Wabtec Awarded Contract For £60M Class 321 Refurbishment Project.

[Brian Aylott]

It is understood that 321303 is back at Derby for mods for a laundry list of issues

No back at Wabtec, Doncaster but due out again
Brian

 

[Wivenswold]

No back at Wabtec, Doncaster but due out again
Brian

Will it be bringing some of the others in time for the new franchise launch?

 

[SPADTrap]

Just seen one of the Renatus 321s arrive into LST.

 

[grumblingalong]

I believe 321303 is out in service now, been kept very quiet though

 

[Dave1987]

Yup I saw it out and about yesterday. It's essentially exactly the same inside as the demonstrator was with power sockets everywhere. Disabled loo is very snazzy and the heating works very well. I see people on the old Twitter sphere are impressed with it as well.

 

[D365]

Seems like a bit of a waste when they're all going to be replaced in the next three to four years. Could Northern take them on to replace the 319s?

 

[47802]

Seems like a bit of a waste when they're all going to be replaced in the next three to four years. Could Northern take them on to replace the 319s?

Well they probably could but they have an agreement to use 319's along with getting new EMU's and we are taking at least 3 years down the line so its seems a fairly moot point at this stage.

 

[D365]

Eversholt is going to want at least 10-15 years of income to get a return on their expenditure on the Renatus programme, by 2020 the treated 321s will surely be a more attractive proposition than Porterbrook's 319s.

 

[samuelmorris]

The 'castoff' 319s seem to be posting pretty poor reliability figures from the anecdotal evidence I've heard on here, both with LM and ARN. If the Renatus units can be tamed to offer equal or better reliability figures than that, then I imagine they'll be the top pick of the pre-privatisation stock. Nonetheless I'm pretty sure that the 360s and 379s are still likely to be chosen first unless the lease rates are unattractive. Not so sure about 365s - theoretically a Renatus 321 would be seen as a better unit based on its interior spec? Not seen any evidence that the AC traction package is going on the Renatus units any time soon though...

 

[class387]

I believe 321303 is out in service now, been kept very quiet though

Any interior pictures?

 

[bramling]

Not so sure about 365s - theoretically a Renatus 321 would be seen as a better unit based on its interior spec? Not seen any evidence that the AC traction package is going on the Renatus units any time soon though...

Personally I still think the 365 has a much nicer interior -- even after the recent refresh which has dumbed it down a little.

The Renatus, on paper, has air conditioning. Again, personal preference, but I'd rather have the 365 interior and manage without air conditioning. The 365 has a superb heating system (sometimes too good!), ball vents to provide some degree of comfort cooling, and hopper windows which provide decent circulation to cool the saloon on all but the very hottest days.

The 365 does have issues with a rather obsolete traction package, and (IIRC) a rather route-specific safety case. I'd imagine the 321 is a more readily "go anywhere" train.

 

[Class455]

Could there be a similar programme for the Class 455/8's that Eversholt own? Eversholt seem to be investing in their older units so I wouldn't rule it out The 455's are more or less have the same design as the 321's apart from the front ends.

 

[D365]

Personally I still think the 365 has a much nicer interior -- even after the recent refresh which has dumbed it down a little.

If it's kept clean, that is. The grime on the unit I was on yesterday was horrific.

The 455's are more or less have the same design as the 321's apart from the front ends.

Uhh...

 

[Bletchleyite]

They are the same 20m Mk3-derived bodyshell, like all ex-BR units of that sort of vintage, so could easily receive the same refurb.

 

[DasLunatic]

Any interior pictures?

See attached.

 

[class387]

See attached.

Looks like a fairly decent job to me. Can't wait to travel on it.

 

[47802]

Looks like a fairly decent job to me. Can't wait to travel on it.

Well you can not deny that's a very major and impressive refurb by any standards, Northern take note

 

[43096]

Looks like a fairly decent job to me. Can't wait to travel on it.

Same horrible ironing board seats which are spreading across the industry like a swarm of locusts, I see.

 

[DasLunatic]

Same horrible ironing board seats which are spreading across the industry like a swarm of locusts, I see.

Afraid so. Rest of the train looks nice though and the livery suits the 321 quite well.

 

[smudga331]

Is this in service yet?

Do we know which line it has been serving? Has it been assigned to a "Guinea pig line" as the IPEMU was in case of any problems?

Thanks.

 

[grumblingalong]

Same horrible ironing board seats which are spreading across the industry like a swarm of locusts, I see.

Better than the seats suited only to hobbits.

 

[jcc]

Same horrible ironing board seats which are spreading across the industry like a swarm of locusts, I see.

These seats are by Quantum- the normal "ironing board" seats are by Compin-Fainsa.

 

[DasLunatic]

Is this in service yet?

Do we know which line it has been serving? Has it been assigned to a "Guinea pig line" as the IPEMU was in case of any problems?

Thanks.

It was in service on the Colchester - Walton stoppers today. Whether or not it stays there is up to the diagramming departments.

I managed to see it arrive and depart Colchester. More photos can be seen here.

It sounded slightly different to the standard 321 - but that may not be the new powerpack.

 

[samuelmorris]

Apart from what sound like aux inverters, it sounds identical to me. Did we establish if these units actually have the new traction package yet?

Somewhat disappointed to see the same crappy old PIS displays there. It also looks very dull and grey inside, red grabrails would have brightened it up substantially, but oh well, the actual fit and finish looks quite nice. I look forward to eventually trying one out.

 

[43096]

These seats are by Quantum- the normal "ironing board" seats are by Compin-Fainsa.

Ta. They look very similar, and I'll bet they are equally as cheap as the Fainsa version, as that is the deciding factor.

 

[jon0844]

Looks nice inside. But will all those stickers have to be changed to just Greater Anglia now?

Is this the equivalent of rolling out the 700s with the old Thameslink logo?

 

[DasLunatic]

Looks nice inside. But will all those stickers have to be changed to just Greater Anglia now?

Is this the equivalent of rolling out the 700s with the old Thameslink logo?

From what I've seen of the units that've received the new logo, it's a fairly simple thing to do, but yes, the Abellio does need removing. It only got the logo because it was due back in the previous franchise. The engineering issues mentioned in the previous pages of course scuppered this. Newer units in this livery will probably get the new logo off the bat.

 

[smudga331]

Nice pics and vids DL!

So can this be coupled to standard 321's?

or will this be avoided due to the differences in acceleration capabilities between units to save strain being placed on couplers etc.?

 

[DasLunatic]

Nice pics and vids DL!

So can this be coupled to standard 321's?

or will this be avoided due to the differences in acceleration capabilities between units to save strain being placed on couplers etc.?

Logic would dictate that coupling between Renatus and standard Bins can and will happen - SWT's 455s are being retractioned and mixed sets crop up there. I only saw it as a single unit so I can't be 100% certain.

 

[jon0844]

Newer units in this livery will probably get the new logo off the bat.

You'd hope so, but the 700s are all getting the old logo because that's what the contract said and nobody thought to pay a bit extra to change before the end of production.

That's a different contract though, and I don't even see why GTR decided to change logo (another argument for another day/thread). Especially as the DfT won't have asked for it, and certainly won't pay for it..