Once you've been on another operators train and returned to a class
321, you feel like you've stepped from a limousine into a skoda. God
they're awful...

I had my first experience of a class 350 on friday evening working the
1755 Euston - Tring. I must say when boarding at Harrow & Wealdstone i
was pleasantly suprised not to see a class 321 turn up. The train was
very airy and the air conditioning was working perfectly if rather
loud. The noise from the electric motors was virtually non-existent and
was definitley much nicer than hearing that constant irritaing engine
whine on the 321's. The seats were quite wide and almost to first class
standard, i think the same seats were used in the '444'? Acceleration
was quick and it took less than 4 minutes to reach Bushey for a short
call, and just another two minutes to reach Watford, Pretty good going!


After that, i was travelling up to New Street expecting a pendolino,
but ended up with a loco-hauled 'Cobbler' set without a buffet. I was
happy enough travelling in a MK3 all the way and found it more
comfortable than both a pendolino and the Desiro train. The ambience
reminded me of what great coaches these are and that any sensible mind
would still have had them operating long-distance services today!
People used to class 321's who are currently enjoying these trains from
Northampton don't know how lucky they are.

On my return journey i took a class 377 from Watford Junction to Harrow
& Wealdstone instead of the usual class 321 that followed five minutes
behind. Again i much prefer these trains to the MK1's that used to form
most Southern services, and they're definitely alot better than the
319's that used to form this service. I needed to get to Wembley
central, so i alighted the 377 at Harrow and awaited the following
silverlink servive hoping for another Desiro. This time i was not so
lucky, I had almost completely avoided the dreadful class 321 until
this point.

Having no other choice apart from walking, i boarded the '321' for one
station stop to Wembley Central which it was calling at to cover for
the non-active metro service (why don't they call here regularly, it's
a very busy station!). How did i find it? Grubby, smelly, in need of
refurbishment, and noisy as well.

If Connex South Central could refubish their similar class 319's to
make them look like comfortable new trains, why can't Silverlink do the
same to their 321's? They operate journeys up to two and a half hours
(if you travel to birmingham on them), and form semi-fast limited stop
services. They haven't been refurbished properly since their
introduction and riding them is not much better than riding a '313' on
the metro's! Surely with the competitive pendolino's and desiros
entering service, passengers should be getting more for their money by
now?

> If Connex South Central could refubish their similar class 319's to
> make them look like comfortable new trains, why can't Silverlink do the
> same to their 321's? They operate journeys up to two and a half hours
> (if you travel to birmingham on them), and form semi-fast limited stop
> services. They haven't been refurbished properly since their
> introduction and riding them is not much better than riding a '313' on
> the metro's! Surely with the competitive pendolino's and desiros
> entering service, passengers should be getting more for their money by
> now?




Refurbishment (should it be renovation if the use remains the same?) is
not likely to increase the amount of window area.

However, having been in a Pendolino, I now realise how good the 321s
are after all.

On 25/7/05 01:01, "therunawayminetrain@lycos.co.uk"  wrote:


> Once you've been on another operators train and returned to a class
> 321, you feel like you've stepped from a limousine into a skoda. God
> they're awful...


Have you been in a current Skoda?  The larger ones (Octavia and Superb) are
extremely comfortable, well-equipped, well-built and value for money :-)

MIG wrote:

> > If Connex South Central could refubish their similar class 319's to
> > make them look like comfortable new trains, why can't Silverlink do the
> > same to their 321's? They operate journeys up to two and a half hours
> > (if you travel to birmingham on them), and form semi-fast limited stop
> > services. They haven't been refurbished properly since their
> > introduction and riding them is not much better than riding a '313' on
> > the metro's! Surely with the competitive pendolino's and desiros
> > entering service, passengers should be getting more for their money by
> > now?


the refurb' of the 321's that silverlink have has actually been quite
exten-
sive i feel. all being externally repainted and very nice it looks too.
the
insides have been considerably smartened up; hey! they have even
carpeted
some of the carriage floors! the ride quality may not be perfect, but
they
are fast as well.


> Refurbishment (should it be renovation if the use remains the same?) is
> not likely to increase the amount of window area.
>
> However, having been in a Pendolino, I now realise how good the 321s
> are after all.


quite! :) i thought that the guy who started this was having a bit of a
rant
and i wonder how he is feeling now? ;)

t.

