Just 'click' the thumbnails for a fullpage image! (1280 +827 nominal)
Class 180
Built in Birmingham at Washwood-Heath by Alstom from 2000 to 2001. 14 5-car units built.Known as Adelante's
There was identity whatsoever on the front end of this rather scabby and work stained Grand Central Class-180 5-car as it passed Claypole heading north with '1D81' the 16:03 from Kings Cross going to Bradford-Interchange.
..7 may 2018..
An unidentified Class-180 operated by Hull Trains with '1H05' the 15:48 from Kings Cross to Hull passes a Virgin service '1Y88' from York(16:02 off) going down to the 'Cross'.43312/43316 were in use on that working.Seen just north of Claypole Loops.
..7 may 2018..
Now that Grand Central (An Arriva subsiduary) has dispensed with their HST fleet the only trains wearing the distinctive Black & Orange livery now are these Class-180 DMU's.Here is 180112 'James Herriot' going to Kings Cross from Bradford-Interchange (14:33 off) as '1A67'.Seen at Claypole Farm.
..7 may 2018..
Hull Trains operated 180113 speeds south at Claypole with the 15:12 from Hull going to Kings Cross.
..7 may 2018..
The front number 59903 on this train-set is in fact the individual carriage number.The set is actually 180103 with the front fairing designed to cover the coupling gear etc removed seemingly permanantly.Anyway here it is arriving into Worcester Shrub Hill going to Paddington as '1P47' the 12:06 from Worcester Foregate Street.Once the 'IET's come into service these 180's are off to the ECML to work for Grand-Central.Sadly to replaced the HST-sets in use over there.Is that progress ????? errrrrrrrr----No!
..28 august 2017..
Grand-Central's 180101 works north through Claypole with '1D81' the 16:03 from Kings Cross to Bradford-Exchange.Here passing the farm adjacent to the tracks at Claypole.
..25 july 2017..
'Hull Trains' also operate Class-180's but these are still in the First-Group 'Dymanic-Lines' styling. Here is 180110 heading for Hull (surprise-surprise) from Kings Cross (15:48 off) as '1H05'.Location is Claypole.
..25 july 2017..
An unidentified Grand-Central 'Adalanti' Class-180 speeds south past Claypole with '1A67' the 14:33 from Bradford-Exchange to Kings Cross.Plenty of old agricultural machinery in this shot.I will leave it up to you to decide which is which!
25 july 2017..
This 'Adalante' appears numberless but is in fact 180114.It carries the name 'Kirkgate Calling'.The service is operated by the Grand Central in the distinctive Black&Orange style of that Company.It is '1D73' the 14:48 from Kings Cross going up to Bradford Exchange.Viewed passing the wide open spaces at Frinkley Lane north of Grantham.
..25 july 2017..
Grand Central 5-car DMU 180101 in its distinctive Black/Orange livery heads north at Marholm with '1D81' the 16:36 from Kings Cross going to Bradford Exchange.Seen pasing Marholm just north of Werrington-Junction.
..8 april 2017..
Hull-Trains operated 180109 speeds south from Hull (15:30 off) to London Kings-Cross as '1A95'.These 180's up here look exactly the same as on the GWR out of Paddington.Unsurprisingly this small operating company is currently wholly owned by 'First Group'.Seen passing Marholm just north of Werrington-Junction.
8 april 2017..
Adelante Class-180 number 180106 (although you would be hard put to identify it with white numbers on a yellow front-end) sweeps through Sonning Cutting working '1P41' the 12:11 from Didcot to Paddington STP working.For a UK-built DMU these a fairly good looking but FGW will be moving them on when electrification eventually happens.Grand Central Rly appear to be the intended destination when the move happens.
..09 august 2016..
180104 speeds east with an STP working '1P39' the 11:11 from Didcot- Parkway to Paddington.Seen in Sonning Cutting between Duffield Road and Butts Hill Road.Note the freshly installed poles in readiness for the overkill OHLE.3 days ago they were not there so this signifies the beginning of the end for this location photograpically .
..09 august 2016..
'Bugatti' styled 180104 passes Duffield Road at Sonning with '1D23' the 09:50 from Paddington going only as far as Didcot-Parkway.These workings with Class-180's are listed as STP's due to not going any further than Didcot due to the Oxford engineering blockeade.
..09 august 2016..
