The Bumpy Ride of the Class 323
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- This is a reupload of my Class 323 video, now with revised photos, additional information on the KTM Class 81, and includes my own footage that I managed to film back when the weather was nice.
We once again head back to trains, and I've decided to highlight the development of something a bit more closer to home for me, as I ride on these units every weekday on my way to work. The Class 323 is the underappreciated workhorse of the Midlands and Manchester railway network, and while these trains are fairly reliable nowadays, there was a time when they almost didn't enter service at all, helping to bring about the collapse of its parent company.
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated TH-camrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): rorymacveigh@gmail.com
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
Special thanks to Dave Coxon (which I accidentally spelled Coxton in the on-screen credit, apologies!) at Traintesting for allowing me the use of his photos of the Class 323 on test in Vienna, be sure to check out his site for more interesting and insightful images of British trains on test:
www.traintestin...
If you enjoyed this video, why not leave a like, and consider subscribing for more great content coming soon.
Paypal: paypal.me/rory...
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Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D
References:
Leeds Engine (and their respective references)
Wikipedia (and its respective references)
Gotta love a train that sounds like an ill formula 1 car
Sergent Sylveon have you ever seen formula 1? It sounds nothing like one
@@coastliner7009 Relax, it's a joke
They look good too, so I hope they stick around awhile longer.
@@alan6832 they're being replaced soon by new 730's
This comment is underrated
Class 150: Haha I go brrrr
Class 323: yeah but I go whirr
@dave dude Class 37 goes BBRR.........BRRRR.......BRRRRRRRRR
@@jayamd3579 Class 158 goes: BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
@@midnight_styx 360 goes: BRRRRRRUHHHHHH
377 goes eeeeeeee uuuuuuuhhhooooohhhohohohohohohohoooooooooooo
@@mother-of-all-things-esc 165 goes REEEEEE
These are the one thing I didn't hate about my commute to work every morning. That noise is unique, and the fact they replaced the old Class 304 and 305 cannot be underestimated, especially as I was on a journey home from work and the Class 304 I was on decided to fail just outside of Stockport for 90 minutes! the 323's were and still are my favourite commuter EMU's.
The sound of the traction anginges can also be heard in the Netherlands.
The VIRM of NS sounds almost the same. Only is the VIRM slower when starting.
They put the clapped-out ex-Glasgow '303's on the Glossop service in 1984: the 3-coach units had no toilets, like most stations on that route. It was said that the units had been pulled from the scrap line in order to replace the vintage D.C. '506' units.
So glad these class 323’s are still on the mainline, they are some of my favourite trains with there unique sound/motor and there cool looking look.
I grew up a mile from Sutton Coldfield station, and I'll never forget being stood in the back yard late one quiet night (having a last smoke before bed) and clearly hearing that traction motor sound as a 323 left the station.
Always my favourite EMU. Quiet, excellent visibility, speedy, great. Interesting article thanks.
I have been a daily traveller on 323s for a number of years. They have been very adequate for what they are set out to do.
I like how you included the KTM class 81s, glad to see you include trains from my home country!
really wanted to say that hahah legendary 81 class with the traction motor sound and the cramped interior
KimsOfficiall nice to find a fellow Malaysian! Though I’m yet to ride a Class 81 for myself :(
@@kaydensrailway5594 had fond memories joyriding it with my mother on weekends from sg buloh to seremban circa 03-07/08. it is a rare sight nowdays. but i do sometimes see it on the rawang-tg malim shuttle replacing the skypark link 83 class
KimsOfficiall cool
This train is very special to me. Very nostalgic whenever I see one or ride one. This is mainly because when i was younger my grandparents would take me out around the west midlands and we would often go to Walsall as my grandad worked around the Bescot Stadium station. The noise these things make just bring back alot of memories of going around and taking pictures of trains and older buses that have been withdrawn and scrapped. This is by far my favourite train and accompanied by its London Midland colours it kind of brings a tear to my eye knowing that even with the recent refurb, they will be leaving the midlands and get replaced by something new. It really is a shame.
14:04 feels like pretty much every train I’ve ever gotten on considering I’ve lived near the Manchester-Crewe line my entire life, plus the sound of them leaving the station is just so iconic I doubt I’ll ever forget about them
Great work - both interesting and very professionally put together. You have a good voice for narration as well. 👏👍
Merely some of the 3:4-format-vids are digitised horisontally-stretched.
Thanks for the reupload. Maybe one of the best motor sounds on the British Railways.
I'm a student at the university of birmingham and these have been my local trains for the past two years, while it's exciting to see what's coming next I'll definitely miss these, they gave me a new appreciation for EMUs.
