Class 230 units training/introduction on the Borderlands line: updates

[Domh245]

Am I right in thinking they were a retrofit to the D stock to improve visibility through the train?

Yup, added during their refurbishment to improve visibility through the train.

 

[route:oxford]

Looking at this video on Youtube, it would appear that the end of each car has been made more conventional by removing the end carriage windows, and a normal conventional type corridor has been fitted.

So are the individual units further apart? They don't look so closely coupled as they do in videos of the Marston Vale route.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Looking at this video on Youtube, it would appear that the end of each car has been made more conventional by removing the end carriage windows, and a normal conventional type corridor has been fitted.

Probably an improvement over the UIC rubber gangway used on the MV units together with the bizarre door control mechanism!

 

[fgwrich]

So are the individual units further apart? They don't look so closely coupled as they do in videos of the Marston Vale route.

Probably an improvement over the UIC rubber gangway used on the MV units together with the bizarre door control mechanism!

Good point, I hadn't noticed that. It does look like the vehicles are slightly further apart.

Yes, I did wonder that too - does anyone have any pictures of the odd UIC corridor arrangement on the LWNR units? I've seen a video where, rather oddly, they've left the original drop down windows too.

 

[Worm]

This is the most recent version of the 230 I’ve seen so far, I like the front ends of TfW’s units much more than the prototype, the angular appearance looks a lot more modern than the flat and empty look, the yellow looks better as well.

I must say though that the TfW logo looks like the Take That logo .

 

[Neen Sollars]

Lots of photo`s of the TfW 230`s on Peter Tandy and Stephen Widdowson`s sites. The TfW 230`s are racking up 2000 miles on test apparently, hence the longer runs to Stourbridge, 100 mile round trip, twice a day? Will not take long, however Peter Tandy did report a brake fault at Honeybourne and a replacement part was fitted. So does the test clock wind back to zero in such circs?

Edit: thinking about it more like a 60/70 mile round trip, but multiple runs apparently.

 

[Neen Sollars]

Thanks to Keith Turner, visit this you tube clip. TfW 230 at speed through Worcs. Parkway, this is what we want.

 

[Bob Price]

If you search 230006 on YouTube you get a lot of videos of it in action. Following RTT they are really piling on the miles as has been said, well into the evening.

 

[John R]

Is piling on the miles really the best testing. Surely stop/start, accelerate/brake, open/close doors every three or four minutes is a better representation of what the units will be subjected to?

 

[43096]

Is piling on the miles really the best testing. Surely stop/start, accelerate/brake, open/close doors every three or four minutes is a better representation of what the units will be subjected to?

Good luck finding a path where you can do that, though.

 

[John R]

Good luck finding a path where you can do that, though.

It's probably been easier than normal for the last month or two. And even now the service in most places is thinned out. How about the Marston Vale line? No service currently, and even when it's up and running plenty of opportunity to fit a few extra paths in. The only downside might be confusion of passengers.

And does it even need to stop at a station to practice starting and stopping? It could trundle up and down the South Cotswold Line, which is normally only hourly, not too far away from "home", stop between stations a couple of times, and open/close the doors a couple of times at each station.

 

[Neen Sollars]

Brissle Girl, Good points raised. Could it be they want to get the 2000 miles asap, and have the unit delivered to Wrexham and do all the stop start stuff on the Wrexham - Bidston line. Presume they have to upload the station data into the GPS to ensure the diesels cut out prior to and start shortly after station stops, and I think there are plenty of them on that line. I would think most problems (hopefully very few) will be this stop start and opening and closing of doors.
We shall see.

 

[TheSel]

... and the hills, of course!

 

[Wyrleybart]

Brissle Girl, Good points raised. Could it be they want to get the 2000 miles asap, and have the unit delivered to Wrexham and do all the stop start stuff on the Wrexham - Bidston line. Presume they have to upload the station data into the GPS to ensure the diesels cut out prior to and start shortly after station stops, and I think there are plenty of them on that line. I would think most problems (hopefully very few) will be this stop start and opening and closing of doors.
We shall see.

