Any updates on the T&W Metro Refurbs?

[flymo]

It has been some time since the first Metrocars went to Doncaster for refurbishment and I am just wondering if there is any update on the progress thus far?

I'm guess i'm waiting like an excited kid really, just interested to see what the final refurb will look like.

Didn't want to resurrect the old thread but by all means merge if you think it more appropriate.

 

[142094]

Haven't heard anything yet, all being kept under wraps by Nexus. I'd expect it to either return before 12th March or after 4th April since the major line closure between Tynemouth and Byker will mean the sidings at Hylton Street in North Shields will be out of use (unless they can sneak it back onto the network in between the works).

 

[sprinterguy]

The first Metrocar will be returning to Tyneside in June. A Tyne and Wear Intergrated Transport Authority report had this to say about the progress of the refurb as of 26 August 2010:

The first Metrocar was delivered to Wabtec on 21 June [2010] and was now in the process of being stripped down in order that the work necessary to specify in detail the refurbishment programme can be properly scoped and designed. Wabtec representatives briefed on this process and explained that the first car would be returned to Metro in June 2011 and the programme involves further deliveries at approximately monthly intervals

http://www.twpta.gov.uk/wps/wcm/resources/file/eb0d0a01fe470d5/Item 12.pdf

 

[142094]

Didn't realise it would be as late as June, TWITA kept that quiet (first time I've seen that report). The first was intended to be the test so that will take a while to complete, but a whole year seems to be quite long for this.

 

[valenta]

Apologies for bringing back an old thread. However this threa may be of interest regarding the arrival of the refurbished metrocar http://www.nexusdiscussion.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=348
Seems as if we are going to have to wait even longer due to delays.

 

[Anon Mouse]

Haven't heard anything yet, all being kept under wraps by Nexus. I'd expect it to either return before 12th March or after 4th April since the major line closure between Tynemouth and Byker will mean the sidings at Hylton Street in North Shields will be out of use (unless they can sneak it back onto the network in between the works).

Why would they need to be delivered to North Shields by road? Could they not be delivered by rail onto the Sunderland Extension?

 

[valenta]

Why would they need to be delivered to North Shields by road? Could they not be delivered by rail onto the Sunderland Extension?

I don't think that this would be feesable
1) It would take a while for the metrocars to get there, they are only designed to go at a top speed of 80km/h, this, in turn may lead to delays on the mainline.
2) It may not be convenient to get to the Wabtec depot (where they are being refurbished) from Doncaster station.

 

[142094]

Why would they need to be delivered to North Shields by road? Could they not be delivered by rail onto the Sunderland Extension?

Have been told that the cost of fitting coupler adaptors would be prohibitive, and also there would be problems with the compatability of the braking systems.

 

[Anon Mouse]

Have been told that the cost of fitting coupler adaptors would be prohibitive, and also there would be problems with the compatability of the braking systems.

I'm sure they still have match waggons somewhere
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I don't think that this would be feesable
1) It would take a while for the metrocars to get there, they are only designed to go at a top speed of 80km/h, this, in turn may lead to delays on the mainline.
2) It may not be convenient to get to the Wabtec depot (where they are being refurbished) from Doncaster station.

They were delivered by rail when they were first built, and LuL stock is shuttled around by rail. If they go by road though, I still cant see ehy they would be delivered to North Shields as I would imagine it would make more sense to go by road to South Gosforth Depot, unless I'm missing something?

 

[142094]

There might be a match truck somewhere, but that is what Nexus have told me. As for South Gosforth depot, don't think you'd be able to get a HGV in without a lot of disruption.

My initial idea would be for them to go by rail using the passing loop at East Boldon, as getting carriages onto a low-loader can be a nightmare. One small mistake and the next trip is to the scrap yard.

 

[Ze Random One]

South Gosforth depot's road access is through a housing estate (Gosforth Garden Village), or along a back lane behind some allotments, so you couldn't get a low loader in there.

 

[cdonnigan]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc31176/4355911923/


there is a coupler system out the somewhere if you have a look at the picture above surely they could meet couple up to something like a class 66 at east boldon sidings and go via durham coast line onto ecml, even doing it overnight to minumise disruption to fast line trains on the ecml

 

[142094]

Saw that on the Nexus forums. Been looking for a picture of then arriving by rail. IIRC they went up via Benton on the old junction.

Not sure if the barrier wagon/connector still exists - might have been scrapped a while ago. Most, if not all maintenance up until now has been done at Gosforth shed so guess they weren't planning on sending them away for maintenance by rail again?

 

[Anon Mouse]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc31176/4355911923/


there is a coupler system out the somewhere if you have a look at the picture above surely they could meet couple up to something like a class 66 at east boldon sidings and go via durham coast line onto ecml, even doing it overnight to minumise disruption to fast line trains on the ecml

thats a gem of a picture!

 

[LemonGrove]

Apologies for bringing back an old thread. However this threa may be of interest regarding the arrival of the refurbished metrocar http://www.nexusdiscussion.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=348
Seems as if we are going to have to wait even longer due to delays.

Delays? On the Metro? Don't be so silly!

 

[flymo]

thats a gem of a picture!

Agreed !! . Marvellous

 

[Paul_10]

Seeing as tomorrow will be exactly a year since the first metro was sent to Doncaster, I was wondering does anyone know the date when the first train(s) to come back from refurbishment? I did read it was this month but it would not surprise me if this was not the case. I have read on the Nexus forums that it will be during the summer but as ever, things could of changed.

I read a short while back one of the ITA PDF files and it says that 2 more trains will be sent for refurbishment during the Autumn and then the first 5 trains will be the "prototypes" for the rest of the fleet. I wonder if this indicates that the 3 trains down there won't be coming back for a little while yet or what?

