wrote in message
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In article
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(Andy) wrote:
On Jun 24, 1:22 pm, wrote:
In article
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(Mizter T) wrote:
The LM trains on loan to Southern still have LM route maps in them
then? If so (what you say isn't entirely clear), then that's a bit
shabby. Though are the units on loan to Southern fixed, or do they
rotate (for maintenance purposes etc)?
They must be fixed, surely? They had to fit shoegear which only
applies to the units loaned to Southern.
They're not fixed, as there are at least 10 units with shoegear and
the 'spares' still operate LM services. There is an ECS diagram to/
from Selhurst to swap units over for maintenance.
So, only a small subset of the LM fleet but enough to come and go between
LM and Southern for maintenance. Most of the LM Desiro fleet don't have
shoegear, surely?
All the 350/1s already had shoegear fitted, but the actual shoes - the
'wearing part' had apparently been removed AIUI. But the shoe arm itself
isn't usually visible, as it rotates upwards (pivoted at the inboard end)
behind the shoebeam, whenever the pantograph is up. The edge of the shoe is
only just visible when raised, so you'd probably not realise it was there if
the unit was at speed on AC supplies. I photographed a WLL service during
layover at Milton Keynes last week with my phone camera - in the ambient
light conditions the shoe was visible to the eye, but didn't come out on the
picture...
Also, about 15 units have appeared on the WLL service so far - so with only
4 out of 15 at a time needing SN maps, you can see why they haven't bothered
changing them.
Paul S