On 15 Dec 2004 16:39:14 -0800, (S. Endon-Lee) wrote:



1) How come it wasn't possible to lock out only the rearmost car's
doors? This would be more useful.

2) Surely the platform lengths were known - so why build trains that
are too long, and don't easily accommodate themselves to short
platforms by locking out the minimum number of doors necessary?

3) How long are these trains compared to the older (?317) stock (or
even the slam door stock)?

4) I noticed that the resignalling work a few years ago seemed to move
the stop point (the 8 car/4 car black signs with white 4 or 8 numeral)
on several platforms, wasting some of the platform length - why was
this? Surely it makes sense to use all the platform available?

5) What will the long term solution be? I'm not at all sure the
Isleworth platform can be extended easily or cheaply, as the station
fills the space between two bridges - it looks like major bridge
rebuilding/widening would be needed. Barnes has only recently been
resignalled and had platform work so I'm surprised it's too short.


Does anyone have the answers to these questions as the thread went a
bit adrift :-)

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:10:18 GMT, Steve Peake
wrote:

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:38:27 GMT, Richard J. wrote:

I haven't got answers to all your questions (yet), but I agree it's daft
to have to lock the doors on 4 cars just because the Desiro cars are
very slightly longer than the 455s or slam-door cars. I suspect that
SWT may revert to 455s on the Hounslow Loop once they have been
refurbished,

Well thats the plan, back to the same old **** poor trains, just with a
coat of paint and a few seat covers.

To be fair the work being carried out on the 455 is a lot more than
just a new coat of paint. £67 million is being spent on improving them
including from a passenger perspective completely new seating in a 2+2
layout, which will allow more standing room in the rush hours and more
comfortable seating at off-peaks.

Pictures can be seen at:
http://www.semg.org.uk/gallery/class455_52.html

Duncan

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:10:18 GMT, Steve Peake
wrote:

Well thats the plan, back to the same old **** poor trains, just with a
coat of paint and a few seat covers.

I take it you haven't seen a refurbed SWT 455?
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Just to let you know that between Barnes Bridge and Hounslow, the only
two stations that require SDO (Selective Door Opening) are ISLEWORTH
(up and down) and KEW BRIDGE (down only). Syon Lane is able to fit an
8 car 450.
Only 2 possible reasons I can think of at the moment for using 4 car
lock out a
1). Reduces complexity. If you could lock on different numbers of
coaches, this adds complexity to the system (more things to go wrong).
And it would be hard to get to each location during rush hour
services.
2). Less chance of the guard making a mistake and opening too many
coaches. Guards are human after all (like rest of us).

Freddie

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:38:27 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

wrote:
k wrote:
On 15 Dec 2004 16:39:14 -0800, (S. Endon-Lee)
wrote:



1) How come it wasn't possible to lock out only the rearmost car's
doors? This would be more useful.

2) Surely the platform lengths were known - so why build trains
that are too long, and don't easily accommodate themselves to
short platforms by locking out the minimum number of doors
necessary?

3) How long are these trains compared to the older (?317) stock
(or even the slam door stock)?

4) I noticed that the resignalling work a few years ago seemed to
move the stop point (the 8 car/4 car black signs with white 4 or
8 numeral) on several platforms, wasting some of the platform
length - why was this? Surely it makes sense to use all the
platform available?

5) What will the long term solution be? I'm not at all sure the
Isleworth platform can be extended easily or cheaply, as the
station fills the space between two bridges - it looks like major
bridge rebuilding/widening would be needed. Barnes has only
recently been resignalled and had platform work so I'm surprised
it's too short.


Does anyone have the answers to these questions as the thread went
a bit adrift :-)

Could anyone favour the group with a reply?

I admit I got it wrong, not knowing that the previous stock was
'455' stock, but the rear 4 carriages are still being locked out at
Kew Bridge, Syon Lane and other stations. Are the Desiros intended
to be upgraded to allow locking out of only some of the rear four
carriages? Thanks,

I haven't got answers to all your questions (yet), but I agree it's daft
to have to lock the doors on 4 cars just because the Desiro cars are
very slightly longer than the 455s or slam-door cars. I suspect that
SWT may revert to 455s on the Hounslow Loop once they have been
refurbished, as it's not sensible to have 1st class seating on
short-distance suburban workings like Waterloo-Hounslow-Waterloo.
Weren't the Class 450 Desiros always intended for *outer* suburban work?

I'm sure the commuters returning home on a wet evening to Syon Lane
don't appreciate having to walk half the length of an open platform to
get to the exit. It would be more useful to lock out the front 4 cars
there, but the starter signal position prevents that, or at least it
would do on the probably rare occasions that it's red.

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 22:08:41 +0000, Arthur Figgis wrote:

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:10:18 GMT, Steve Peake
wrote:

Well thats the plan, back to the same old **** poor trains, just with a
coat of paint and a few seat covers.

I take it you haven't seen a refurbed SWT 455?

Yes there is one floating about, better than they were, but not a patch on
what's currently on the line.

If they can spare these trains to run on the line now, then why not keep
them there? (With the stop markers moved down the platform of course)

Steve

On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 07:01:22 GMT, Steve Peake
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 22:08:41 +0000, Arthur Figgis wrote:

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:10:18 GMT, Steve Peake
wrote:

Well thats the plan, back to the same old **** poor trains, just with a
coat of paint and a few seat covers.

I take it you haven't seen a refurbed SWT 455?

Yes there is one floating about, better than they were, but not a patch on
what's currently on the line.

(More than one, at least in theory they run in pairs)

But you have to admit that a totally redesigned interior is slightly
more than a "coat of paint", and totally different seats are somewhat
more than "a few seat covers".
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Thank-you all for the very informative replies - especially the links
to the refurbishement of the 455s.

From what has been said, it looks like the running of Desiros on the
Hounslow Loop is only temporary, and refurbished 455s will return at
some point. A pity, as I've enjoyed having audible (and readable)
announcments, and the availability of a public lavatory on board (as
was available on slam-door stock) It's been even nicer as First Class
has been declassified for these particular services.

Does anyone know why the 4/8 car stop points were moved down tha
platform (wasting platform length)? Did regulations change, requiring
the stop point to be a set distance from the relevant signal - and
therefore moving the stop point as it's easier (and cheaper) to move
the small square sign than the signal? It may have had something to do
with resignalling work of some kind a few years ago.

Anyway, thanks again for the replies.

Sid

On 6 Feb 2005 02:59:04 -0800, wrote:

Does anyone know why the 4/8 car stop points were moved down tha
platform (wasting platform length)?

How far did they move?
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p11218103.html
(Now just memories: class 501 trains at London Broad Street in 1981)