Well, two years later and it looks like the 730s won't be introduced until after I've finished my course, so I've still got a few months more of 323 appreciation as a silver lining...
Great video and superb units - I remember when they were first introduced in the Greater Manchester area on the Styal Loop (Manchester Airport) line. They caused quite a stir when they were first introduced particularly with their sounds, after replacing the ageing Class 304/305 units and eventually went onto demonstrate excellent reliability.
Could you do a history on the pacer
Edit: Thank you for the likes friends.
I was thinking that, they're my favourite trains ever
@@FannyLerouxTime mine two
BananaMower Personally, I value my comfort, hearing and life when I ride trains and therefore don’t like Pacers but it would be interesting to see a video on them
Naenae Gaming - AdelanteGuy I understand and respect your impion we all don’t like the same things 😀
Seconded 👍
I loved this video so much, thank you! Bags of information and so well put together.
Being from the Birmingham area, I have one observation - your opening map of the cross city line takes a route through Walsall, Sandwell and south east Dudley rather than Birmingham, which is the larger area to the right of the line. This does however point out one of the problems we have as a conurbation: the largest CBD is not central to the built up area, as perhaps might be more the case with London, Manchester or Glasgow. This leaves Birmingham itself with a decent rail network, but the Black Country (which is actually bigger by population and area) with very poor rail links that traverse the area rather than linking the towns and cities together. This is happily changing with lines reopening to commuter traffic and particularly the Metro, as is the case on the South Staffs line.
Those old British Railways DMUs were great as train spotters we’d use western region DMUs out Paddington. They were noisy and you could always smell the diesel, like riding in the cab of a lorry. We travel on DMUs to Southall for 81c Sheds to see the old GWR railcars!
The class 310 / Class 312s were lovely trains. Did have a tendency to slip and slide because of the disc brakes, but as long as you were aware of this and careful, they were fine.
I’ve been riding these units since the year 2000 which I remember seeing the old centro livery and of course the Central trains livery of 2007 London midland until 2017 and nowadays it’s now West Midlands railway
I remember travelling on one of these out of Manchester Piccadilly in what would have probably been 1996. It was painted in the purple with gold stars livery of North Western and I distinctly remember that sound as it set off.
Part of my life for 16 years commuting on both sides of the cross city line when I worked in Lichfield then in redditch never forgot that noise!!
The trains that ran from Gillingham (Kent) up to London used to sound just like that (I think that was a class 466 though). I always wondered whether it was a gearing thing, good to know!
Wasn't expecting Jenbacher Werke to make an appearance, my grandpa worked there and my parents grew up in that town
A very informative and excellent video. The Class 310s soldiered on in use on the Cross-City line until 1999 with one diagram daily of a pair operating from Lichfield Trent Valley until the end of the morning rush hour - appearing for another commuter spell in the evening.
I love the 323, the noises they make are magical honestly. The tshc tsch tsch they make at the station and then the thyristor sound. Genuinely my favourite train.
The train now approaching platform 8-A is the 10:03 central trains service to Lichfield Trent Valley, calling at ... then the thyristor coming in on the brakes, the screeching, and then the tsch tsch tsch as it sits there patiently waiting to emit that gorgeous thyristor sound when gearing up. Such a great unit.
@@Ribeanie - I'm not sure there's an 's' in tsch. I think it's more 'tch tch....tch' 😄
Electric trains do not switch gears. The distinctive sound is created by the switching pattern in the 3AC converters varying, and you can hear a similar (though usually less pronounced) effect on pretty much any 3AC vehicle.
Indeed, this is the same sound from the Netherlands, the VIRM: th-cam.com/video/NB28MFFzBnk/w-d-xo.html
@@JJVernig Yes. Although it also has a short period th sound from the SGM. A sprinter that was riding at NS as well.
I think the term 'gears' was used simply to refer to 'speeds' or power stages. Pretty sure everyone is aware that electric trains don't have ratio-based gearboxes.
I used to get these from school on the cross city line in the early 2000s. I loved the electric noises, and they were so much faster than the 150’s on the Shirley line!
That unit in Malaysia looks like it’s got the different doors and different traction motor sounds and the different front end than the 323s in Britain
Compared to what we have for rail in North America, you folks in Britain are in commuter heaven. I base this on having enjoyed a lot of Don Coffey’s driver’s view vjdeos. And having ridden the HST from Paddington Stn to Swansea, Wales. . With bicycles in the guard van. .
11:36 I really like that livery on that class 323. I used to see this livery on class 170s and class 158s as well as class 156s in and around Edinburgh as First ScotRail units.
