On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:54:39 +0000, Paul Corfield
wrote:

Silverlink County did have a rocky patch a number of years ago but like
a number of Nat Ex TOCs they just knuckled down and concentrated on the
basics. IIRC they had the most reliable EMUs in Britain with their fleet
of Class 321s based at Bletchley. For a railway getting the most boring
basics right day in, day out is absolutely essential and they did seem
to manage that despite the WCML upgrade works.

Which is the whole point of a commuter operator. Any such operator
that can be described as "boringly competent" or similar has it
spot-on, and Silverlink County was pretty much there.

Neil

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Neil Williams
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On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:19:51 GMT, "Richard J."
wrote:

By contrast, Metro's fleet of Class 313, admittedly around 13 years
older but maintained in the same Bletchley depot, achieved a miserable
5189 miles per casualty last year, compared to FCC's 11,355 mpc with the
same class.

PEP EMUs are crap. But even so, weren't they maintained at Willesden
or Wembley? I forget which but I don't recall seeing any at
Bletchley.

Neil

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On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:49:12 -0800 (PST), wrote:

Carpenders Park (a dreadful early-1950s BR hole

Is it really? It has a very LUL art-deco look to it - like a lot of
Heathrow-branch Picc Line stations.

Neil

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On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:34:45 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant
wrote:

On 12 Jan, 19:57, "Paul Scott" wrote:
How does the shared use of rolling stock work out? =A0I assume that
Watford - St Albans shares stock with the NLL and Bedford - Bletchley
shares stock with the GOBLIN, or is that no longer the case?

Wikipedia says the St Albans branch normally had a 321, so the split
doesn't affect it.

It had a 313 every time I ever used it (not often, I admit). Someone
I know who works for LM says it's usually a 321, though.

These days, 150s for the Marston Vale come from Brum.

Neil

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On 13 Jan, 03:54, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:34:45 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant

wrote:
On 12 Jan, 19:57, "Paul Scott" wrote:
How does the shared use of rolling stock work out? =A0I assume that
Watford - St Albans shares stock with the NLL and Bedford - Bletchley
shares stock with the GOBLIN, or is that no longer the case?

Wikipedia says the St Albans branch normally had a 321, so the split
doesn't affect it.

It had a 313 every time I ever used it (not often, I admit). *Someone
I know who works for LM says it's usually a 321, though.


I always thought they were 313s, but I have no systematic or recent
experience of the line. Under LM, maybe it's now always a 321.

It does occur to me that there ought to be a lot of spare 321s around,
because I can't see that there are that many new electric services
since the introduction of the 350s. Maybe it's been 321s since the
introduction of 350s, even under Silverlink?

On Sun, 13 Jan 2008 05:01:57 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

It does occur to me that there ought to be a lot of spare 321s around,
because I can't see that there are that many new electric services
since the introduction of the 350s.

Most of them have ended up on Brum-area locals, not to mention the
increased service frequency in the peaks (and 12 car sets) on the
County routes. I don't think there's a lot spare except in the
evenings and on weekends, when it tends to be mainly 321s out and the
Desiros are sitting spare.

Neil

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On Jan 13, 3:53*am, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:49:12 -0800 (PST), wrote:
Carpenders Park (a dreadful early-1950s BR hole

Is it really? *It has a very LUL art-deco look to it - like a lot of
Heathrow-branch Picc Line stations.

If remaining as built this might be true, however the subway entrances
have been retiled by the local authority, the ticket hall refurbished
(possibly in the 80s given the NSE red tiling), the supports to the
platform concrete canopy have been retiled, the original high-quality
maroon enamel BR London Midland Region entrance signage and pole-
mounted joint LT/BR totems are long, long, gone and the only original
finish would appear to be the cream tiles in the sloping subway
leading to the ticket hall. The tall retangular window/toplight above
the ticket office, with the east side following the curve of the
booking office counter is the only feature of note, albeit liberally
covered with graffiti to match much of the exterior brickwork. I would
actually find this station, accessed only by unsupervised council
subways, quite intimidating to use at night.

--
Neil Williams