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West Midlands Class 323 - the final countdown

trainJam

trainJam

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26 May 2023
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137
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West Midlands
Is there a date for when 323s will no longer be on the cross city, or is it just whenever it happens?

I am just wondering roughly how long they have left here.
 
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Liam L

Liam L

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Birmingham
trainJam said:
Is there a date for when 323s will no longer be on the cross city, or is it just whenever it happens?

I am just wondering roughly how long they have left here.
Click to expand...
I think the current aim is the end of summer. However no confirmed date. Only 2 730 diagrams currently, not sure when they are next adding more.
 
6

66701

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Joined
12 Jul 2020
Messages
25
Location
Bedworth
Was out on the cross city line yesterday 18-5-2024, units in service were :-
323204 solo
323207 solo
323201-323203
323205-323218
323210-323216
323211-323217
323213-323242
323219-323222
323221-323240
730008-730020
730009-730011
323203 was noted solo around tea time, not sure when 201 was detached.
 
Liam L

Liam L

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66701 said:
Was out on the cross city line yesterday 18-5-2024, units in service were :-
323204 solo
323207 solo
323201-323203
323205-323218
323210-323216
323211-323217
323213-323242
323219-323222
323221-323240
730008-730020
730009-730011
323203 was noted solo around tea time, not sure when 201 was detached.
Click to expand...
Not surprised 201 got detached. Had a traction converter out and the other sounded buggered when I saw it
 
crosscity

crosscity

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5 Dec 2011
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617
Location
Birmingham
According to Railcam 5M70, the 08:49 Soho-Wolverton, ran this morning formed of 323205 and 323210.

These are two units destined for Northern.

Can anyone confirm that they've now left Soho for good?
 
Liam L

Liam L

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Location
Birmingham
crosscity said:
According to Railcam 5M70, the 08:49 Soho-Wolverton, ran this morning formed of 323205 and 323210.

These are two units destined for Northern.

Can anyone confirm that they've now left Soho for good?
Click to expand...
As with the case with most of the Wolverton moves, most likely gone down for hand back works then on to northern.

Only 214 will return from Wolverton.
 
G

Geeves

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Rochdale
Apologies for the seemingly obvious question. Has it been decided which units are coming north and which for store. I don't think I've personally seen a definitive list! Thanks!
 
jonesy3001

jonesy3001

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13 Jul 2009
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Otley, West Yorkshire
Geeves said:
Apologies for the seemingly obvious question. Has it been decided which units are coming north and which for store. I don't think I've personally seen a definitive list! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Post 484 has the list of what's going to northern and what's going into storage, pity they can't all transfer until the actual northern units have been refreshed into northern livery.
 
G

Geeves

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jonesy3001 said:
Post 484 has the list of what's going to northern and what's going into storage, pity they can't all transfer until the actual northern units have been refreshed into northern livery.
Click to expand...

Cheers bud. I saw your list at the start of the thread too. Seems like 214 might never return to service which is a shame. I assumed it was coming back to Northern.
 
Liam L

Liam L

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Geeves said:
Cheers bud. I saw your list at the start of the thread too. Seems like 214 might never return to service which is a shame. I assumed it was coming back to Northern.
Click to expand...
Read on Facebook (323/730 group) a few weeks back, should of started testing around now, once successfully done it will be transfered back to Soho.
 
crosscity

crosscity

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5 Dec 2011
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Geeves said:
Apologies for the seemingly obvious question. Has it been decided which units are coming north and which for store. I don't think I've personally seen a definitive list! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Yes. Those going to Northern had some work done on them already. The most obvious (if you're a passenger) was the fitting of USB sockets.
 
DaveHarries

DaveHarries

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12 Dec 2011
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2,306
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England
Liam L said:
[...] Only 2x730 diagrams currently, not sure when they are next adding more.
Click to expand...
I was working around the West Midlands today and saw a number of Class 730s. Among those I saw:
- I saw one for Redditch (possibly 2R33, 1316 Four Oaks - Redditch) but didn't note the number.
- 730016 on he 1441 Birmingham NS to Dudley Port (2W34, 1407 Walsall - Wolverhampton)
- 730020 leading 730008 as a 6-car formation on 2P37 (1403 Bromsgrove - Lichfield Trent Valley)
- I am fairly sure I saw one heading from Birmingham NS to Bromsgrove as it passed Kings Norton but didn't note the number.

I had to get to Dudley Port so joined 2W34: a good ride I found with more space to move around in and a decent ride quality with good acceleration which I enjoyed. I spoke to the driver, who was looking out of the window, on alighting at Dudley Port and he said that he wasn't keen on them due to the cab windows being a bit on the small side but he acknowledged the saloons were good. 730016 still had that new smell too.

Dave
 
G

Geeves

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Location
Rochdale
Thought I would go for a different style today and including any 730s out today vs transfers to Northern

323201 - Soho
323204 - Soho
323205 - Wolverton
323210 - Wolverton
323213 - Soho
323214 - Wolverton
323215 - Soho
------------------------------------
323203 - Four Oaks - Redditch
323207 - Four Oaks - Redditch
323222 - Four Oaks - Redditch
323241 + 243 - Four Oaks - Redditch
730008 + 020 - Four Oaks - Redditch
------------------------------------
323211 + 217 - Lichfield TV - Bromsgrove
323216 + 218 - Lichfield TV - Bromsgrove
323219 + 242 - Lichfield TV - Bromsgrove
323221 + 240 - Lichfield TV - Bromsgrove
730009 + 018 - Lichfield TV - Bromsgrove
730012 + 032 - Lichfield TV - Bromsgrove

This might not be 100% 730006, 011, 013, 016, 019, 030, 044 at Soho with no work allocated currently
 
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V

Viscount702

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Joined
7 Sep 2011
Messages
332
jonesy3001 said:
Still get the 3 cars on the hadfield line, some of the platforms where extended for the 319s but northern stuck with the 323s.
Click to expand...
I thought the original idea was to put the 4 car 331s on the Hadfields as well as other routes but they went east instead
 
J

JW4

Member
Joined
14 Feb 2023
Messages
283
Location
Birmingham
Thursday 23 May
323243+323241
323203+3232??
323207+3232??
323218 alone
 
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J

JW4

Member
Joined
14 Feb 2023
Messages
283
Location
Birmingham
Friday 24 May
323240 Erdington
323222 (de-named) alone
323213+323207 (de-named)
323242+323219
 
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W

wythallpaul

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2024
Messages
30
Location
Bulkington
Friday 24th May 2024
323203+323216
323204+323217
323218 Alone
323221+323240
323241+323243

Did not have a ride past Soho today. Only name still in situ that I noticed was 'Erdington'
 
Liam L

Liam L

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Location
Birmingham
Saturday 25th May

323219
323242
323241 & 323243

Monday 27th May

A even mix of 323s and 730s diagrams by the looks of it today (presumably will follow for the rest of the week)

323213 & 323222
323216 & 323203
323219 & 3232**

The 730s were
730044/46
730012/020
730011/019 (I think)
 
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