Operations
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YET to enter revenue earning service, Class 800 No. 800101 has been reported on mileage accumulation turns on a number of occasions, being noted on January 28 on the 5Q66/10.08 Craigentinny-Doncaster Carr IEP empty stock move. It was later reported at York on February 17 working in from Doncaster IEP depot.
HITACHI Class 801/2 nine-car ‘Azumas’ Nos. 801222 and 801226 were noted on 5Q82 Peterborough-Darlington, returning as 5Q83 Darlington-Doncaster Carr IEP Depot on January 28 and February 19, respectively.
BACK-to-back GWR HST Power Cars Nos. 43187 and 43122 passed through Abbotswood Junction on February 5 on the 0E23/08.55, from Plymouth Laira to Doncaster Wabtec Works.
GWR suffered a difficult day on Monday, February 10. There was overhead damage near Theale, resulting in diversions over the Berks & Hants single line from Bradford Junction to Thingley Junction. Between 09.00-10.00 this section was utterly overloaded causing numerous delays and the wish that the line was still double tracked!
FOLLOWING a landslip between Southampton and Salisbury the diagram working for the GWR service along the West coastway was the 07.09 Portsmouth Harbour- Brighton followed by the 09.00 Brighton-Portsmouth Harbour vice Great Malvern. Then the same unit worked the 14.54 Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton and 17.00 to Fratton vice Bristol Temple Meads, then e.c.s. to Fratton Sidings.
CLASS 166s have started running along the Sussex West coastway route. On February 27, No. 166215 was noted on the 09.00 Brighton-Portsmouth Harbour instead of Great Malvern. The following day, No. 166207 was on the same service, noted passing Lancing.
PORTERBROOK is beginning to dispose of its redundant HST vehicles from store at Long Marston to Sims Metals, Newport. The first rake of six left on February 21. On Monday afternoon, February 24, Class 57s Nos. 57312+57305 arrived from Leicester to collect a further six former HST coaches for scrapping at Sims Group Metals at Newport. The pair left the following morning top-and-tailing coaches Nos. 42108/15/66/78, 42294, 42519. (see Stock Update for full details of further deliveries).
FEBRUARY was a difficult month for GA as they continued to introduce new Class 755 units into traffic.
Typically, teething problems still seemed to be bugging the fleet, as experienced aboard No. 755409, on the 13.50 service from Peterborough-Ipswich on February 12. At Bury St Edmunds the doors failed to open and the driver had to power-off the on-board computer at both ends of the unit before attempting to reboot it, a process that took about 10 minutes, but did succeed in activating the door-opening procedure. Apparently, it was the second such occurrence of the day on this unit.
Bury St Edmunds was left 12 minutes late, but such is the power and acceleration available when under electric from Stowmarket that Ipswich was reached only six mins late. To assist with failures, Class 37 Nos. 37611 and 37800 were observed at various times on ‘Thunderbird’ duties.
CLASS 90 No. 90013, with its rake of MK3 coaches and DVT No. 82136, was noted as being in Harwich Parkeston Quay yard on February 12 for more than a week. It is believed to be held here as a reserve set for the GE mainline Norwich to London Liverpool St service now that the Stadler 12-car Class 745 units are in regular service on the route.
GREATER Anglia has suffered numerous problems introducing
