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GWR Class 230 Information, Movements & Discussion.
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Restarted on Monday. Should be charging both ends of the train on the charging rails at West Ealing for the first time today. Big moment in the project. Not that there'll be much to see or hear for it, apart from a flashing white light on the bodyside, and lots of Engineers looking nervous!
Brissle Girl
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Thank you. Yes, what you definitely don't want is a big flash and a bang the first time the recharging is started (not least because it'll probably be all over YouTube and X within the hour!)
Yep that's the one! We don't want that, definitely....
D365
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I'll trust that the protection arrangements have been scrutinised and are up to spec...
How did it go?
50002Superb
Member
Can anyone tell me if 230001 will likely be working on Monday please and if so the timings or if not where will it be stabled?
Very good thanks! There will be an announcement soon.
Yep Monday: 5Q41, 5Q42, 5Q43, 5Q44, 5Q45, 5Q46, 5Q47, 5Q48, 5Q49, 5Q50, 5Q51, 5Q52, 5Q53, 5Q54.
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Brissle Girl
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That’s really good to hear! There are not many good news stories on the railways these days, so it’s very encouraging to hear that it went well.
50002Superb
Member
That’s great. I will give it a go on Monday
To be clear the train is not running in passenger service, you will not be able to board.
45669
Member
Some photos, not mine, on Flickr:
www.flickr.com
www.flickr.com
www.flickr.com
www.flickr.com
Some videos, not mine, on YouTube:
Under & Over In The Mist
The GWR Class 230/D Train (on test) appears from under the Greenford Bridge to climb into Greenford Station as a Central Line train of 1992 stock comes over the top into the Central Line platforms. Two types of LU Stock at this West London station even if the ex D Stock is now a new 'D Train'...
www.flickr.com
Leaving West Ealing
Former LU D Stock, now GWR D Train Class 230 001 leaves West Ealing and enters the Greenford Branch on the last test run of the day. The branch is single track at each end where it enters its respective terminus platforms. The GWR Mainline can be seen behind, left to London and right to Reading...
www.flickr.com
Fast Train Approaching...
It always makes me chuckle when the automated announcements at the stations on the Greenford Branch warn of an approaching train that's not due to stop. 'Stand Back, Fast Train Approaching' when the speed limit on the branch is 20mph, even slower if it's the D Train on test passing through the...
www.flickr.com
Batteries Included
Ex London Underground D Stock, now GWR battery powered D Train Class 230 (001) passes through South Greenford while testing on the Greenford Branch. Something that's been on the books for awhile and though running at least a year late, these new battery powered 230s will be replacing the diesel...
www.flickr.com
Some videos, not mine, on YouTube:
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Great photos and videos, particularly love the Central Line train running over the 230!
For information, Fast Charge testing will continue for the rest of this week. The train has now completed nearly a week of routinely being charged up using the charge rails. But next week at some point the train will then return to Reading for a period of 3 to 4 weeks for some finishing jobs to be carried out. The charge rails have also been found to be not quite in the right place to allow for regular permissive working (two trains in the platform), so they have to be shuffled up towards the buffer stops in the coming weeks. After that the train will return in April to resume testing and hopefully to start driver training.
Brissle Girl
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I guess the permissive working point is only relevant for the trial, where the unit needs to be squeezed up tight to the end of the line. For regular installations there won’t typically be an issue?
That's right, only really an issue in this particular location (at West Ealing). There is a short-term operating workaround in place at the moment, but it was deemed to be better to move the charging rails as a long-term fix. In essence the minimum necessary gap between the two trains when they're both in the platform hadn't quite been factored into the equation when the position of the charge rails was originally determined! The train at the 'country' end also needs to be far enough back for the driver to see the platform-mounted lookback / despatch screens (or whatever their proper name is). Moving the charge rails will only take a day but getting the permissions and the possession takes a little longer.
45669
Member
Another video on YouTube (not mine):
Rick1984
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It sounds good
45669
Member
Yes; just like an electric train in fact.
Brissle Girl
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Seems like a press launch today, with a tweet from IanVisits at the launch, and this from GWR:-
POWER UP! Our industry-leading fast-charge battery train trial will officially start on Monday! The technology has been rigorously developed by specialist engineers leading the way in #GWRinnovation
POWER UP! Our industry-leading fast-charge battery train trial will officially start on Monday! The technology has been rigorously developed by specialist engineers leading the way in #GWRinnovation
H&I
Member
Does that mean that the trains will now enter passenger service? Realtime Trains is not showing any ECS moves at Greenford on Monday.
No. Sadly there could be some considerable delay before driver training starts (for operational / political reasons), let alone passenger service. The unit is going back to Reading next week for a few weeks, to have some finishing work done on the interior.
H&I
Member
Thanks! I was under the impression that passenger service could begin while they iron out the problems with the position of the third rail and train the drivers.
Brissle Girl
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I hope we’re not going to see months of delay whilst negotiations with ASLEF go on about the terms offered to drive them or the ergonomic qualities of the cab.
45669
Member
The message on twitter says that the trials will start on Monday, but they were running last week and this week! So what trials, and which Monday?! Also, it's reported on here that it's going back to Reading for finishing work while the conductor rails are moved along a bit, so it won't be running further trials for the next few weeks.
So am I the only one that's confused by the twitter announcement?!
So am I the only one that's confused by the twitter announcement?!
I can definitely undertand the confusion! It all depends on the definition of 'trial start' (don't go there, it's a DfT thing), but you're quite right, physically the trials started two weeks ago.....And yes that's right, the train is now disappearing back to Reading whilst the charge rails are moved. It all makes sense to somebody!
Yes, we are......
There's another level of approvals to get through before passenger service is allowed.
45669
Member
That's all right then!
Brissle Girl
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Aargh!!!
I'm not so sure about that. Discussions have begun regarding training duration etc. with no major disagreements so far, and the feedback from driver reps who have been on the unit has generally been quite positive. It will take a little time to get everything in place, but that's always the case with any new traction and the associated driver training, but that doesn't necessarily mean that there are major issues blocking the start of training. Having said that, driver training on 230s has to be seen in the context of the wider training programme, which includes a huge amount of route briefing/training relating to HS2.
reddragon
Established Member
The ridiculous Sagas of the class 319-769, class 701s et al are costing the railways £millions, at taxpayers expense in a cost of living crisis.
GWR have been very creative to improve railway services using 2nd hand trains to grow the railway, ASLEF should reward them for that.
How on earth can trains that have been in service since the 1980's suddenly required 'approval' to be used?