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Post by Alex on Nov 15, 2015 0:50:18 GMT
Many thanks to Carl for the SWT news - fascinating stuff indeed and please keep the updates coming - just a quick question though Carl, when I used to travel on the SW main line I couldn't figure out where the 100 mph stretches were (I recall seeing the 100 signs around the Fleet area - am I right?), as for years I thought the SW main line was 90 line speed, but indeed saw the 100 signs here and there. How much of it is cleared for 100 mph running, at the time I was living on the main line I only had a Nokia N95 (without the GPS speed apps - and to be honest Desiros block out GPS anyway) and was doing rough calculations doing timings between mile posts. 95 - 100 came up a lot in my rough calculations.......
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Post by thewintersoldier on Nov 15, 2015 8:31:02 GMT
Thanks sir *tips hat* Just had a look at the route maps because I don't sign beyond Woking going down the "main". going towards the country, the 100mph starts on the down fast at farnborough. Going towards London the 100 mph ends on the up fast before Byfleet and new haw. (That I knew because I sign it) Parts of the section between Basingstoke and Winchester are also 100mph. Obviously this is all invalid if you are in a 159, as only our desiro fleet can reach 100mph. As for the boards in the fleet area. I don't sign that section as mentioned above, however both the fast lines are 100mph through fleet. Hope this helps.
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Post by thewintersoldier on Dec 1, 2015 21:33:40 GMT
Another one bites the dust.
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Post by thewintersoldier on Dec 19, 2015 18:16:01 GMT
Officially no 458/4's left now. But still a few units short of the required 458/5 allocation as some are out of service (damaged, testing) and a few are still currently being converted. Should be all done by Feb
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Post by snowman on Feb 4, 2016 8:58:29 GMT
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Post by routew15 on Feb 4, 2016 17:57:41 GMT
Surprised National Express or Abellio didn't make the shortlist (that's if they even expressed interest).
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Post by bigbaddom1981 on Feb 4, 2016 19:40:14 GMT
Still waiting for the east Anglia franchise announcement!
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Post by snoggle on Feb 4, 2016 21:20:24 GMT
Surprised National Express or Abellio didn't make the shortlist (that's if they even expressed interest). The gossip is that so many franchises are coming up for renewal that bidders simply can't / won't bid for all of them. It simply costs too much. Also SWT was expected to get a negotiated extension but DfT pulled the plug as they didn't like the profit margin Stagecoach wanted. Now, of course, DfT are lumbered with a two horse race by having to squash SWT into the retendering programme earlier than expected. I think DfT may rue the day they decided to pull the plug.
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Post by smiler52 on Feb 4, 2016 21:39:54 GMT
just hope stagecoach keep it
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Post by ServerKing on Feb 6, 2016 7:25:44 GMT
Whoever wins the SW Franchise may have to concede to the fact that the Inners will be gone to TfL by 2020 - but the area is so big, I doubt this will matter... I hope Stagecoach keep it, I've never had a bad word to say about the service when travelling into Waterloo, be it on a 450, 455 or 458 As regards the East Anglia franchise, I think whoever gets it will have a baptism of fire - they need to double track the section between Chelmsford and Ipswich at least, if something breaks down between Chelmsford and Colchester the whole line is stuffed I think Abellio spent all their money on new Ticketing systems (new Fujitsu kit to replace Atos Tribute), but little on cleaning the trains themselves
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Post by thewintersoldier on Apr 12, 2016 14:33:41 GMT
The 455's are being converted to AC Motors, fitted with more modern acceleration and braking To enable them to last many more years. I hope to be involved in the training of these. So will keep you posted if anyone wants to have a more technical explanation of what's actually happening to them.
707 training is due to begin at some point in October too. I assume this will be training school and instructor's first. Then drivers, course is 4 days, so it's not a conversion from your standard desiro.
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Post by ServerKing on Apr 15, 2016 23:11:52 GMT
The 455's are being converted to AC Motors, fitted with more modern acceleration and braking To enable them to last many more years. I hope to be involved in the training of these. So will keep you posted if anyone wants to have a more technical explanation of what's actually happening to them. 707 training is due to begin at some point in October too. I assume this will be training school and instructor's first. Then drivers, course is 4 days, so it's not a conversion from your standard desiro. At some point the section between Basingstoke and Southampton is getting OHLE, so we could be seeing pantographs fitted in the roof wells of some of the 450s and 444s They will see how the South West Main Line copes with that before extending the wires towards Waterloo. 3rd rail is inefficient as so much power is lost and I think is at capacity due to more power hungry trains always drawing current. They want to rip it up and convert to overhead but I don't know where the money will come from... There's talk of electrification in Reigate with overhead to get rid of the diesels between Guildford and Reading, but thats on the rail forum... 455s and 456s dont come out to play anymore on the Hounslow Loop, but I guess there's no plan to put AC motors in the 456s?
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Post by thewintersoldier on Apr 15, 2016 23:24:51 GMT
The idea of all this regenerative braking that's installed on desiro, 459 and 455's when finished converting is to return power back to the juice rail. OHLE is a plan far down the line but I think focus is on a lot more urgently required projects such as extended platforms at Waterloo and the reopening full time of the Waterloo international platforms, plus the 455 conversions and the 707's etc.
455/456's won't run on Hounslow loop anymore because a small handful of platforms will not be extended (syon lane, isleworth) so 10 cars will be incompatible. No plans to put AC motors in 456's but according to the paperwork I have these AC 455's will be fully compatible with current 456's so I guess no need to modify.
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Post by snoggle on Apr 15, 2016 23:30:05 GMT
The 455's are being converted to AC Motors, fitted with more modern acceleration and braking To enable them to last many more years. I hope to be involved in the training of these. So will keep you posted if anyone wants to have a more technical explanation of what's actually happening to them. 707 training is due to begin at some point in October too. I assume this will be training school and instructor's first. Then drivers, course is 4 days, so it's not a conversion from your standard desiro. At some point the section between Basingstoke and Southampton is getting OHLE, so we could be seeing pantographs fitted in the roof wells of some of the 450s and 444s They will see how the South West Main Line copes with that before extending the wires towards Waterloo. 3rd rail is inefficient as so much power is lost and I think is at capacity due to more power hungry trains always drawing current. They want to rip it up and convert to overhead but I don't know where the money will come from... There's talk of electrification in Reigate with overhead to get rid of the diesels between Guildford and Reading, but thats on the rail forum... 455s and 456s dont come out to play anymore on the Hounslow Loop, but I guess there's no plan to put AC motors in the 456s? You'll be collecting your pension before OHLE reaches Southampton from Basingstoke. The whole electric spine concept is delayed and I'd argue stringing wires on Southern Region is just pointless. Basingstoke should see wires from Reading but that'll be it for a very long time. I really don't expect SWT to be converting any rolling stock to dual voltage / dual collection within ten years, more like 20-25 years.
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Post by Nathan on Apr 16, 2016 0:08:50 GMT
OHLE?
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