70001 0Z70 Lawley Street-Leeds Midland Road

In the looks department it is certainly crappy!! To say the least,just have to see how it pulls wagons,any better than a 60?

 

What about the desiro 380, driver has to see past a huge carbunckle on the front ends. says its to comply with latest safety requirements. I dont think so

 

The unit wouldn't normally be driven with that gangway extended, so they driver won't have to see 'past it'.
Having the sloped front is do with crumple zones and crashworthiness,why do you not think so?

 

Desiro's are taking over the world,and seemingly have a fan club judging by the amount of shi*e i get in my inbox? Is it because they sound like a microwave!? Who know's but how many different Desiro's is there now? 3 types?

 

Siemans are now building for the EUROPEAN market of which GB forms a small part and its units have to conform to UIC standards - including crash-worthiness. IIRC the front crumple zone now has to be made of steel rather than aluminium and that requires design tweaks to handle the connecting crrridors which British practice demands. You rarely see multiple units in Europe with a connecting gangway thus the units are built as self-contained entitities - including the DB IC units which run in multiple as separate units - and any multiple operation sees units kept totally separate.

The only exception that immediately springs to mind is the Danish units which have a rubber front which comes together during multiple operation to provide a gangway connection similar to loco-hauled coaching stock.

But Siemans - and Adtranz - are now big enough to provide a range of stock for the European markets and shows the potential which would have been available to UK companies had they been given the same level of support from the Government that Siemens and Adtranz had from theirs.

But that enters the political agenda and this is supposed to be a forum for hobby enjoyment rather than political fighting.