Brissle Girl is right, and 2000 miles ASAP is no damn good if the doors don't work reliably. Remember GBRf were running the 800s up and down at high speed but weren't stopping and opening the doors. Come inauguration in October 2017 look what happened at Bath Spa.

There is a video online of 230006 arriving Stourbridge Jn and departing back to Worcester. The train didn't actually stop in the platforms, running straight int othe loop, and didnt therefore open and close the doors. I can understand the risk of passengers boarding at stations, but surely PA announcements and platform staff could mitigate that anyway. If I were TfW i would expect the 230s to perform straight out of the box, and as someone said, the currently serviceless Marston Vale line would be an ideal testbed.

 

[DavidGrain]

I see the two test runs to Stourbridge for a 230 last Saturday (23/5/20) were cancelled.

 

[fgwrich]

A few photos of the recent test runs have been uploaded by Martin Loader. I must admit, I do like the look of the front of the TFW units.

230006 Bretforton 21 May 2020

 

[superalbs]

A few photos of the recent test runs have been uploaded by Martin Loader. I must admit, I do like the look of the front of the TFW units.

230006 Bretforton 21 May 2020

It's just a shame they've been ruined with that awful yellow front!

 

[DavidGrain]

It's just a shame they've been ruined with that awful yellow front!

I think the worst bit is the peculiar letter T on the front. Is that for TfW? The yellow bit on the MV units gave them the nickname, 'Penquins' .

 

[hobbm013]

I think the worst bit is the peculiar letter T on the front. Is that for TfW? The yellow bit on the MV units gave them the nickname, 'Penquins' .

That is their logo yes

 

[tnxrail]

It's just a shame they've been ruined with that awful yellow front!

I think it looks good the updated design.

 

[sw1ller]

I Prefer it with the yellow on the front. Looked a bit dull and bland without it.

 

[Bob Price]

Some pictures of both 006 and 007 here. Looks like both 7 & 8 will be testing soon

https://twitter.com/Vivarail/status/1267804574087290882?s=19

 

[jfowkes]

It's been really hot over the last week and the pollen count has been high. Has there been any sign of the issues seen last year on the Marston Vale line in those conditions?

 

[John R]

It's been really hot over the last week and the pollen count has been high. Has there been any sign of the issues seen last year on the Marston Vale line in those conditions?

No 230 related cancellations at all for many weeks now. Though whether rail replacement buses suffer from excessive pollen I'm not sure.

 

[Bob Price]

006 and 007 side by side.

https://twitter.com/Vivarail/status/1268993353749794817?s=09

 

[Neen Sollars]

These units are looking really good (inside and out). If they are introduced on the Wrexham - Bidston line smoothly they could be a company maker for Vivarail.

Edit: Delivery soon? Watch for paths on Realtime trains, perhaps Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Crewe, Wrexham?

 

[John R]

These units are looking really good (inside and out). If they are introduced on the Wrexham - Bidston line smoothly they could be a company maker for Vivarail.

I expect a lot of people thought that when they were introduced on the Marston Vale Line a year ago....

 

[390112A]

It's just a shame they've been ruined with that awful yellow front!

I too thought the yellow was odd so although it is no masterpiece this would be my idea...
Reduce the yellow and make the lights pop

 

[Bob Price]

The interesting thing from the conversation on the tweet is that they used 002 for a lot of their testing and so building these have been straightforward. 8 and 9 are also well advanced and work on 10 has started.

 

[Neen Sollars]

The interesting thing from the conversation on the tweet is that they used 002 for a lot of their testing and so building these have been straightforward. 8 and 9 are also well advanced and work on 10 has started.

Bob, The you tube vid on page 1 which I incorrectly called a DEMU was the battery hybrid test train they refer to. Switch the diesel engines off and the batteries will run for 40 miles, they hope to extend to 60 miles, before you either have to charge the batteries with the diesel, or at a dedicated charge point. In the video 2300002 clearly has the diesel engines in the centre car.