London Midland Class 350 bicycle storage area?

[telstarbox]

Do these have a cycle storage area somewhere? Is it fold down seats as on the 185s?

 

[185143]

I know when TPE had some of the /3s, station staff were told to tell people with bikes to use the wheelchair area, so I'm assuming not.

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[causton]

Correct, the wheelchair space in coach C (and the space opposite may fit one!) is the only real storage space.

That is my biggest problem with the London Midland 350s as I see them, no luggage storage really, especially in First Class if you have a big suitcase you literally have to put it on the table or... leave it outside the first class compartment to get nicked?

 

[185143]

Correct, the wheelchair space in coach C (and the space opposite may fit one!) is the only real storage space.

That is my biggest problem with the 350s as I see them, no luggage storage really, especially in First Class if you have a big suitcase you literally have to put it on the table or... leave it outside the first class compartment to get nicked?

TPE specifically requested a luggage rack in first class on the /4s and there are a couple in each coach. TPE always intended their 350s to be for intercity services though.

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[causton]

TPE specifically requested a luggage rack in first class on the /4s and there are a couple in each coach. TPE always intended their 350s to be for intercity services though.

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Sorry, meant the LM ones specifically as per the thread title. I wish we had the /4s!

 

[185143]

Sorry, meant the LM ones specifically as per the thread title. I wish we had the /4s!

Fair point, must learn to read thread titles!

The /4s are ours!!

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[Mordac]

Fair point, must learn to read thread titles!

The /4s are ours!!

^ ^ ^

I experienced the LM 350s for the first time earlier this week. After being in a 350/2, now I understand why someone people dislike these trains so much, something I never did before when I had only experienced the /4s, which are some of my favourite units. They really feel like a completely different experience, definitely a cut above.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Some of LM's 350s were originally intended for SWT's to be class 450s. If they were LM's original 350s, they might have just ordered all the rest of their 350s to the same spec

 

[swt_passenger]

Some of LM's 350s were originally intended for SWT's to be class 450s. If they were LM's original 350s, they might have just ordered all the rest of their 350s to the same spec

Not really what happened though. The original 350/1s that were delivered for use by Silverlink and Central, although formed from the abandoned SWT 5 car order were delivered with 2+2 seating throughout, and proper tables.

It was the later 350/2 batch that LM ordered to replace the 321s that have the 2+3 seating that is very similar to the 450 layout.

Then the 350/3 came along, and back to 2+2 seating.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Correct, the wheelchair space in coach C (and the space opposite may fit one!) is the only real storage space.

That is my biggest problem with the London Midland 350s as I see them, no luggage storage really, especially in First Class if you have a big suitcase you literally have to put it on the table or... leave it outside the first class compartment to get nicked?

Put it in the overhead, it's huge.


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[childwallblues]

I travel regularly on the LM 350s mainly between Liverpool and Crewe. Most bike users appear to be regulars and just seem to stay with their bikes in the door areas.

 

[plastictaffy]

Not really what happened though. The original 350/1s that were delivered for use by Silverlink and Central, although formed from the abandoned SWT 5 car order were delivered with 2+2 seating throughout, and proper tables.

It was the later 350/2 batch that LM ordered to replace the 321s that have the 2+3 seating that is very similar to the 450 layout.

Then the 350/3 came along, and back to 2+2 seating.

AIUI, the /1's were intended to be used on things like the Crewes, Liverpools and fast Birminghams, and the /2's were meant to do things like Trings, Northamptons, cross city, stuff like that. In reality, that tends to be the way the units are diagrammed, although sometimes of course, /1's end up on Trings (indeed I worked a /1 to Tring earlier today) and /2's on Crewes - although I haven't seen a /2 on a Crewe for a bit. The /3's were supposed to be as close as Siemens could get to a /1 - and they're not far out, apart from a couple of bits in the cabs, and the bins and power sockets in the saloons.

 

[swt_passenger]

Seems a fair description. I also think the similarity between the 350/2s and the 450s is mainly coincidental, the 2+3 layout of the LM units must have been driven by the requirement to replicate the seating capacity of the 37 x 321s on a near identical basis. The fallout from replacing 'X number' of seats with roughly 80% of that number would have been massive. It just happened that the 450 layout was already there to copy.

 

[fgwrich]

Not really what happened though. The original 350/1s that were delivered for use by Silverlink and Central, although formed from the abandoned SWT 5 car order were delivered with 2+2 seating throughout, and proper tables.

It was the later 350/2 batch that LM ordered to replace the 321s that have the 2+3 seating that is very similar to the 450 layout.

Then the 350/3 came along, and back to 2+2 seating.

Indeed so. I rather wise we had a batch of the 450s with the 350/1 interior - I wouldn't mind them so much turning up on the Portsmouth Fasts, Poole and occasional Weymouth services then.

I also rather wish SWT had luggage racks in the 444s as well - the only thing that let's them down really, noticeable when your on a service that runs through Sotton Airport Parkway.

Not yet experienced one of the /3s yet. But the 350/1s still to be remain the best of the LM Fleet - the 2s are just what they were designed to be, purposeful but not for longer distance services.

 

[plastictaffy]

Not yet experienced one of the /3s yet. But the 350/1s still to be remain the best of the LM Fleet - the 2s are just what they were designed to be, purposeful but not for longer distance services.

Some of the /1's are looking very tired in the cabs and in the saloons - threadbare seats, black sticky carpets etc. They've certainly done a hard days' work, most of 'em. I suspect they'll start calling them for overhaul very shortly, bearing in mind that most of them are nudging on for ten years old.
Out of interest, who would do that?? Someone like Knorr-Bremse at Wolverton?? When should such a thing be done - I'm assuming around the 10 year old mark? What would be done??

 

[Bletchleyite]

The /2s are surprisingly not bad for the long distance stuff (apart from not being 110mph) - a lot of families and groups travel on those services, and so the bays of 6 facing seats are actually quite popular.


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[plastictaffy]

Not if you're having to sashay through trying to check tickets without standing on feet/kicking bags/clouting people over the nut with your Avantix, snagging their clothes with your t-key/number one key.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Indeed so. I rather wise we had a batch of the 450s with the 350/1 interior - I wouldn't mind them so much turning up on the Portsmouth Fasts, Poole and occasional Weymouth services then.

I don't think that SWT would be allowed to use 2+2 in class 450s on the Portsmouth route, it's something about them being required to provide a certain number of seats

 

[childwallblues]

AIUI, the /1's were intended to be used on things like the Crewes, Liverpools and fast Birminghams, and the /2's were meant to do things like Trings, Northamptons, cross city, stuff like that. In reality, that tends to be the way the units are diagrammed, although sometimes of course, /1's end up on Trings (indeed I worked a /1 to Tring earlier today) and /2's on Crewes - although I haven't seen a /2 on a Crewe for a bit. The /3's were supposed to be as close as Siemens could get to a /1 - and they're not far out, apart from a couple of bits in the cabs, and the bins and power sockets in the saloons.

Not the green moquet in the /3s though.