

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314 destination blinds apparently have East Kilbride on them-but the line was never electrified

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 

D365

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314 destination blinds apparently have East Kilbride on them-but the line was never electrified

There's several instances of this, Class 313/317 blinds showing destinations such as Spalding and even (if I recall correctly) on a closed former Midland branch.
 

chubs

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Some of the GA 170's have guards offices too that I have never seen a guard use.
 

BelleIsle

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140mph capability on the Pendos.

Space for boxes of fish on the Tyneside EPBs would be of little use when moved south.

Urinals in the 56s. If they were used then there would not be puddles everywhere.
 

Deepgreen

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The first class compartments on the early 4SUBs. First class was abolished on SR suburban routes before they could be used as such. The compartments featured significantly greater leg room and some vehicles remained in service in 4EPBs into the late 1980s.

More (but not very) recently, the full acceleration capability of the 465/466 fleet, which I understand required power supply increases to use, which were never delivered.
 
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61653 HTAFC

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314 destination blinds apparently have East Kilbride on them-but the line was never electrified

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

There's several instances of this, Class 313/317 blinds showing destinations such as Spalding and even (if I recall correctly) on a closed former Midland branch.

Destination blinds were interchangeable between fleets and covered a fairly wide range of places- when watching blinds being rolled at turnarounds revealed that 307s and 308s had Huddersfield, Blackpool, Clayton West and Whitby on there... Good luck with any of those!
 

317666

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Some of the GA 170's have guards offices too that I have never seen a guard use.

That'll be the 3-car sets, I believe they were used in Anglia Railways days when 170s used to work alongside 86s on Liverpool Street - Norwich trains. There used to be a buffet counter in the middle coach, and first class used to be much larger as well.
 

mirodo

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Antimacassars - does anyone use macassar oil these days?

Apparently, an antimacassar from a declassified Southern first class carriage can double as an emergency nose-blowing device if one is full of a cold and has unfortunately forgotten to bring a handkerchief/packet of tissues.
 

mirodo

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For most of the day Requesting Stops was fairly pointless as all stops usually always had people getting off and on anyway during the day. When I lived in Croydon (2008/9) some stops would occasionally be omitted on very late evening journeys, but that would be it.

Probably just easier to stop everywhere at night with a small time penalty than risk trouble with "you didn't stop at my stop, mate!"

My friend had a right go at me for not informing him that Croydon had "express trams" which missed out certain stops. Not realising he had to press the button, he was most aggrieved as the tram failed to stop when he wished to alight late one evening... and even more aggrieved when the same fate befell him when he doubled back!
 

Class455

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The conductor signal to the driver is unused on the Southern 455's.
 
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