Class 175 Coradia units
Class 175 Coradia units
| Fitted with Cummins N14 450hp/335kW engines and Voith transmission,
these two and three x 23m car long units were built by Alstom (formerly Metro Cammell) at
their Washwood Heath, Birmingham works in 1999 and allocated to the then new
Chester depot. Capable of 100 mile/h with Westinghouse 'Westcode' brakes they had BSI couplers and weighed in at approx. 36 tonnes each vehicle. The units' early running and commissioning was carried out at the Severn Valley Railway where a special temporary shed with a pit road was built for the purpose outside the old goods shed at Kidderminster. Following low speed running the first few 2 car units came to the Old Dalby test track where driver training up to 90 mile/h was undertaken, mainly confined to the Chester traction inspectors and trainers. The author spent some time at Old Dalby when the units were being commissioned as well as arranging the Safety Case for test operation by Serco Railtest on behalf of Alstom Transport. A number of tests were run from the SVR at Kidderminster, including performance tests up the Lickey Incline among other destinations. Later operations involved delivery of the units to Chester depot and numerous test runs from there. Comparison tests with class 465 units were also undertaken on the Southern Region. The 175's must be amongst the few classes which still retain their original livery-almost! |
All pictures are the author's unless otherwise credited
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Three car class 175 101
pictured at Kidderminster whilst undergoing testing and commissioning at
the Severn Valley Railway during
2000 Picture by Pam Clay courtesy Dave Rowley |
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2 car 175002 is pictured in the compound at Old Dalby newly arrived from the Severn Valley Railway in November 1999 |
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Pictured on the test track near Grimston |
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Another view at Old Dalby in the sunshine |
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Near Plumtree on a southbound run |
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Standing next to the former
station at Plumtree
Vernon Roberts |
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Another shot at Old Dalby sees the unit partially in the workshop with snow on the ground in January 2000 |
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175003 two car unit stands in the sidings at Tyseley Depot, Birmingham where it been for tyre-turning following some exceptionally heavy braking in adverse rail conditions at the test track. |
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On 1st April 2000 2-car unit
175004 departs Crewe for Holyhead Steve Jones |
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On 20th January 2001, 3-car
unit 175110
is pictured departing around the curve at Crewe North Jcn. Steve Jones |
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175107 sits in platform 12 at Crewe on a Camarthen service on 18th May 2006 |
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175007 pictured at Preston on 25th May 2006 |
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175010 arrives at Preston from the south on 25th May 2006 |
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3-car unit 175111 pictured in platform 5 at Preston on 25th May 2006 |
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175112 sits in platform 8 between duties at Crewe on 25th May 2006 |
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175002 departs Manchester Piccadilly on 3rd August 2006 |
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175110 in its new Arriva livery arrives at Lancaster on 13th July 2006 |
More pictures will be added as time permits