Class 180 Adelantes - discussions, including their return to FGW

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

According to Today's Railways UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Jan edition all the 180s are going in for a Rosco funded overhaul, to include a 'full rewire'.  You don't hear of that on relatively new units too often...

I wonder if they really just mean some important part of the wiring, such as the fire alarm system...   

Paul

If they do get a full reiwre etc it should hopefully improve their reliability.

Its a shame that Northern have allowed them to get in such a bad condition, although I am glad to see them back on duties which will allow them to make good use of their 125mph top speed.

Slightly off topic but the full overhauls which were given to the class 175's seemes to have done a world of good apart from the occasional incident such as 175110 deciding to try and cook itself.

[anthony215]

180108 is on its way down to Old Oak common according  to reports on uk railforums

[IndustryInsider]

180108 is on its way down to Old Oak common according  to reports on uk railforums

Same path as yesterday.  Currently 7 early at Eccles.  It's due to come down Acton Bank and reverse in Acton Main Line station just before 4pm if anyone is interested in getting a glimpse?

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

Trains overhaul work gathers speed

The first Class 180 Adelante express train to be modified ahead of its return to service with First Great Western between London, Oxford and the Cotswold Line has arrived at FGW^▸ (First Great Western)^s depot in London.

The 125mph train, which has been given mechanical and electrical improvements and a new livery at Kilmarnock, in Scotland, will now get an interior facelift before training of drivers and guards begins.

Five Class 180s will enter service during the spring as part of a plan to ease overcrowding on FGW trains in the Thames Valley.

They will replace Class 166 Turbo trains on the Cotswold Line, which will be transferred to add extra coaches to other services.

[Btline]

I hope they move the 1st Class carriage to an end, adjacent to the buffet car - I wonder which dumbo thought it was a good idea to put it second from the end the opposite end to the buffet?

I also hope the music carriage is axed - out of date, people have iPods and don't want to pay huge amounts for earphones at the buffet.

Would it not be a good idea to remove the bike store from one end, to avoid confusion (so there's only one guard's van), and provide a additional exterior door for an end carriage? What will happen to the signs at stations telling people where to stand with bikes?

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

re BT's cooment on the location of first class on 180s, this query was raised when the Adelantes were first used on th CL. A comment was made, but I now do not recall who made it, that the first class travellers deserved greated protection in the event of a collision because the trains, being DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), do not have a power car to provide a buffer in the evnt of a collision. This comment did not seem right to me at the time as I think all travellers should have equal safety precautions regardless of class of travel. However no-one has come up with a better explanation unless someone knows differently.

[Btline]

This shocking explanation is appalling!

[paul7575]

Standard class passengers SACRIFICED...   

Paul

[mjones]

Having first class away from the ends spares them the indignity of having the lower orders walk past their seats  when they've boarded the end coach to avoid missing their train.

[laird]

I will be sad to see the music carriage axed, at least it offered the opportunity to listen to the radio.
Most of the operators who now provide wifi have blocked access to the streaming radio services so this was really the only practical way to have non-recorded audio entertainment.

Perhaps the First Class was more to do with provision of a second entry/exit door and catering facilities than safety. Unlike the Meridian/Voyager trains where the kitchen area was provided behind the cab Adelante's have something else in that position, perhaps to provide a safer location for the worker or to better distribute mass?

[JayMac]

Perhaps it was decided that 1st Class should be in a full carriage for seating capacity reasons. 

[readytostart]

I will be sad to see the music carriage axed, at least it offered the opportunity to listen to the radio.
Most of the operators who now provide wifi have blocked access to the streaming radio services so this was really the only practical way to have non-recorded audio entertainment.

On the Voyagers the 'brains' of the wi-fi is located where the old CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) changer and receiver were located, one was sacrificed for the other. Saw a 180 headed south at Carstairs a few days back, looked fairly smart, hope the inside looks as good as the outside!

[Chris from Nailsea]

On a wider note, the First Class carriages at the front ends of the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) involved in the Southall and Ladbroke Grove crashes suffered particularly badly from the impacts.

I've heard suggestions in the past that putting First Class at the front of trains into Paddington is 'so the First Class passengers won't have to walk so far to the exit': an urban myth, I reckon. 

[Worcester_Passenger]

I've heard suggestions in the past that putting First Class at the front of trains into Paddington is 'so the First Class passengers won't have to walk so far to the exit': an urban myth, I reckon. 

No, that's true : same happens at Liverpool St, Kings Cross and Euston. Less consistent at St Pancras because of anything that reverses at Nottingham.
And if you look at the Eurostars, you'll realise what a diplomatic design they are - First class in the middle so as to avoid deciding which is the more important terminus.

[inspector_blakey]

an urban myth, I reckon. 

Nope, it's an established railway tradition! Although it does of course have its disadvantages at termini like Penzance or Swansea where the first class passengers have to walk the farthest, putting it at the London end probably means on aggregate that it's more convenient for those in first.