Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by TimBrown » 06:57 Tuesday 26th December 2017

Wednesday 13 December 2017 still had some snow on the ground so I took a few shots during the morning to record the scene with a few of the Diesel Multiple Units at work to and from the city. 'Adelante' Class 180 no longer work on GWR routes having been acquired by Grand Central Trains for ECML services.
13 December 2017 Shrub Hill 103.jpg
Until the new IEP units enter full squadron service, it appears that the Worcester to Paddington service is in the hands of 165 and 166 two and three car 'Turbo' units leading to crush loading south of Moreton-in-Marsh. The situation isn't helped by transfer of many HST for use in shortened form on ScotRail services!
13 December 2017 Shrub Hill 123.jpg
13 December 2017 Shrub Hill 120.jpg
Here are some other units on local and long distance journeys;
13 December 2017 Shrub Hill 125.jpg
13 December 2017 Shrub Hill 107.jpg
13 December 2017 Shrub Hill 115.jpg
On Tuesday 19 December 2017 at approx 07-00 I managed this shot of early morning Paddington train with two car class 165 turbo in charge;
19 December 2017 Shrub Hill 001.jpg
A little later at 07-45 one of the new IEP units was on test running from Bristol via Swindon and Oxford to Hereford and took these grainy shots in the mist to record the event;
19 December 2017 Shrub Hill 005.jpg
19 December 2017 Shrub Hill 003.jpg
Finally, having caused a number of regular service cancellations that test train took the path of 10-15 Paddington train back to Bristol via Oxford;
19 December 2017 Shrub Hill 006.jpg

chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by chason » 09:39 Tuesday 26th December 2017

Thanks for those, Tim. A bit of snow and semaphore signals help make DMU's and even IEP's look far more interesting.

MattW
Posts: 979
Joined: 20:42 Sunday 3rd July 2016
Location: Cornwall

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by MattW » 09:54 Saturday 30th December 2017

Great photos. Shrub Hill always looks better in the winter as there's less plant growth!

Adam V
Posts: 104
Joined: 15:28 Saturday 16th July 2016

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by Adam V » 14:50 Saturday 30th December 2017

I should be despatching the first Class 800 in service at Worcester on Sunday. It's planned to be on the 1728 to Paddington. Hopefully it will be running!

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by TimBrown » 19:33 Sunday 31st December 2017

Adam V wrote:
14:50 Saturday 30th December 2017
I should be despatching the first Class 800 in service at Worcester on Sunday. It's planned to be on the 1728 to Paddington. Hopefully it will be running!
800011 made the first public service with a Class 800 through Worcester working Paddington to Hereford train. I took a ride from Worcester to Hereford and back. Internally there is very little colour, off-white ceilings, two tone grey seats, mottled grey floor covering and a thin strip of green above window level. The seats are very hard and covered in a strange criss-cross woven material which may be plastic masquerading as moquette - all in all a very sterile almost utilitarian feel inside. The DEMU is seen upon arrival at Hereford
31 December 2017 Hereford 105.jpg
31 December 2017 Hereford 104.jpg
Whilst waiting for the return Paddington train, this 175 unit was pictured working an Arriva Wales Cardiff to Holyhead service. Arriva are, or about to relinquish this lucrative operation, so there will be numerous changes in Wales quite soon.
31 December 2017 Hereford 109.jpg
The IEP followed shortly afterwards and is seen about to operate the 16-34 Hereford to Paddington service.
31 December 2017 Hereford 111.jpg
Finally 800011 is seen at Worcester Shrub Hill where it formed the 17-28 London train.
31 December 2017 Shrub Hill 114.jpg

chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by chason » 16:20 Monday 1st January 2018

Thanks for the first hand report, Tim.

It doesn't sound as the new trains are particularly exciting from a passenger's point of view. I just don't understand why seating on trains (and buses too for that matter) can't be made more comfortable. I understand that they need to be hard wearing and durable but surely in this day and age that doesn't need to be at the expense of comfort. Don't the people who design them and those who order them for the their fleet ever sit on them first? For a two or three hour journey, surely you are entitled to a reasonably comfortable seat. You don't mention it about the 800's, but I would hope too that the they have sorted out the positioning of the seats so that you can see out of the windows rather than having a pillar obstructing your view which is so often the case with modern stock.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by TimBrown » 13:49 Tuesday 2nd January 2018

chason wrote:
16:20 Monday 1st January 2018
Thanks for the first hand report, Tim.