I've never seen one of your video and been inspired to try ride one of these trains but I want to go on this one for the noise alone. Great video as always.
Another really smooth video on a subject that is often overlooked. The historical details are excellent and I was especially interested in the Malayan variant. Looking forward to more great videos.
the 323 looks brilliant in the first livery
I agree, that first livery the 323s have in the video is the Regional Railways WMPTE livery and it’s the best livery the 323s have ever had imo.
How regrettable that so much production took place before the suspension problems were properly realised.
Initially many workings were cancelled and replaced by any DMUs 'in stock' at New Street due to problems with the regen brakes. The door mechanisms were fragile and had to be locked out, while in a handful of cases the floor covering rippled. The 'yodel' sound as they move away contrasted with the DMUs but had memories of London Transport trains.
The 323 as far as I know does not have a gearbox. That sound is the VF drive pulsing and having to change frequency to prevent the transistors being overloaded. It does this several times to create the "changing gear" sound.
That's what Wikipedia said. I feel that if Ruairidh is mentioning a specific number of speeds in the trans, then he would have had a source for that information. Whether it was correct information or not...
Semantics. In a sense the varying levels of power output could be considered as 'gears', just not in the mechanical ratio-based sense.
@@DavidR_192 there is no variation in power output when it does this, only the sound changes
Great video I like your recent videos about the peaks and now 323’s. Keep it up!
It's so weird seeing such a modern train without air conditioning. Here in Australia, we've had it since the late 70s in commuter trains, and since the early 50s in long distance ones. But I suppose you can get away without it in a less extreme climate.
Lol... in the UK there are about 2 days per year where AC would be handy. For the remainder, it's all about the heating!
I remember the first time boarding this train. Oh you can't believe how excited I was!
Love these new videos man they are awesome!
12:34 this is not correct. Trains motors do not have gears. It is due to the VF drive changing the pattern of the pulsing when the frequency of the PWM gets too high, in order to lower the frequencies the VF drive had to handle.
There is a reference to how the 323 works in this video:
th-cam.com/video/OZK8N-ug7W4/w-d-xo.html
And this video explains it in a detailed manner (but ignore the part with the initial PWM when departing as the 323 were soely Pattern based pulsing, not PWM):
th-cam.com/video/VOm8ePMg1dE/w-d-xo.html
Nice Video. have just subscribed to your channel after watching three of your videos. Must go to bed now as it's 4.15am. Watch more tommorow or should I say today. Once again great Video keep them coming,
What a load of... oh... WHAT A MAJESTIC SOUND! :O
In Malaysia there a train i use to ride call Class 81 it also based off from this train if u searched and see it similarities
Used to sit at Cadbury world on my coach and listen to the 323 pass by on a regular basis
I love what you do and can you please do the clas 04 or the the class 73
I used to commute on these a lot back when they used to run the stopper service between Coventry and Wolverhampton. If I remember correctly (I think towards the end of Central Trains franchise?) some of the units had a TV on them showing news highlights and weather. Always struck me as a bit odd that you HAD to listen to it!
They did have this TVs, it flipped between weather, headlines and something else. In my experience they were universally ignored
Finally an MP who understands personal sacrifice for the greater good
Also, great to see a feature on my local line - I live about ten minutes from Lichfield and always take the train from there if visiting Birmingham (cheaper than trying to park in the city centre!).
The most commonly used word in any documentary on the railways in Britain：”However”。
Interesting map at 0:40... I wasn't aware that Birmingham New Street was located in the middle of Sandwell, rather than actually in Birmingham! That aside, cracking video.
The iconic (almost alien) tractionmotor sounds are just like the tractionmotor sounds of the VIRM.
A doubledecker train that's in use by NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen). The Dutch Railway company.
I've lived alongside the Cross City line pretty much all of my life and well remember the old Tysley cobbler DMUs which served it. They were great as a kid for watching out the front/rear cabs. I started secondary school in Sutton Coldfield in 1991 so started proper 'commuting' from Chester Road just before electrification. The change to the 'dinosaur' EMUs was actually quite good. The 304s although old were interesting, with their bumpy ride the suspension seemed to be the seats but the 310s were awesome once they sorted out the excess tyre wear on the curvaceous route. When the 323s arrived it was like a retrograde step to the old EMUs we had. They were bloody awful! At a lanky 6'1" I couldn't (and still can't) fit into half the seats without having to cram up into the foetal position, and if I sit in one of the bays my knees literally were in the lap of the person opposite. These god-awful things were built for hobbits. That is if you were lucky enough to get a seat, the usual 4 coach or pair of 4 coach DMU shrunk to a 3 coach EMU which meant standing in packed aisles and couldn't get off because nobody standing would move out of the way. Then there was the fun of their first winter, when the air filters blocked because of 'the wrong kind of snow' meaning the old DMUs and EMUs were drafted back into service because the 323s literally couldn't operate. I'll be honest, its entirely because of how bad these units were that I decided to learn to drive back in 1997. I still live less than 300m from a Cross City line station, and to this day I still refuse to get the train, its further for me to walk the nearest bus stop yet I'd still rather get the bus or drive.
