Lymington Branch changes ?

An extract fromthe Wessex Rail Gen group.

" Have been advised that there is to be a trial on 19th April with a DMU
Class 158. The plan apparently is to use a Class 158 during the week with
a Class 450 at weekends, presumably from the new timetable in December."

Not really surprising given that two SWT 158 units will come back from loan to East Midlands Trains within a few months . Anything to reduce costs .... and Stagecoach are in business to make money, not provide us with a hobby!

I'll try to find out more in the next few days.

Cheers, Neil

 

Why would the use of a 158 reduce costs?

Meic Batten

 

That is a good question if you're not involved in the "main line railway"

1) Reducing the stores to be kept in stock. Consumables like brake blocks which are not used on any other SWT stock. Many parts like traction motors and camshaft controllers won't now be kept in stock and won't be easily available.
2) Maintenance costs: door lock exams required each year which are not needed for power doors. 28 day exams for slam door/camshaft stock used to take about 24 hours. With component replacement it takes 8 hours to do the equivelant exam for a modern emu.
3) Spare units. One spare and one in traffic is availability which sounds more like the Royal Navy than a railway company. One spare 158 could cover a number of services in addition to the Lymington branch. The spare 3CIG can only be used for the Lymington branch.
4)Traffic flexibility. As mentioned above the CIG units are only allowed in passenger service on the Lymington branch. It's another traction type that drivers and guards need to be trained to operate. If they have been working for a few years, that's not a problem, but it is an extra cost for new staff.
5) Rust moth. These two units were the best of a run down fleet. It would cost many thousands tof pounds to rebuild them in the way that Eastleigh Works used to overhaul slam door units a few years ago. Ask anyone on coach restoration and they will say that wooden frames and steel cladding is not a good combination. (Stressed skin mark 2 coaches were worse!)

I hope that clears up a few points. Before anyone asks, I don't work for SWT!

Regards, Neil

 

A 28 day exam 'CPM' takes 7.5 hours, trust me

 

Depends on type of stock.....can take less

 

Now you mention it, i was thinking back to 4 coaches. One less coach to test should knock that time back to about 6 hours.

 

If one of my lads took that long to CPM a 3CIG I'd think they were taking the p**s. VEP's took a lot longer due to the amount of doors.

 

What can i say? Things were always rushed at London end depots associated with Wombles
A much higher standard of workmanship was always demonstrated at the Country end depot, especially if the local city had a successful Premiership football team \/

 

:^o

 

You're only lying to yourself

 

I didnt realise that Bournemouth were in the premier league......

When two certain depot could keep up with the pace of slammer exams...who did they turn to to catch up?.......Bournemouth =D> =D> =D>

 

We had to keep you lot awake somehow.

 

Was an eye opener to see the standard of work of the suburban depots.....

 

Hmm, 187 units to maintain compared to Bournemouth's 24. With a similar staffing level.....

 

Do Bournemouth still do all the C4's on the 455's?
Asking Bournemouth to do just one exam, especially at a weekend, without at least a months notice was like asking the Pope to walk on water. Right person to ask but still not achieved
RSF, don't forget that 2 of the 24 units used to spend 5 nights a week at Fratton

 

Bournemouth do C4's on 455's, 458's, 158's and 159's.
They also do Mods on all SWT stock too.

The advice that Bournemouth had was usually less than an hours notice.

There were usually 2 442's at Fratton, 2 or 3 in the Clapham/Waterloo area and 3 at Weymouth overnight.

 

Is/Could Bomo be fitted out to service 117's? :-k

 

OK, now the inter -depot sniping between South West Trains has died down , thanks for the comments on how long it takes to do a 28 day exam on slam door stock.

I was viewing it from a train planning standpoint, where an allowance in complete days was made for units out of traffic for 28 day exams. The theory ran that if the units were done in 8 hours or whatever, there was then another spare unit available for traffic if needed.

Nothing visible on TSDB when I checked yesterday for 19 April, only special traffic ECS in connection with overnight engineering works.

Regards, Neil

 

Under normal circumstances a CPM was done when unit was not requiredor whilst stabled in a depot.
ie arrives into a depot at 2200 and then allocated onto a 0700 departure

 

heard yesterday from a guard, that the 400s, are likely to finish on the Lymy branch; at the end of this month

all the heritage signs on the stations, have now dissapeared

1498 was looking a bit sorry for herself internally