It doesn't sound as the new trains are particularly exciting from a passenger's point of view. I just don't understand why seating on trains (and buses too for that matter) can't be made more comfortable. I understand that they need to be hard wearing and durable but surely in this day and age that doesn't need to be at the expense of comfort. Don't the people who design them and those who order them for the their fleet ever sit on them first? For a two or three hour journey, surely you are entitled to a reasonably comfortable seat. You don't mention it about the 800's, but I would hope too that the they have sorted out the positioning of the seats so that you can see out of the windows rather than having a pillar obstructing your view which is so often the case with modern stock.
The seating in the second class section of Class 800s seems to be positioned better than in say a 'Voyager' or 'Pendolino', but it must be remembered that airline style seating rather than the 'facing' set up will always put a number of passengers against a pillar - this occurs on the on the much revered refurbished HST coaches. I wonder if commuting business men and women would worry too much about this when they are using their internet connected computers for most of the journey? Pillars on modern carriages are rightly designed to be wide in order to build in strength in the unlikely event of a bad accident involving overturning coaches, or a side-swipe from another train.

Thinking about the very bland interior, it may be that this was deliberately specified by the DOE as First have only recently received an extension to the franchise, but only until March 2020, so another operator with say a ten or fifteen year tenure might (hopefully) upgrade external and internal appearance with a brighter ambience and revised seating. I can't help thinking that the local Class 170s have infinitely more comfortable seating better suited to long distance travel, even the seats in local Class 172s which have a reputation for being hard on the posterior are better shaped than the Class 800 seats.

The diesel engines of the 800s are generally quieter than Voyagers, but have a less than pleasant high-pitched whine under full acceleration. Whether true, or not, one enthusiast said they have already earned the nickname of 'whiners'! Similar EMUs on the HS1 run to Ashford are very noisy, so I will reserve judgement on the IEPs until taking a trip 'under the wires'. The ride is on a par with 40 year old HST Mk III coaches, but not better as the 800 units become unsettled on jointed track.

Adam V
Posts: 104
Joined: 15:28 Saturday 16th July 2016

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by Adam V » 01:07 Wednesday 3rd January 2018

1 class 800 diagram in operation at the moment on weekdays. Booked through Worcester Shrub Hill at 0921, 1015, 1641 and 1733. Another 1 should be in operation next week.

Operationally they are very awkward especially when using a wheelchair ramp or loading cycles. The 1st Class section is very disappointing, seating very similer to Standard Class. The only real difference between the two classes is tables.

Mixed reception from both pasengers and staff so far.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by TimBrown » 09:24 Monday 8th January 2018

Adam V wrote:
01:07 Wednesday 3rd January 2018
1 class 800 diagram in operation at the moment on weekdays. Booked through Worcester Shrub Hill at 0921, 1015, 1641 and 1733. Another 1 should be in operation next week.

Operationally they are very awkward especially when using a wheelchair ramp or loading cycles. The 1st Class section is very disappointing, seating very similer to Standard Class. The only real difference between the two classes is tables.

Mixed reception from both pasengers and staff so far.
Friday morning 5 January 2018

800011 is pictured arriving in Shrub Hill to work the 10-15 departure to Paddington. It was approximately 10 minutes late because of a door operating problem at Foregate Street. It has also been reported that the step which folds down automatically when the door opens has also failed on a first class carriage on at least one occasion.
05 January 2018 Shrub Hill 006.jpg
66134 is working a steel 'empties' train from Round Oak to Margam, it is usually held outside Shrub Hill to allow the 10-15 Paddington train access to Platform 2, but preceded said passenger service because of late running referred above.
05 January 2018 Shrub Hill 004.jpg
Finally 172335 is photographed with vinyls displaying the new train operator West Midlands Railway applied to the original green livery of previous TOC London Midland. Unit 172339 has already received the new silver, orange and purple livery, as has the station paraphernalia at Birmingham Snow Hill
05 January 2018 Shrub Hill 001.jpg

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Worcester Shrub Hill in December 2017.

Post by TimBrown » 11:52 Saturday 13th January 2018

Here are a few photographs taken on Saturday morning 13 January 2018 of a Pathfinder charter train 'The Severn Aggregator' hauled by DBS 66230. This locomotive is clean and tidy as it has only recently been repainted in the red livery of this German based operator. Most of its stablemates are in a filthy work-stained condition of typical uncared for UK freight engines.
13 January 2018 Shrub Hill 001.jpg
13 January 2018 Shrub Hill 002.jpg
13 January 2018 Shrub Hill 003.jpg
13 January 2018 Shrub Hill 004.jpg

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