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DLR B23 Stock (CAF Inneo)

TRAX

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CAF has been selected by TfL to build 43 new trains for the Docklands Light Railway that will enter service from 2023. 33 will replace older trains, and 10 will enable the service to be strengthened. Here are two artist impressions.

5970A99C-DA0A-4966-B7B9-C65C2D9BE854.jpeg 8CB14873-DFC5-4A65-AF1C-A95466B2CEAF.jpeg
 
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Peter C

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Personally, I think that the first image of the artist's impressions looks the best. I don't like the blue on the front of the DLR units (I know this is an artist's impression, but).
The small blocks on the front are like that of a Class 70 and are designed to stop trains from arcing (for want of a better term) in the event of an accident. No DLR unit has ever used these before (to my knowledge), so why are they being fitted now? Probably Health and Safety gone mad.
Also, the proportions of the front end of that unit in the second image look completely off. Or they will have anthropomorphic trains! :)
I love the fact that the DLR units all have angled front ends which look as though they should be saving energy through streamlining, but as they are just a large, flat front they don't really do anything, do they?
Just my thoughts.

-Peter
 

Bletchleyite

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Arcing? They're anti-override blocks. OK, there is no current intention to run them paired, but I'd imagine it costs less to provide for that now than to add it later.
 

Peter C

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Arcing? They're anti-override blocks. OK, there is no current intention to run them paired, but I'd imagine it costs less to provide for that now than to add it later.
That's what I meant. I just couldn't think of the right term and looking back at it, arcing is electricity isn't it? Oh, what a mess. :)


-Peter
 

swt_passenger

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The small blocks on the front are like that of a Class 70 and are designed to stop trains from arcing (for want of a better term) in the event of an accident. No DLR unit has ever used these before (to my knowledge), so why are they being fitted now? Probably Health and Safety gone mad.
The blocks are “anti-override”, and are possibly a more recent general requirement than when the existing DLR vehicles were new, just as they are required on many recent mainline passenger trains. Sometimes they are hidden behind sacrificial bodywork.
 

Peter C

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The blocks are “anti-override”, and are possibly a more recent general requirement than when the existing DLR vehicles were new, just as they are required on many recent mainline passenger trains. Sometimes they are hidden behind sacrificial bodywork.
OK. Thanks. I meant anti-override, I just couldn't think of the word! See post #8. :)
I thought it would be a H&S thing.

-Peter
 

swt_passenger

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OK. Thanks. I meant anti-override, I just couldn't think of the word! See post #8. :)
I thought it would be a H&S thing.

-Peter
I expect they’ll have to have them on the intermediate ends of all the cars as well, I agree that the front seems odd, but then so does the Dellner/Scharfenberg type coupling.

I notice in their press release they refer to their own train as “5 car”, but the existing as “3 car”. I think many of us would prefer to describe the existing individual units as 2 car, but running in sets of 3, hence 6 car in total. But the same discussion has come up before, I remember the confusion a while back when one of the magazines mentioned that DLR units would be extended and start running as pairs of 3 cars...
 

Peter C

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I expect they’ll have to have them on the intermediate ends of all the cars as well, I agree that the front seems odd, but then so does the Dellner/Scharfenberg type coupling.

I notice in their press release they refer to their own train as “5 car”, but the existing as “3 car”. I think many of us would prefer to describe the existing individual units as 2 car, but running in sets of 3, hence 6 car in total. But the same discussion has come up before, I remember the confusion a while back when one of the magazines mentioned that DLR units would be extended and start running as pairs of 3 cars...
Oh OK. That seems odd. The existing units are definitely 3 x 2 car sets. Making 6. The new sets are 5 car sets. Making 5. One less than 6. So this seems like a case of "two steps forward, one step back"!

-Peter
 

swt_passenger

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Oh OK. That seems odd. The existing units are definitely 3 x 2 car sets. Making 6. The new sets are 5 car sets. Making 5. One less than 6. So this seems like a case of "two steps forward, one step back"!

-Peter
The spec was to provide single through gangwayed trains of an equivalent overall length, so presumably each “segment” of the whole thing is about 20% longer, as Bletchleyite suggested in post 5.
 

Peter C

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The spec was to provide single through gangwayed trains of an equivalent overall length, so presumably each “segment” of the whole thing is about 20% longer, as Bletchleyite suggested in post 5.
Oh OK. Didn't think about that. Thanks!

-Peter
 

Bletchleyite

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The spec was to provide single through gangwayed trains of an equivalent overall length, so presumably each “segment” of the whole thing is about 20% longer, as Bletchleyite suggested in post 5.

That's probably going to cause the same confusion when a pair of Bombardier units get subbed for a 12-car Desiro formation at Euston - people will whine about a short-form when the train is the same length (and probably has more seats due to less wasted space between vehicles) :)

And many probably don't realise that an 11-car 390 is a bit longer than a 12-car 350 formation :)
 

swt_passenger

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That's probably going to cause the same confusion when a pair of Bombardier units get subbed for a 12-car Desiro formation at Euston - people will whine about a short-form when the train is the same length (and probably has more seats due to less wasted space between vehicles) :)

And many probably don't realise that an 11-car 390 is a bit longer than a 12-car 350 formation :)
They could always advertise the length in metres. Although I guess some would object to that as a matter of course...
 

jopsuk

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regarding the number of cars- the DLR has always, itself, referred to each articulated unit as a single car. You don't have to like this, but that's long been the official terminology
 

Peter C

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regarding the number of cars- the DLR has always, itself, referred to each articulated unit as a single car. You don't have to like this, but that's long been the official terminology
OK. Thanks for that.

-Peter
 

Mikey C

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That's probably going to cause the same confusion when a pair of Bombardier units get subbed for a 12-car Desiro formation at Euston - people will whine about a short-form when the train is the same length (and probably has more seats due to less wasted space between vehicles) :)

And many probably don't realise that an 11-car 390 is a bit longer than a 12-car 350 formation :)

An 11 car is definitely better than a 10 car one. And louder :E
 

Mikey C

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Another TfL contract which Bombardier have lost, Bombardier have supplied all the DLR stock since 1991
 

TRAX

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I’d expect relations between the two parties to be a bit tense at the moment.
 

Peter C

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H&S legislation is written in blood. Never dismiss it.



B07 units have a curved glass front, just like these CAF ones.
Fair point. As much as it is there for safety (as it says in the name), some of it can be quite irritating. But not here. Probably should have thought twice before I posted that.
Forgot about the B07s. I thought I'd seen something familiar when I first saw the concept images for the new units, but didn't cross my mind when I posted that.

-Peter
 

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