The 157 wouldve looked fire.
The 3-Car Class 323s used on West Midlands Railway and Northern are very reliable, commuter suburban electric trains that have the most weirdest and loudest traction motors and sound similar to the Class 317, Class 321, Class 332, Class 333 and Class 334 AC 25kv OHL units and Class 458 DC 750v 3rd Rail units.
But sadly West Midlands Railway Class 323 are to be replaced by the Class 730 Aventras (same with the London Northwestern Railway Class 350/2 and Class 319). That the Class 730 are schedule to enter service from next year.
Never ridden one, sadly. The 170s have made so many memories for me however, I’ll be sad to see them go on the WSL.
Can we have a video on the class 37 and a video for the class 150
excellent commentary from you mate
When I was a little boy of 6 I loved the DMU's like at 1.00 and they still make me excited today ! I would gladly donate to any restored DMU's if I could have my name on the Cab Door ..hint hint...I never had any interest in steam though as they never appealed to me from year dot !
0:27 you had me worried.
I prefer the original livery of these EMUs in white, green and blue, rather than their current visual appearance, but it is nice that they recently received and upgrade and associated investment, to keep them fit for the future.
0:44 - New Street is now officially in Sandwell and Sutton is in Walsall
Hi Ruairidh,
are you sure about the 17 gear gearbox? If I listen to that video, I hear it "shift" 17 times, so that would emply that there are 18 gears. I'm pretty sure you're hearing a thyristor doing it's work.
Amazing video though!
I'm also pretty sure there isn't any gearbox nor gears. The thyristors are just going through their different frequencies vibrating the traction motors which then produce the distinct sound.
@@laju The dms vehicles have a motor driving each axle through gearing but no they don't change gear. The sound is the traction equipment driving the motors at different frequencies. You hear a similar thing during braking as the motors regenerate.
Would love to see some Bouncing up to Blackpool North At some point but that always seams to be put off. For northern they tend to be on the Greater Manchester runs or back and forth to Stoke on Trent. They are pretty comfy and that odd multi stage whine makes it weird at first.
Sadly I doubht you will see any 323’s going to Blackpool North, as the 331’s cover electric services to Blackpool North.
The 323’s will spend the rest of their working life with Northern working electric services around greater manchester, Liverpool and to stoke on Trent which is partly what they were built for.
I agree that the 323’s are comfy which is why I’m glad they operate services on my line.
10:59 The 17 manchester based 323s were reallocated to Allerton TMD in Liverpool in I think 2018. They are no longer allocated to longsight TMD.
I got confused by the title. From introduction to around 2003, whenever I rode on a B'ham 323 they always seemed to have wheelflats. Still gave a smooth ride, just with an irritating "d-d-d-d" sound.
I miss when they were used in the Walsall-Wolverhampton shuttle and to Birmingham International
Would be interesting to see a video on the class 507/508 considering there soon to be retired after over 40 years !
These run on the cross city line which i use and i love the noises!
What happened to your class 158 video?
Absolutly love all your railway 'class' or 'type' uploads.can't pronounce your name though,my friend,sorry.
The closest Englsh pronunciation is probably 'Rory', but that's only a guess.
Love your videos, you can make anything interesting.
8:02 and 8:13 - used to love that blue and white livery so much.
12:41 They do NOT switch gears. That’s not how these kind of 90’s EMU’s work. The sound is generated by the GTO’s when they reach max frequency and switch to a different voltage step. Then they build up the frequency again, etc. This is pure electrical, not mechanical in any way.
....and another one. It's just semantics. The changes in power output / voltage step can be considered as 'gears', just not in a mechanical, ratio-based sense. Why are people obsessed with showing how 'smart' they are?
@@DavidR_192 I am not obsessed with being smart. But it’s total misinformation. By this kind of misinformation people keep spreading the misinformation. I work as a trainmechanic, and even then I learned half of what the “fanatics” claim is incorrect.
@@DavidR_192 second of all. If you can’t handle criticism or don’t care about the facts, then why are you even watching the channel in the first place? All his other works is correct to the point. So why am I wrong to make a correction?
