On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 06:34:42PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
I think the question on the WLL is to what length platforms will be
extended to. It would make sense to go to 8 car lengths to allow for
longer Southern trains.
12, IMO. It'll only get busier, even more so if the SN service goes to
2tph.

On which subject, I see that Southern are extending the platforms at
places like Balham, Thornton Heath etc to allow for 10 carriage trains.

This would make a lot of sense, except that all those platforms (except
Battersea Park as previously noted) are already long enough for 8
carriages, and yet even at the busiest times of day they still run
plenty of 4 carriage trains. Longer platforms are no damned good unless
you've also got the carriages to put next to them, and the space in
sidings to service and store them overnight, and Southern are obviously
missing at least one of these.

Did I miss some announcement about Southern buying loads of carriages?

--
David Cantrell | Pope | First Church of the Symmetrical Internet

Longum iter est per praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla.

David Cantrell wrote:
On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 06:34:42PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
I think the question on the WLL is to what length platforms will be
extended to. It would make sense to go to 8 car lengths to allow for
longer Southern trains.
12, IMO. It'll only get busier, even more so if the SN service goes to
2tph.

On which subject, I see that Southern are extending the platforms at
places like Balham, Thornton Heath etc to allow for 10 carriage trains.

This would make a lot of sense, except that all those platforms (except
Battersea Park as previously noted) are already long enough for 8
carriages, and yet even at the busiest times of day they still run
plenty of 4 carriage trains. Longer platforms are no damned good unless
you've also got the carriages to put next to them, and the space in
sidings to service and store them overnight, and Southern are obviously
missing at least one of these.

Did I miss some announcement about Southern buying loads of carriages?

They are ordering lots of new trains, but many are on behalf of DfT and
won't be used on Southern.

Recliner wrote:

They are ordering lots of new trains, but many are on behalf of DfT and
won't be used on Southern.

You could argue that they (and a small subset of their passengers) don't
deserve them. The state of some of their Electrostars is disgusting
compared with LM's not all that much newer 350/1s which are always spotless
and without bits of panel hanging off, blown bulbs and graffiti in the
bogs.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

David Cantrell wrote in news:20130218142221.GF1562
@bytemark.barnyard.co.uk:


On which subject, I see that Southern are extending the platforms at
places like Balham, Thornton Heath etc to allow for 10 carriage trains.

This would make a lot of sense, except that all those platforms (except
Battersea Park as previously noted) are already long enough for 8
carriages, and yet even at the busiest times of day they still run
plenty of 4 carriage trains. Longer platforms are no damned good unless
you've also got the carriages to put next to them, and the space in
sidings to service and store them overnight, and Southern are obviously
missing at least one of these.

Did I miss some announcement about Southern buying loads of carriages?


Yes, and they will be five car units, hence the need for ten car platforms.

http://www.rail.co/2012/12/20/first-...rs-completion/

In article

, (Neil Williams) wrote:

Recliner wrote:

They are ordering lots of new trains, but many are on behalf of DfT and
won't be used on Southern.

You could argue that they (and a small subset of their passengers) don't
deserve them. The state of some of their Electrostars is disgusting
compared with LM's not all that much newer 350/1s which are always
spotless and without bits of panel hanging off, blown bulbs and graffiti
in the bogs.

I can't say I agree with you on that from my own recent observations.

Southern have 170 Electrostar carriages in 5-car trains on order for their
own use, plus 116 for DfT.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

wrote:

I can't say I agree with you on that from my own recent observations.

Maybe we get the dross on the MK-Clapham runs, then. Most times I use one
I am disappointed by the condition (and dull, dour atmosphere) of the unit,
and more than once also with the poor quality of the staff, who not
infrequently seem to have the London bus driver approach to customer
relations (i.e. communicate only in grunts, if they bother doing tickets at
all).

The Wessies on GatEx, for all I like them as what the Mk3 hauled coach
should have been, are also filthy. They shouldn't have done a refurb
without cleaning the muck off the lighting/ventilation conduit, it just
looks bad.

Southern have 170 Electrostar carriages in 5-car trains on order for their
own use, plus 116 for DfT.

5x20m is an unusual length, wonder why they don't go to a more standard
4/8/12?

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

Neil Williams wrote:

The Wessies on GatEx, for all I like them as what the Mk3 hauled coach
should have been, are also filthy. They shouldn't have done a refurb
without cleaning the muck off the lighting/ventilation conduit, it just
looks bad.

Ignoring the debate about the seats (which I like, but I know many don't),
and the daylight lighting (which I don't like), the fGW Mk3 refurbs are the
kind of standard they should have been done to.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

In article

, (Neil Williams) wrote:

wrote:

Southern have 170 Electrostar carriages in 5-car trains on order
for their own use, plus 116 for DfT.

5x20m is an unusual length, wonder why they don't go to a more standard
4/8/12?

Because Southern don't stick to a standard 4/8/12? They have 3 car units
which are run in all sorts of combinations, including 3 + 4 at least once
recently, I gather. The fact that Selhurst will have 3, 4 and 5 car units in
future is being catered for, I gather.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 18 Feb, 07:59, Neil Williams
wrote:
Recliner wrote:
They are ordering lots of new trains, but many are on behalf of DfT and
won't be used on Southern.

You could argue that they (and a small subset of their passengers) don't
deserve them. *The state of some of their Electrostars is disgusting
compared with LM's not all that much newer 350/1s which are always spotless
and without bits of panel hanging off, blown bulbs and graffiti in the
bogs.

That is really sad to hear. Maybe it is time to utilize the services
of a security firm. A "presence" on trains, platforms, and by the
line side, would bring the behavior under control.

On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 08:59:19PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
wrote:
Southern have 170 Electrostar carriages in 5-car trains on order for their
own use, plus 116 for DfT.
5x20m is an unusual length, wonder why they don't go to a more standard
4/8/12?

Because the platforms are being lengthened for *10* carriage trains,
which isn't a multiple of 4. And they're being lengthened to fit 10
carriage trains because they can't squeeze any more in without *very*
expensive work with things like acquiring land, moving roads and bridges,
and demolishing houses.

--
David Cantrell | Reality Engineer, Ministry of Information

I hate baby seals. They get asked to all the best clubs.