West Midlands Trains Class 323 refurbishment

[sd0733]

323217 has been sent to Wolverton for refurb, new toilet and fitting with PIS (and presumably the rest of the PRM package) it should be released in January. The pic is the interior during stripping.

 

[Mollman]

View attachment 55500 323217 has been sent to Wolverton for refurb, new toilet and fitting with PIS (and presumably the rest of the PRM package) it should be released in January. The pic is the interior during stripping.

I take it this is a ROSCO funded refurb as the 323s aren't staying with WMT.

 

[hexagon789]

View attachment 55500 323217 has been sent to Wolverton for refurb, new toilet and fitting with PIS (and presumably the rest of the PRM package) it should be released in January. The pic is the interior during stripping.

I like the new seating layout, very different

 

[sd0733]

I like the new seating layout, very different

Probably how it went back to Soho after a late night Wolverhampton to Walsall

 

[hexagon789]

Probably how it went back to Soho after a late night Wolverhampton to Walsall

Sounds about right.

 

[jhy44]

Has anyone seen or heard anything more on this?

 

[Ashscrivens]

I use a 323 most days on the cross city line and they're in a real state, if they're going be used for another 2 years they need the refurb.

 

[sd0733]

Posted in the wrong thread before forgot about this one. 323217 is ready for release next week.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

323s swopped between Soho and Wolverton today.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/XSZ/2019/02/09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

 

[AM9]

I use a 323 most days on the cross city line and they're in a real state, if they're going be used for another 2 years they need the refurb.

If they were only expected to be used for another 2 years, it would be a waste of money doing a refurbishment. Dependent on other commitments, a refubishment might taske as long as 2 years anyway.
A deep clean and replacement of anything broken would be justified.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

If they were only expected to be used for another 2 years, it would be a waste of money doing a refurbishment. Dependent on other commitments, a refubishment might taske as long as 2 years anyway.
A deep clean and replacement of anything broken would be justified.

They will be needed by WMR until at least the end of 2021 (longer if the 710 mess is anything to go by) so the PRM mods had to happen. The ROSCO may even think they have a future beyond that but not on this thread please.

 

[Spirit555]

Apologies for using the wrong thread.

Saw most 323's this afternoon, sadly 323217 didn't make an appearance though. By a process of elimination is it 323202 that has now gone for the PRM mods

Mark

 

[blue87]

Some more photos here http://news.wmtrains.co.uk/pressrel...made-to-trains-on-the-cross-city-line-2835875

 

[jhy44]

Some more photos here http://news.wmtrains.co.uk/pressrel...made-to-trains-on-the-cross-city-line-2835875

They're actually looking pretty good!
It's a shame they didn't install the new brighter lights that they did to a few units a couple of years ago, they make a real difference.
Eagerly awaiting my next trip home to Longbridge now.

 

[Dr Strider]

I managed to get on a refurbed one today - 2P62 arriving in New Street at 1622. Sorry I couldn't take any photos as the train was rammed. From memory:

Plus points:

* It does feel like an actual refurb, a good job nicely done. Nice smell of fabric as you walk on (even though the train was packed). Always a good sign.

* Moquette very tasteful - the orange blobs aren't garish and are very subtle, nicer even than the photos would suggest. The grab handles are orange or grey. The grab handles in the door area seem to have changed shape presumably to make them more DDA compliant.

* I think there was a door release alarm on arriving at a station (like the 350s).

Negative points:

* I don't like the way the onboard display has been used. The colour scheme is weird - from where I was sitting it looked like pale green on lightish blue? It's a struggle to make sense of the calling points because of the font-to-display ratio and the way it scrolls. It also couldn't display "Lichfield Trent Valley" all at once! Fortunately this should be easy to fix.

* The auto station announcement was pretty much inaudible - not because it was quiet, but it seemed to go through a horrible low-pass filter (e.g. like listening to Short Wave). Some may see this as being an advantage...

Not sure:

* The single seats down by the side of the toilet - seems to have been a conscious decision to use this space for seating rather than (say) bikes or pushchairs (c.f. 170s). Even discounting the effect of the expanded toilet there doesn't seem to be much storage space at all.

Dr Strider

 

[anamyd]

* The auto station announcement was pretty much inaudible - not because it was quiet, but it seemed to go through a horrible low-pass filter (e.g. like listening to Short Wave). Some may see this as being an advantage...

Do manual announcements also sound "muffled"...? If so, a lot of the BR builds suffer from being fitted with speakers with very inductive voice coils which act like the LPF you speak of. If not, it could be that the sound files being used are of a low bitrate or something...?

British Rail
Low Pass Filter

 

[Dr Strider]

Do manual announcements also sound "muffled"...? If so, a lot of the BR builds suffer from being fitted with speakers with very inductive voice coils which act like the LPF you speak of. If not, it could be that the sound files being used are of a low bitrate or something...?

British Rail
Low Pass Filter

There weren't any manual announcements on the trip so I couldn't tell if it was the recording, the speakers, or the processing in the middle. I'd guess the processing (e.g. file format / conversion settings or something similar).

 

[anamyd]

There weren't any manual announcements on the trip so I couldn't tell if it was the recording, the speakers, or the processing in the middle. I'd guess the processing (e.g. file format / conversion settings or something similar).

it may also depend on how the signal from the PIS is going into the amplifier(s).

