Just been on one of the new GWR Hitachis

[Pip in a Poke]

Seats were hard and seemed narrower than the those on the old 125s. Legroom ok though.

Also felt cramped and stuffy - that said, it was a busy service.

Inter carriage area smaller than the old 125s and no openable windows. Loos are much nicer with a decent sized wash hand basin that dispenses soap, water and hot air in the correct order.

Oh, and there's no buffet car.

Train arrived into Bristol 5 minutes late and didn't seem any faster. I guess we have to wait for them to raise the pantographs before we see any improvements in speed.

[AtW]

832

[stek]

Irish trains are wider. Its the gauge....

[northernladuk]

Irish trains are wider. Its the gauge....

Yeah but they are only about 10 feet long...

[stek]

Yeah but they are only about 10 feet long...

There's still the old steam loco turntable at Connolly, and a water tower. And the seats in the carraiges have lights over them, Green = unreserved, Amber = reserved part of journey, Red = reserved so you can just bob your head down the carriage looking for greens if you are daft enough not to reserve in advance.

Also displays you name and/or booking ref in a wee scolling display, which doesn't deter the nackers, "How do you know it's your seat?" - "Err, it's got me name over it, derrr"

I remember in my first job for shutter door company routing through the orders and seeing an old one from the 50's from CIE, with OVS Bulleid's sig. on it. He was CME for the Southern Railway and famed for he Merchant Navy, Battle of Britain and West Country class light pacifics.....

[Pip in a Poke]

There's still the old steam loco turntable at Connolly, and a water tower. And the seats in the carraiges have lights over them, Green = unreserved, Amber = reserved part of journey, Red = reserved so you can just bob your head down the carriage looking for greens if you are daft enough not to reserve in advance.

Also displays you name and/or booking ref in a wee scolling display, which doesn't deter the nackers, "How do you know it's your seat?" - "Err, it's got me name over it, derrr"

I remember in my first job for shutter door company routing through the orders and seeing an old one from the 50's from CIE, with OVS Bulleid's sig. on it. He was CME for the Southern Railway and famed for he Merchant Navy, Battle of Britain and West Country class light pacifics.....

Yes, they have that on the new Hitachis.

Doesn't massively enhance the passenger experience to be honest.

The general impression I get is that, yes, the service will be marginally faster but you can expect more rubbing shoulders with the great unwashed.

I'm never in any rush. I'd be happy if they brought back the old loco hauled corridor composite carriages of yesteryear.

Get on the train, slide the door to your compartment firmly shut and draw the curtains. Sorted

[stek]

Yes, they have that on the new Hitachis.

Doesn't massively enhance the passenger experience to be honest.

The general impression I get is that, yes, the service will be marginally faster but you can expect more rubbing shoulders with the great unwashed.

I'm never in any rush. I'd be happy if they brought back the old loco hauled corridor composite carriages of yesteryear.

Get on the train, slide the door to your compartment firmly shut and draw the curtains. Sorted

Sometime in the mid-90's I accidently caught the last ever Blackpool Club train from Manchester Victoria, that was old MkII corridor stock with incredibly padded dusy seats, hauled by class 37.

Old geezers everywhere with cameras creaming themselves over it. I was over my train-buff days by then, but the memories still lingered. Mid-90's I was taking E's and hanging around Prague 5 in the Gay Village converting lesbians....

[Lance]

Sometime in the mid-90's I accidently caught the last ever Blackpool Club train from Manchester Victoria, that was old MkII corridor stock with incredibly padded dusy seats, hauled by class 37.

Old geezers everywhere with cameras creaming themselves over it. I was over my train-buff days by then, but the memories still lingered. Mid-90's I was taking E's and hanging around Prague 5 in the Gay Village converting lesbians....

Into corpses in the canal?

[Paddy]

Irish trains are wider. Its the gauge....

5' 3" In Ireland
4' 8 1/2" in the UK however, the carriage size usually is the same.
Going to Spain and Belarus, the carriage is jacked up and the wheels reset.

[Hobosapien]

Just been on one of the new GWR Hitachis

Can't have been a new one as they only have seats in first class. They're not even pretending to offer a seat on their over crowded services. If you want a seat you bring your own, on wheels.