SWT service to Glasgow??

[MjD]

Yes i know this topic is pointless to an extent but as I was walking through Glasgow Queen Street station i stumbled upon a South West Trains 158 sitting in the station and walked past not thinking twice about what I had seen (shows how tired i was/still am) and it wasn't until later on it occurred to me that it was a rather unusual occurrence.

MD

[Ameecher]

It could be one of the 158s that has been transferred from SWT to Trans Pennine Express for their services to Glasgow, this is all as a result of the big reshuffle of 158 units across the country in line with the introduction of class 185s on the TPE routes and displaced 3 car 158s from there being converted to 159s for SWT, then 170s and 158s that SWT are replacing with the "new" 159s are being transferred to TPE. Meanwhile Central have a load of ex-TPE 158s too. All confusing.

[jonnie47]

yes it is a bit

[Martin]

To make it even more so, Northern seems to have some ex-Central 158s on the Blackpool-York route (or at least they did last year when I used them.)

[Ameecher]

Not to mention the Ex-Central 158s that are operating on ATW routes and the ex-central 156s that have been swopped with ONE's 150s.

[Dave]

And that Central are operating ex-First North Western 158s on the Birmingham-Hereford line, as well as some citilink services.

[Parkey]

I did a similar double take at Paddington recently where it seems First Great Western have disguised some of their HST carriages as Midland Mainline trains recently. Must be because some of their own are being refurbished.

[Dave]

Yus indeed.

Though they're probably better off with Midland Mainline.

Last Worst Western isn't exactly a reputable company just at the minute. And it's funny how it's always THEIR power cars that go pop.

On the other hand, there have been explanations for nearly all of the fires and it would seem like it's more of a coincidence than you would expect or believe.

The last fire, as I understood it, took place because of a piece of lit paper getting into the air vents. There was a whole load of anti-FGW engineering this, and bad maintenance that before a particular FGW engineer put the record straight.

[andel]

The SWT 158s were with Angel, whilst the 3 car 158(now 159/1) were with Porterbrook. SWT like to keep eggs in 1 basket and as such, the 158s went to Scotrail. They're now based at Haymarket.

[Parkey]

Last Worst Western isn't exactly a reputable company just at the minute. And it's funny how it's always THEIR power cars that go pop.

I'm not sure about any other cases but the HST that caught fire in Didcot Parkway station was quite surreal to see. Just flames coming out of the exhaust vent of an otherwise normal looking train. That, all the passengers standing outside the station, and every emergency services vehicle for about 20 miles around converging on the scene.

[Griff]

Last Worst Western isn't exactly a reputable company just at the minute. And it's funny how it's always THEIR power cars that go pop.

I'm not sure about any other cases but the HST that caught fire in Didcot Parkway station was quite surreal to see. Just flames coming out of the exhaust vent of an otherwise normal looking train. That, all the passengers standing outside the station, and every emergency services vehicle for about 20 miles around converging on the scene.

Ruddy yobs these days...will set fire to anything

[TheGrew]

It supprises me that a SWT 158 has gone to scotland, they just recieved some transpennine ones to swap with some 170s, TBH I prefer the 158, they may be older but I think there quicker and have more seats.

[Ameecher]

It supprises me that a SWT 158 has gone to scotland, they just recieved some transpennine ones to swap with some 170s, TBH I prefer the 158, they may be older but I think there quicker and have more seats.

The 2 car 158s have gone north and 3 car ones have been brought south to be converted to 159s. Incidentally the 158/9 does 90mph whereas a 170 does 100mph.

[andel]

It supprises me that a SWT 158 has gone to scotland, they just recieved some transpennine ones to swap with some 170s, TBH I prefer the 158, they may be older but I think there quicker and have more seats.

The SWT 158s were with Angel, whilst the 3 car 158(now 159/1) were with Porterbrook. SWT like to keep eggs in 1 basket and as such, the 158s went to Scotrail. They're now based at Haymarket.

SWT have 8 159/1 which have 400hp engines instead of 350hp, and are having some 158 too. The main cause of the 158 swap was due to the new arrivals all being owned by Porterbrook.

News item

[TheGrew]

well now SWT is basicly running 2 types, the 444/450 desiros and 158/189 sprinters I bet that helps to reduce maintnance costs.

As for the Speed Thing as I think Andel tried to explain although the 158 is 10MPH slower than the 170 it has a more powerful engine, (and I think it may be lighter) allowing to to moce out of stations more quicky, and I doub't any of the SWT Mainline allows trains to go above about 80 anyway so the max speed difference is not realy relevent.

[Ameecher]

Don't forget about the 455's and 458's that operate on the suburban services.

[Dave]

... although the 158 is 10MPH slower than the 170 it has a more powerful engine, (and I think it may be lighter) allowing to to moce out of stations more quicky...

Some of them have.

Not all - that's why Central took some 158s from TPEx for the Hereford-Birmingham New Street runs because they have to stop at Bromsgrove, at the bottom of the Lickey, so are basically at a standing start at the bottom of the steepest incline in Britain. Not that the 170s have a problem with this either, but I get the impression the 158 could do it a little bit quicker.

[TheGrew]

Don't forget about the 455's and 458's that operate on the suburban services.

Sorry I forgot about those, I think when the money and the trains become avalible SWT will try and get rid of the 458s (they were thinking about it) and I wonder if the 455 maintance center would be shared with Southern who also run them?

[Ameecher]

The 455's are the core of SWT's inner suburban fleet with the 450s being used on outer suburban routes and longer distance routes. The 458s are being to work properly (at long last), It is unlikely that either train will be axed soon, especially as the 455's are going through a heavy refurbishment.

As for the sharing of maintanence depots it seems a good idea but the routes that both TOCs operate on, although close are not close enough and could result in a lot of unnecessary ECS moves which around London there just capacity.

[tubechallenger]

The 159/1s still have 350hp engines, although there is something in the contract that will allow them to be changed if they lose too much time on services.