Vivarail's 'D Train' - 'D' stock reborn

Still doesn’t look right without the bottom half of the front end being completely red

Is OLÉ (as opposed to OLE) a guide to pronunciation, and if so shall I throw my hat in the air?

I'd not throw my hat in the air near overhead powerlines...

I'm torn on the VivaRail

I like the concept, but they do seem to be taking a long time to get to operate, especially given that it is supposed to be using a lot of proven technologies. I hope it succeeds. I suspect the stripping out of surplus stock from the network exposes their teething troubles and made them more critical

fingers crossed. If they can make it work, I can see a real niche for them as gap-filling stock "2 diesel trains by next weekend sir? no problem, which signalling gubbins module would you like with that?"

perhaps TfL/Bombardier should be on the phone to them to lessen their problem.

a kind of A-team-train if you will...

So they need to add on-board DOO cameras and in-cab monitors, to be able to cover for fleets/routes that work that way.

Well, by the looks of things.... something managed to happen?

Hooray!

I suspect that several of us here will be interested in spending a few days in North Wales this coming late spring / summer. This web page explains why!

www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/take-look-new-trains-set-16066316

Mother and Father londonstuff live literally five minutes from Bidston so seeing a reincarnated D would be well worth it

The article is specific in stating that they will be the first hybrid trains in passenger service in the UK.

There are many and various forms of hybrid. Any diesel-electric is a sort of hybrid. Electro-diesels (diesel-electrics which can also take power from an external supply) have been around since the 1960s, and the IEPs - classes 800/802 are the latest version of this. (And none of the lines they are to be used on are electrified except for Bidston station).

The article suggests the 230s will use regenerative braking. Do the Marston Vale units not have this? Even if they don't, regenerative braking is hardly new - it was used by the O and P "Metadyne" Stock in the 1930s. Regenerative braking to charge an on-board energy store? Beaten to the draw by the Stourbridge Shuttle.

The first D Train has entered passenger service:

If you take a closer look at the pictures in that last tweet, you'll notice that the backdrop to the "D-Stock to D-Train" advert is about a decade older than the trains themselves! It's a tube map dating from the latter part of 1968 when the Victoria line only went as far as Highbury & Islington.

I seized the opportunity for a trip today. Although the train was 10 minutes late inbound to Bletchley, it departed on time and arrived at Bedford on time. It was quiet, smooth and although the transverse, high back seat was hard, it was comfortable. Enabling the doors seemed a bit slow, and I felt that there was performance in hand. Braking, in particular was gentle in the extreme. I was impressed.