 

[rdeez]

it may also depend on how the signal from the PIS is going into the amplifier(s).

The manual announcements on the unrefurbed units are often muffled or inaudible. Some of the speakers (or maybe the connections to them) seem to be not working as well as the others. If the only thing that has changed with the advent of automated announcements is the input source, and nothing on the outputs, probably will still be an issue.

 

[anamyd]

The manual announcements on the unrefurbed units are often muffled or inaudible. Some of the speakers (or maybe the connections to them) seem to be not working as well as the others. If the only thing that has changed with the advent of automated announcements is the input source, and nothing on the outputs, probably will still be an issue.

ideally everything would be ripped out and entirely new equipment fitted but money huh

 

[NoOnesFool]

View attachment 55500 323217 has been sent to Wolverton for refurb, new toilet and fitting with PIS (and presumably the rest of the PRM package) it should be released in January. The pic is the interior during stripping.

I've always found the 323 interiors very dated for their age. Especially when their exteriors look so modern. The interiors give me 153 vibes.

Hopefully some nice Fainsa seating and PIS screens should bring them into the modern era.

 

[thecrofter]

They're actually looking pretty good!
It's a shame they didn't install the new brighter lights that they did to a few units a couple of years ago, they make a real difference.
Eagerly awaiting my next trip home to Longbridge now.

Only unit 323205 was fitted with the trial LED lighting. It supposedly automatically adapts to the ambient light but I've never noticed it change when I've been on it.

 

[43096]

Only unit 323205 was fitted with the trial LED lighting. It supposedly automatically adapts to the ambient light but I've never noticed it change when I've been on it.

Known as BASIL: Bright Ambient Sensing Interior Lighting or similar.

 

[73001]

Only unit 323205 was fitted with the trial LED lighting. It supposedly automatically adapts to the ambient light but I've never noticed it change when I've been on it.

Known as BASIL: Bright Ambient Sensing Interior Lighting or similar.

Maybe it was Fawlty.... I'll get my coat.

 

[centraltrains]

Is anyone aware of any online videos of it appearing yet? Only seen it pass in the opposite direction, grab handles look really bright from the outside! Hope it turns up on one of my journeys soon!

 

[Spirit555]

323202 has recently returned from internal refurb as per 323217 and has now re-entered traffic.

HTH

Mark

 

[Nick Leverton]

I had my first trip on a refurbished unit on Thursday, unit 202. Not exactly impressed I have to say, it seems quite a poor quality job.
- the seats are still the same tired, squashed, saggy, uncomfortable bases, just with new moquette.
- the public address amplifiers are still shot to pieces, despite the fact that the new PIS has its gain cranked up to maximum. On the vehicle I had, this meant almost incomprehensible, muffled but very boomy voice at an almost uncomfortable volume level.
- the large PIS LCD screen is an extremely amateurish piece of programming, hard to read, flashing up a few words at a time in quick succession, with no attempt at making a comprehensible display out of the templated words (the templates are poor too, lacking important punctuation)
- the original modern-looking, open and spacious interiors are made to look untidy and cramped by having the 2+2 bays all replaced with bus style airline seating - I only rode the DMSO though, perhaps the middle car is better.

Sad to say, I can't actually think of anything positive to say except that the new seat covering is not threadbare ! Hopefully the present glacial rate of delivery will continue

 

[js1000]

There isn't much wrong with 323s in my view but it's frustrating they're not fitting LED lighting as part of the refurb. These would help enormously.

 

[Spirit555]

I had my first trip on a refurbished unit on Thursday, unit 202. Not exactly impressed I have to say, it seems quite a poor quality job.
- the seats are still the same tired, squashed, saggy, uncomfortable bases, just with new moquette.
- the public address amplifiers are still shot to pieces, despite the fact that the new PIS has its gain cranked up to maximum. On the vehicle I had, this meant almost incomprehensible, muffled but very boomy voice at an almost uncomfortable volume level.
- the large PIS LCD screen is an extremely amateurish piece of programming, hard to read, flashing up a few words at a time in quick succession, with no attempt at making a comprehensible display out of the templated words (the templates are poor too, lacking important punctuation)
- the original modern-looking, open and spacious interiors are made to look untidy and cramped by having the 2+2 bays all replaced with bus style airline seating - I only rode the DMSO though, perhaps the middle car is better.

Sad to say, I can't actually think of anything positive to say except that the new seat covering is not threadbare ! Hopefully the present glacial rate of delivery will continue

Totally agree with all the above. It's a poor attempt at what they are calling a "Refresh". I have also travelled on the said unit and most definitely the seats have already sunk and are not that comfortable at all.

I am surprised that the destination blinds have been changed as well. You can barely see them until the unit is virtually on top of you. With all this work deemed necessary for DDA compliance the destination blinds certainly do not help someone who is deaf and can't hear announcements and relies on the front destination to know where the train is going.

A poor show all round

 

[Nick Leverton]

There isn't much wrong with 323s in my view but it's frustrating they're not fitting LED lighting as part of the refurb. These would help enormously.

Agreed the 323s are still good units underneath it all after all these years.

Considering the dim and dismal present-day state of the unit fitted with the experimental LED lighting - is it 207 ? - I'm quite glad they haven't gone that route since it doesn't get maintained ! I did notice that they've retained the existing luminaires in the refresh bodge job, but I do hope they might have put these new "fluorescent compatible" LED strips inside them.