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Class 317 withdrawals.

Bikeman78

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Sad to see them go (although my username should have made that obvious!). Remember doing Shenfield to York and back on 661, on the Shambles railtour in 2012.
I was on that too. Both units quite recently out of works in the new livery.
 
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DGH 1

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Sad to see them go (although my username should have made that obvious!). Remember doing Shenfield to York and back on 661, on the Shambles railtour in 2012.
I would love them to do something similar or even up to Newcastle ( if it was possible) for some final runs before they finish for good.
 

Bikeman78

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I would love them to do something similar or even up to Newcastle ( if it was possible) for some final runs before they finish for good.
A pair did make it to Newcastle in the 1980s but I can't find the photo. There's one on the internet somewhere. The PRM modified units will last a while yet so hopefully some sort of farewell bash can take place.
 

Bikeman78

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Likewise. Seem to remember the pair putting in a fairly spirited performance along the ECML.
Yes they did. I seem to recall they had a good path and the motor car of the unit I was in was very loud. In my experience, the motors on the phase 2 units are usually louder. I had a very good run to Ipswich on 317663 shortly before its demise. One of my top two runs on the class.
 

DGH 1

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A pair did make it to Newcastle in the 1980s but I can't find the photo. There's one on the internet somewhere. The PRM modified units will last a while yet so hopefully some sort of farewell bash can take place
I never knew that, Thanks for the info, I wonder why they ran them up here, was it a railtour?.
 

delt1c

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One even made it to Ayr ( Not in service) , believe it was 317335 and was there to publicise the electrification.
 

DGH 1

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317335 was displayed at Ayr on 29th and 30th October 1983 to publicise the electrification and the modern Class 318 trains to come.
Thanks for that info, i was suprised that a pair of 317 worked up to Newcastle so finding out that a unit also worked as far as Ayr is Amazing. I wonder if anyone has a photo of either runs that they can put on here.( Sorry if it's a bit of topic).
 

Bikeman78

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Thanks for that info, i was suprised that a pair of 317 worked up to Newcastle so finding out that a unit also worked as far as Ayr is Amazing. I wonder if anyone has a photo of either runs that they can put on here.( Sorry if it's a bit of topic).
A friend of mine has found the photo I was looking for. It shows 317327+317326 arriving at Newcastle in March 1993 on a staff special.

 

DGH 1

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A friend of mine has found the photo I was looking for. It shows 317327+317326 arriving at Newcastle in March 1993 on a staff special.

Fantastic photographs, wish i'd known they were coming to Newcastle. thanks for posting them Bikeman78, it's much appreciated.
 

DustyBin

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A friend of mine has found the photo I was looking for. It shows 317327+317326 arriving at Newcastle in March 1993 on a staff special.


Fantastic photographs!

The HST must be thinking “you look lost mate”....

The 156 is clearly peering over thinking “what are you and why are you here?”....

The 317 will certainly be thinking “it’s cold up here!”....

Or have I had one too many tonight?!
 

Wolfie

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317/7's were in warm storage at Wembley.They don't require heavy exams. Currently being re-commissioning at Ilford.
To add to this, confirmation that they will be used by GA in the short-term

 

XCTurbostar

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Astro_Orbiter

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I suppose the /7's must be more economical to bring up to standard and be in less worse condition than the /6 units which have been sent for scrap already. I wonder what kind of work the /7's will receive? Will they remain in Overground colours?
 

Bikeman78

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Thanks, another interesting photograph. By the looks of it that was before the wires actually went up?
Yes it was to showcase the new 318s that started running three years later. The 318s were wild on the Ayr line with plenty of 90 mph running. The Argyle line is rather more sedate.
 
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55002

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I remember these as new being stored in the sidings to west of Nottingham, and 40 years on, I travelling on them to and from work, or I was! Still out and about on Hertford East line today
 

jopsuk

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the 317/7 really does have the all-time all-comers worst looking Mark 3 cab end doesn't it? I mean there's strong competition but it was a rebuild that really went f*** it
 

bramling

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the 317/7 really does have the all-time all-comers worst looking Mark 3 cab end doesn't it? I mean there's strong competition but it was a rebuild that really went f*** it

The 317/7 was a bit of a mess in more than one respect. They had a bizarre system of automatic doors between the vehicles which never really worked, and a strange combination of air conditioning and opening windows.

By contrast the 317/2 refurbishment was pretty spot-on.
 

OTRail

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The 317/7 was a bit of a mess in more than one respect. They had a bizarre system of automatic doors between the vehicles which never really worked, and a strange combination of air conditioning and opening windows.

By contrast the 317/2 refurbishment was pretty spot-on.
Not surprised - those were the units WAGN had refurbished for stansted express services, so I can imagine they tried out various features to see which ones suited best.
 

bramling

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Not surprised - those were the units WAGN had refurbished for stansted express services, so I can imagine they tried out various features to see which ones suited best.

I always thought it was a bit odd that only the 24x 317/2s were refurbished, plus the small handful of Stansted units. That didn’t even make up half of the 317 fleet, and the remaining units were barely touched at the time. They even kept NSE seat coverings for quite a few more years.

I guess it all came down to how much WAGN was prepared (and committed) to pay. I don’t think there were dedicated diagrams for the 317/6 units, so it was pot luck whether you got one.
 

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