Trevor wrote:

> MIG wrote:
> > > If Connex South Central could refubish their similar class 319's to
> > > make them look like comfortable new trains, why can't Silverlink do the
> > > same to their 321's? They operate journeys up to two and a half hours
> > > (if you travel to birmingham on them), and form semi-fast limited stop
> > > services. They haven't been refurbished properly since their
> > > introduction and riding them is not much better than riding a '313' on
> > > the metro's! Surely with the competitive pendolino's and desiros
> > > entering service, passengers should be getting more for their money by
> > > now?
>
> the refurb' of the 321's that silverlink have has actually been quite
> exten-
> sive i feel. all being externally repainted and very nice it looks too.
> the
> insides have been considerably smartened up; hey! they have even
> carpeted
> some of the carriage floors! the ride quality may not be perfect, but
> they
> are fast as well.
>
> > Refurbishment (should it be renovation if the use remains the same?) is
> > not likely to increase the amount of window area.
> >
> > However, having been in a Pendolino, I now realise how good the 321s
> > are after all.
>
> quite! :) i thought that the guy who started this was having a bit of a
> rant
> and i wonder how he is feeling now? ;)
>
> t.



The Desiros are by miles the best trains on that route now.  Better
than Mark 3s.  I always thought the Mark 2s were the best coaches ever
designed, combining crashworthiness with roominess and window views for
everyone, but this is apparently because I am oblivious to ride quality.

therunawayminetrain@lycos.co.uk wrote:

> Once you've been on another operators train and returned to a class
> 321, you feel like you've stepped from a limousine into a skoda. God
> they're awful...
> 

There speaks someone who obviously hasn't been in a Skoda for at least 5 
or 6 years.

The Fabia is an excellent small hatchback, sharing a platform with the 
VW Polo and the Seat Ibiza, offering excellent value for money. In a 
recent Top Gear test the vRS version comfortably beat the equivalent Fiesta.

The Octavia shares a platform with the VW Golf, the Audi A3 and the Seat 
Leon and once again offers high specification and build quality at a low 
price. The Octavia vRS shares its powertrain with the Golf GTI and the 
Audi TT Coupe (amongst others), yet comes in at less than 16,000. For a 
car with climate control, leather interior, CD autochanger, 180bhp 
engine, etc, etc, etc.

And the Superb is simply that. Based on a stretched VW Passat and 
offering just about everything you could ask for in an executive saloon 
for 000s less than the equivalent Audi or VW.

But hey, don't let badge snobbery or being out of touch get in the way 
of a good rant.

Cheers
Clive

wrote in message
news:1122249702.570446.151880@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> Once you've been on another operators train and returned to a class
> 321, you feel like you've stepped from a limousine into a skoda. God
> they're awful...


The WYPTE 321s are looking a bit tired now, but it's still a disappointment
when a DMU turns up vice a 'dusty'. They're much better than sprinters and
vastly better than nodding donkeys.

"Carl Bowman"  wrote in message
news:3kjvreFuh2o1U1@individual.net...

>  wrote in message
> news:1122249702.570446.151880@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > Once you've been on another operators train and returned to a class
> > 321, you feel like you've stepped from a limousine into a skoda. God
> > they're awful...
>
> The WYPTE 321s are looking a bit tired now, but it's still a

disappointment

> when a DMU turns up vice a 'dusty'. They're much better than sprinters and
> vastly better than nodding donkeys.


But they are incredibly reliable - excellent MPC figures.

Oh, and just a note - several 321 diagrams between Birmingham and
Northampton go over to Desiros from this Tuesday. This will be the focus of
Desiro use with Central Trains for a while - Weaver Junction to Liverpool
will take until September to clear!

TM

Clive spaketh:

> There speaks someone who obviously hasn't been in a Skoda for at least 5
> or 6 years.


Don't forget the diesel that beat a BMW Mini Cooper round their track

Skoda made several large bits of the London Eye - including the hub.
And BA went to them direct, not by asking for least cost tenders.

Decent firm, since VW started putting something strong in the tea.

But then, I like 321s as well... Does anyone else sprawl full length on
the 4-seater in the "guards compartment" at the London end, last
cushion folded up for feet to dangle? Bliss.

AE
"And on that bombshell..."

Tony Miles wrote:
....[321s]

>
> But they are incredibly reliable - excellent MPC figures.
>
> Oh, and just a note - several 321 diagrams between Birmingham and
> Northampton go over to Desiros from this Tuesday. This will be the focus of
> Desiro use with Central Trains for a while - Weaver Junction to Liverpool
> will take until September to clear!
>
> TM


At least on Silverlink the Dusties have carpets and little tables!  The
ones we get on the GE lines have vinyl flooring and no tables.  At
least they seem to be, mainly, confined to shorter runs like Southend
and Braintree now, with the Clactons and the Harwiches in the hands of
our (also table-less) Desiros.

Ken