Voyager or Adelante

Adelantes are similar to 175s internally, and the only downside is a tendency to wobble at certain speeds/track quality.
There can be some alarming lateral movements, with the seats/tables and walls parting company for a bit, especially in the centre of the coach...
The aircon can be fierce and localised (hot/cold spots).
But generally good seating/views/noise suppression.
Less reliable than Voyagers, mind, and I don't think they work as well doubled up, if there are any diagrams which require it.
I guess Reading-Oxford regulars would be best able to compare them.

 

The interior of the Adelante is much nicer & more spacious IMO. The engine vibration does seem slightly less pronounced as well, but I've not been on a long journey in one so it's hard to say - I find that for a couple of hours the vibration on a Voyager is not a problem, but on long journeys it starts to make my lower legs feel a bit numb which I've not got on other DMUs. Overall the ride quality is smoother on a Voyager I think.

That said I was on an Adelante when they were fairly new and water started streaming through the ceiling! I'm sure that's fixed now, along with the bits of vibrating plastic above the windows on Voyagers...

 

Adelante, no contest. The sound proofing against engine noise is much better, there’s far less internal vibration (I know some have expressed disagreement at the tables only being fixed at floor level, causing vibration, but I have never experienced this), the seats are more comfortable and better aligned with the windows. Now that they seem to have got them running reliably as well, they’re cracking trains.

 

Okay, it was a few years ago now but having been on trips to Oxford from Reading on both a Voyager and a Adelante, I felt more comfortable on the Adelante.

 

Adelante definitely. Feel bigger and more comfortable. Voyagers always suffer from being overcrowded, largely by the nature of the routes they work, and I suppose that has given me a rather poor impression of them

 

Adelante. Mainly because the seats aren't crammed as tightly. Which is, of course, something that could be remedied on Voyagers, if there were the will to do so. Why they are so different in this respect, I don't know.

 

Despite the fact that the Adelante should be good, I prefer the Voyager because of the following significant disadvantages of the Adelante:-

1. Very poor ride, which makes me feel ill.
2. Pointlessly tiny luggage racks (I know the Voyager ones are small, but they will at least take carry-on size luggage).
3. Seats not bolted to the wall so they sway sideways.
4. (in fGW's case) Horrible daylight tube lighting, brighter (and so worse) than the Mk3s, as it can't seemingly be switched to half brightness.

OTOH, the Meridian is far better than both of them, being a Voyager with most of the issues solved.

 

This.

 

I know of at least 2 Adelante Failures in the last week!

The Meridians are definitely better than both the Voyagers and Adelantes

 

Adelante, for the smell if nothing else

they also feel less claustrophobic than the voyagers, although it's a closer thing with the Meridiens

 

Do Voyagers and Adelantes have the same engines? Obviously they have completely different transmission.

Adelantes trump Voyagers easily, and for me they just about trump Meridians too, although Meridians are one of the best DMUs around for comfort. An Adelante (and a 175 too) offers basically a Mark III carriage equivalent of comfort in my opinion, minus engine noise.

The only fault I can find with the Adelantes is the loud squealing breaks when they stop. It's like being on a train in France. Which figures given that Alstom are French. (for those that don't know, trains in France tend to squeal the place down whenever they're coming to a stop. Eurostars do it too).

 

Yep, same engines.

 

Have the adelantes had their engines downgraded.
Sam

 

The 180s are much more preferable to the Voyagers. I have the 'privilege' of using both on the same trip and the Voyagers have absolutely no redeeming features.

The problem the 180s have is that because it is a microfleet, when there is a breakdown you notice because instead of a 5 coach 180 FGW sends a nice 2 car 166.

The smell on the Voyagers remains horrific, they feel claustrophobic.

The 180s do have cold spots with the air con - I know this because I sat under one this week but that is really the only issue with them. I've never noticed any ride problems - compared to some HSTs, Turbos etc that I've ridden on.

 

When you hear a loud squealing brake noise at Reading, it can be either a 180 or a 150

The 180s are nice units, although the lack of an end passenger door in the driving vehicles can be annoying if the train is busy, as it means some passengers are less willing to go down that end if they are worried they won't be able to get out

 

The "official" performance figures quoted by Roger Ford in the January Modern Railways each year are (as at late 2014, moving annual average):

XC 221s (ie 5-car non-tilt) - 37558 miles per technical incident (MTIN)
Hull Trains 180s - 15845
FGW 180s - 6219
GC 180s - 8502
So 180s are 2-6 times less reliable than 221s.

The XC 4-car 220s are at 49597.
This is better than any other diesel units except SWT's 159s, which are well over 100000 MTIN.

 

I have travelled many miles in both and the Adelante is by far the better. The only gripe with the 180's is the brake scream that is to be heard. Other than that its prob the best modern unit. Popeyes all the way.

 

I've always thought of Adelantes as a 'poor man's Mark 3'.

Voyagers, on the other hand, are a poor man's version of Christ knows what.

 

Possibly one way to think of it is say that Voyagers, Merdians and Adelantes were all manufactured by different manufacturers and you were the person in charge of purchasing x number of units for your TOC, which units would you choose and why? Would you choose all the same or one type for certain routes and another for the rest of the routes?

 

180s all the way. Great little trains... when they work. To me, they always feel like an express development of the 156 (and that's a compliment).

 

I'd like to add that I think the Adelantes look a lot cooler than Voyagers as well!

 

The front end reminds me a little bit of the GWR streamline railcars.

 

The 180's look to me like cyclist helmets.

 

its a shame GWR dont have them all anymore. although they are not long enough and sound like they are crushing a thousand mice when they stop best train on the network asides from a HST.