Atomic Systems

Read in Rail magazine today that First Capital Connect might be using Class 86's on some of their Kings Cross-Peterborough services from next year, untill new rolling stock becomes available. Which will be interesting to say the least. Though I'd take this news with a pinch of salt. A few years ago it was also reported in Rail magazine that Virgin Trains were to use Class 47's, 50's, and Deltic's on Summer Saturday services to/from Devon & Cornwal. Which never materialised. So I'll believe it when I see it!

If it happens, ill get myself down there to have a ride on some

Yeah, if it happens that would be fantastic.

id bet this bowl of icecream next to me that 86s with FCC will never happen.
I will be VERY supprised if it did.
Wouldnt complain though

biggest load of rollocks going.....

They hinted last year that 158s displaced from TPX would be working rush hour services, look whats happened there....

If they do get anything, and thats a big if, itl be 180s displaced from FGW, which i belive theyve hinted at before....i maybe wrong, but not as wrong as RAIL with their recent OTTism of loco haulage

It'll be weird if they do get used on these services. With the trains stopping at stations every several minutes as per the timetable. The trains won't really be able to get up to any good speed for very long. Plus they're on the slow lines as well of course. Apart from the stretch between Huntingdon-Peterborough, and Finsbury Park-Stevenage. Not really the sort of services you'd ever expect Class 86's to be used on. What next, 86's to be used on Fenchurch Street-Shoeburyness services?!

Will believe it when I see it.

I suspect that IF FCC were to use 86s, they would use them on the 'flyer' services between KX and Peterborough / Cambridge, thus allowing the 365s to be used on the stoppers (which could be up to 3 full sets per 86 diagram).

I doubt the 180s will go anywhere but the unit proposed to be loaned to Hull Trains.

Cheers

Gaz

Hi,

A heard a rumour that the 86s (if this did happen!) would work 2 trains down to London.

Then they would work the 1707 London to Peterborough and 1807 London to Peterborough, now these only stop at St Neots and Huntingdon.

Looking at the timetable both of the northbound trains could run on the fast lines all the way to Peterborough, with one exception that the 1707 would have to let a Hull Trains service go in front of it between Huntingdon and Peterborough.

Personally I don’t think this will happen, but that is what I said when I heard about the 86 on the Hull Trains. But, that is (subject to the usual disclaimers!) going to run next weekend top and tailed with an 87!

Cheers,

Chester025

Before you guys get too excited, it might be worth reading what a senior FCC manager has said on the matter;

"FCC are considering this idea, with top n' tail 86's and five mark 2's, with apparently two "sets" being in operation. They will only be used monday-friday on am adn pm peak services between Kings Cross and Peterborough, and even then will be limited stops.

In terms of crew, before all you FCC people get excitable, the crews will be provided under contract by, funnily enough, First GB Railfreight.

What strange is this "news" has been floating around in FCC for about 4 months now, Rail is getting slower!"

REMEMBER, it's only a choice of what FCC could do, hope that clears up the confusion with these 86's,

This is what FCC said at a online Meet the Directors forum on the 25th October 2007 about the 86 choice;

"This is at a very early stage of consideration at the moment. This is only one of a number of options but not entirely satisfactory as there are reliability, stabling and maintenance issues to resolve. Our preferred option is an EMU option."

Here is a comment that was asked at a online Meet the Directors forum on the 25th October 2007;

"Having just read Peter Bennett comment about Class 86 fleet is it true that four class 321's from Silverlink are to be used from next May on The Peterborough route so that class 365's can be used on Cambridge services.

Matthew"

"The 321 from Silverlink unfortunately cannot be released from Silverlink at this stage in time for May 2008 and this is why we are actively considering other options at this stage.

First Capital Connect"

Just think, if bloody Angel (or should that be Devil) trains hadn't scapped all the 312s they would have been great for this sort of work, CDLed and OTMRed. The ex-FGE examples, which as yet still would not all have reached their 30th birthdays (last were introduced in 1978), had had a number of doors sealed up, so CDL fitting would have been cheaper than in original form, plus I think the methods used on others slammers (like the 121s, the Hastings DEMU and the 3-CIGs) is supposed to be quite cheap anyway.

chriscooper wrote:Just think, if bloody Angel (or should that be Devil) trains hadn't scapped all the 312s they would have been great for this sort of work, CDLed and OTMRed. The ex-FGE examples, which as yet still would not all have reached their 30th birthdays (last were introduced in 1978), had had a number of doors sealed up, so CDL fitting would have been cheaper than in original form, plus I think the methods used on others slammers (like the 121s, the Hastings DEMU and the 3-CIGs) is supposed to be quite cheap anyway.

I can think of two reasons why that can't happen;

1. The 313/317/365 use Tightlock couplings and the 312 use Buckeye couplings.

2. The 312 can only be used with other 312's and 310's in multi workings.

It would be nice but if one failed, then FCC couldn't use one of their units to rescue it, relying instead on a spare 90 (90001-050) to act as a Thunderbird.

I'm just curious as to why they're planning to use 86s. Surely there are plenty of 87s kicking around and they have the benefit of being more powerful.

bgstrowger wrote:I'm just curious as to why they're planning to use 86s. Surely there are plenty of 87s kicking around and they have the benefit of being more powerful.

Wrong, there are plenty of 86's running around with Freightliner but only 2 87's on the entire UK Mainline which are run by FirstGBRF.

If a 312 failed on a Peterborough service (if any still existed, so this is a pointless discussion!) I believe the GNER thunderbird at Kings Cross, whether it happens to be a 91 or a 67 at the time, or even a shed or 60 on a freight train, would be obliged to drop what they're doing at a convenient point and go and pick it up to clear the line.

I do believe the 87s are now all Bulgaria-bound.