 

[valenta]

Seeing as tomorrow will be exactly a year since the first metro was sent to Doncaster, I was wondering does anyone know the date when the first train(s) to come back from refurbishment? I did read it was this month but it would not surprise me if this was not the case. I have read on the Nexus forums that it will be during the summer but as ever, things could of changed.

I read a short while back one of the ITA PDF files and it says that 2 more trains will be sent for refurbishment during the Autumn and then the first 5 trains will be the "prototypes" for the rest of the fleet. I wonder if this indicates that the 3 trains down there won't be coming back for a little while yet or what?

Haven't heard anything more on this subject, latest news from Nexus is that they will be coming back "hopefully in the summer," which is vague. I think that they will come back one by one, perhaps what they mean is that after the first five "prototypes" arrive back, the operation will speed up?

 

[142094]

The cynic in me says that they'll not announce a specific date, as they'll want to show it off with much fanfare as possible. Of course either someone at Wabtec will let it slip or there will be a spotter on the A1 watching it move north.

I was told at the open day last year that when they do come back they will be in semi-permanent fixed sets, and that only the two end cabs were being refurbished. Whether this will happen I don't know.

 

[Paul_10]

The cynic in me says that they'll not announce a specific date, as they'll want to show it off with much fanfare as possible. Of course either someone at Wabtec will let it slip or there will be a spotter on the A1 watching it move north.

I was told at the open day last year that when they do come back they will be in semi-permanent fixed sets, and that only the two end cabs were being refurbished. Whether this will happen I don't know.

I would pose the question on the nexus forums but I can't access it on my laptop for some reason although I can access it on Firefox but it won't let me sign in. I think they will announce a date so the media will know, I mean I'm sure they told the EC the date when the first train is leaving otherwise they would not of been there!

Your last paragraph confuses me as I've read the passenger interiors and exteriors were all getting refurbished and all the interior fittings will be replaced, I mean would it take this long, cost around 20M and be sent all the way to Doncaster just for 2 driver cabs to be refurbished? Unless I mis-red your message, I'll be very surprised if this was the case.

 

[142094]

Sorry, what I meant was that during the refurb, only the two outer cabs would be done up along with the whole interior of the train (i.e. the middle cabs will be left as is). This is what a driver told me, so it may have changed since. Don't really see why this would be done, apart from to save money, but it reduces the ease of swapping cars around if one gets a problem.

 

[Paul_10]

Sorry, what I meant was that during the refurb, only the two outer cabs would be done up along with the whole interior of the train (i.e. the middle cabs will be left as is). This is what a driver told me, so it may have changed since. Don't really see why this would be done, apart from to save money, but it reduces the ease of swapping cars around if one gets a problem.

I've read that to make Metro "greener" they installed this device in the A end cabs thus when in passenger service, only the A ends get used so I assume what you mean is that only the A ends cabs will be refurbished and the B end cabs will be left as it is?

I'm still baffled by what you mean by "the middle cabs" though?

 

[142094]

Middle as in the two cabs that are connected when two Metrocars are joined together - i.e. not the ones at the very front or very back of a set of two Metrocars in operation!

 

[Anon Mouse]

I've read that to make Metro "greener" they installed this device in the A end cabs thus when in passenger service, only the A ends get used so I assume what you mean is that only the A ends cabs will be refurbished and the B end cabs will be left as it is?

I'm still baffled by what you mean by "the middle cabs" though?

Metros tend to run as two articulated sets in multiple, therefore 4 cabs in total. Maybe they are planning to semi-permanentley couple two sets in this formation with what would be the middle cabs used only in emergency?

 

[142094]

Metros tend to run as two articulated sets in multiple, therefore 4 cabs in total. Maybe they are planning to semi-permanentley couple two sets in this formation with what would be the middle cabs used only in emergency?

Until we see one of the finished sets I've no idea what mods they are doing to the cabs - which may mean that the middle ones become redundant. Of course it may have all changed and they've decided to do all the cabs.

As an aside, the driver said that there was talk of extending the cab across the whole of the front of the car, which would do away with the front passenger seat, but I think this was knocked back.

 

[Paul_10]

Middle as in the two cabs that are connected when two Metrocars are joined together - i.e. not the ones at the very front or very back of a set of two Metrocars in operation!

Which means if what the driver told you is true then, that means the B end cabs won't be refurbished as at the moment when the trains are in PS the middle cabs are the B ends as the A ends got the device in the cab which tries to encourage drivers to use less electricity/energy to make metro greener.

Of course, we could be proven wrong when the first metro does eventually come back.

On a slight side note, when the last refurbishment was done, I read that the 3 metros that was done in a red/blue/green livery was showed off at St James' Metro for the media so hopefully DB Regio will be keen for them to show off their refurbished train(s) again hopefully.

 

[142094]

DB have just started a new advertising campaign, so I wouldn't be suprised if they did have some sort of press day. Although if the refurbished trains are going back to Hylton Road sidings to be rerailed, someone will spot it in no time at all.

 

[valenta]

As an aside, the driver said that there was talk of extending the cab across the whole of the front of the car, which would do away with the front passenger seat, but I think this was knocked back.

Believe that Hew Lewis mentioned on the forum that the front seat would remain.
@142094, you got a mention on the forum! http://www.nexusdiscussion.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=494 , you must be the top poster (excluding Hew!)

 

[GNER 373]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrc31176/4355911923/


there is a coupler system out the somewhere if you have a look at the picture above surely they could meet couple up to something like a class 66 at east boldon sidings and go via durham coast line onto ecml, even doing it overnight to minumise disruption to fast line trains on the ecml

Great pic!

 

[valenta]

Great pic!

Agree, a brilliant picture. Capturing a moment in history.