Class 323 had upgrade to Alstom IGBT Control for increase reliablility.
But the engineers of Alstom design to programming frequency same as the old HOLEC GTO to avoid the recertification
@@AAA839 Same for the NS VIRM EMUs. Wich use a similar traction system, also revised by Alstom in 2012-2013 from GTO to IGBT.
When you siad "changing gears" do you mean actual gears? Thanks for the great video about a class I had not even heard of !
That’s what he said, but it is very wrong.
KTM Komuter has been brought back to service using different motors
They're ok trains, & I think they had/have a few UK 230v mains sockets per coach, probably meant for the cleaners when lappies weren't big in 1994 etc
I’ve been riding them ever since they were Centro in 2000 and if they stay for another 2 years I will get to drive one
The 323’s will leave WMT by 2022 at the latest as far as I can tell, so I’m really sorry but if you are planning to work for WMT as a driver in 2 years I doubht you’ll get to drive a 323.
At the earliest the 323’s could leave WMT by next year, when the 323’s leave WMT depends on how the testing and introduction of the class 730/0’s goes.
Me and my mom went on class 323 from redditch to Birmingham when I was 6 years old it was fun
Mom? You live in Brum and you call her Mom?! 😄
@@DavidR_192eh I just like saying mom instead of mother or mum or mama or mommy
An Australian novelty song of the Country & Western genre would be the perfect theme song for these trains, "Old Man Emu" by John Williamson, recorded 50 years ago, in 1970. (50 years ago? Yikes!)
strange watching a train I've caught suddenly turning up in my you tube feed
The sound of the 323s setting off has led to the nickname "starship" due to their sounding like a scifi engine
Never heard the 323s ever being given the nickname “starship” before.
@@lordparma7556 323s originally got nicknamed Starships by the local spotters upon introduction to the Midlands - when they entered service in the north of England, the nickname stuck
@@Trek001 Huh interesting, thanks for that information, most people have forgotten the nickname it seems as well I’ve never heard anyone say it, nor had I seen that nickname for the 323s until today.
Again thanks for the information, really nice to know the 323s have a nickname, even if it is rarely used.
@@lordparma7556 The world of Class nicknames is amusing and funny
The soon to arrive Class 69s have already got the nickname "top and tailers" for obvious reasons
@@Trek001 Lol nice nickname for the 69s. Yeah train nicknaming is a wonderful world.
Sadly the 323s are no longer called by their nickname, guess just forgot about it.
Tbh I feel like nicknames for passenger trains are just not used as much as the nicknames for freight trains, kinda sad.
Hunslet actually belongs to Statfold Engineering
10:04 the 303 units are the trains my parents used when they where young
Great video! Great lockdown viewing! Thanks.
YOOOOO Thank you for mentioning the KTM 81 since I live in Malaysia even tho I prefer Steam over Electrics
323 runs most of the Manchester to Glossop line which is close to me and there amazing
Same Im also near Glossop
@Ruairidh MacVeigh the NS Virm sets had this sound until their first modernisation
2:51 that #slamdoor arrangement tho
Does this mean the 158 video is coming back as well?
I hope so... was gutted when it was removed
I think at least one of these 323 units should be preserved for railtours.
They can only do that if they are on a farewell tour
There might be a farewell tour in the west midlands for the 323’s when they leave WMT, can’t say for sure though.
I’m sure though that once the 323’s are fully retired at the end of their working life there will be a farewell tour though.
I’m hoping that 323201 get preserved and put on static display at a railway museum, don’t know if that will happen though.
So the 323's started in Birmingham on 7th February 1994 but when did they first start in Manchester?
I clearly remember the 323's starting on the Manchester - Glossop line sometime in 1997.
Often find them sharing the Liverpool - Manchester line with 319.
True.
And hers my bit of grammar:
/'Main Line/ becomes /Main 'Line/
/'passenger workings/ -> /passenger 'workings/
/mid 'afternoon train/ -> /mid afternoon 'train/
Oh and /Sulzer/ became /Ssulser/ 🤔
But regardless, nice look into history!
What’s the next locomotive in mind? Can I vote the LBSCR A1 Terrier?
"Compounded by the painful fisting of privatisation" - there, fixed it for you..
Ruairidh, why not do a video on the Merseyrail system, far and away the best of the regional metro systems.
Can you do something on the newer trains and their bumpy introduction, ie tpe timetable nightmare after 802s late.
Is that a Mk2 intercity carriage on the rear of that DMU at 2:00?
A very good video that is very interesting. :)