For some reason the front numbers on these class-180's are white making them quite difficult to read against the yellow nose-ends.However this is actually 180102 seen passing Butts Hill Road in Sonning Cutting working '1P26' the 09:04 from Didcot-Parkway to Paddington.Normally these units further afield but due to the engineering works north of Didcot at Oxford are confined for now to these 'Turbo' type diagrams.
..09 august 2016..
Adalante-180103 is seen at Sonning with '1P35' the 08:26 from Worcester-Foregate Street to Paddington.These stylish units do not seem to have a future with GWR once all the wires-etc are up and running.Quite pleased really because that means that they won't have to suffer the indignity of the dirge-green GWR livery!- Every cloud has a silver lining!!!
..05 may 2016..
'Adalante' 180104 is seen approaching Culham with '2Y94' the 15:50 from Worcester-Foregate Street going only as far as Didcot-Parkway.Rather confusingly this unit is also displaying its individual carriage ID 59904 on the front as well.Either the front panelling is lost or merely left off.
..18 june 2015..
A few years ago these 'Adelante' units were banished by FGW from the routes out of Paddington then amazingly they made a return.After Electrification they will move again,this time permanantly I understand to replace the HST-sets for Grand-Central working out of Kings-Cross.Meanwhile they continue to work from Paddington to Oxford and Worcester etc.Here is '1P35' the 08:25 from Worcester Foregate Street to Paddington operated by 180106. It was slowing for its booked Slough stop.The junction veering off to the left serves the short branch to Windsor&Eton.
..18 february 2015..
Stylish Adelante 180106 motors up Sonning Cutting heading for Paddington with '1P47' from Worcester-Foregate Street that departed there at 12:06. FGW currently operate 5 of these Units out of a total class of 14. Personally I think these are the best looking trains currently in FGW's fleet!
..07 august 2014..
180106 speeds up the fast at South Moreton with the 11:48 from Great Malvern going to Paddington.Running as '1P40' these rather impressive looking 5-car units are now comparatively much more comfortable to ride in than the FGW-HST fleet now that most carriages on these have been modified to cattle-truck style high compression seating!
..22 july 2014..
This is an Oxford 'Fast' from Paddington that departed there at 07:21 as '1D13'.It is passing Didcot-North having missed Parkway Station by way of the avoiding line.180108 was doing the job.
..22 july 2014..
180106 formed the 06:48 from Paddington going to Great Malvern as '1W12'.It is seen at Didcot-North Junction having just departed from the Parkway Station there.
..22 july 2014..
180104 speeds through a still free from OHLE-Masts Cholsey Manor Farm with the 06:04 from Paddington to Didcot '3A05'.
..22 july 2014..
180101 in the distinctive Black/Orange colours of Grand Central rolls down past Knottingley South going to ???? The diverted scheduled Grand Central Sunderland to Kings Cross service passed here RT about 30 minutes later so this was presumably an ECS movement from somewhere 'Up North'.
..15 march 2014..
The use of a wide-angle lens setting (about 35mm in older Film-SLR terms) really accentuates the sleek front end of these Class-180 Adelante's.Here is 180102 seen as it gets away from Culman having been used on '1D53',an all stations stopping service, the 17:18 from Paddington to Oxford.
..04 june 2013..
Adalante 180102 formed the 08:26 from Worcester-Foregate Street going to Paddington '1P35'. Here it is passing Kennington-Junction a mile or so south of Oxford station.Interestingly FGW no longer seem to bother with the fairings around the coupling-gear anymore.Hence the running number being painted on the lower part of the yellow front.Previously when this fairing was left off identification was more difficult because the 180+++ number on that panel was missing!
..04 june 2013..
An early morning Paddington to Oxford service departs Didcot-Parkway in the superb low morning light.A very clean looking 'Adalante' 5-car 180104 making up the train.
..04 june 2013..
'Adelante' 180106 approaches Oxford at Hinksey with '1D53' the 17:18 from Paddington going only as far as Oxford.This is another class that has made a comeback in the last year or so.However FGW saw the error of their ways and re-introduced them when they became available again from duties up north.
..22 may 2013..
Now working for First-Great-Western again after a couple of years away 'up north' Adelante 180102 is seen approaching Oxford with the 11:27 off Paddington to Oxford only '2N32'. Location this time is the northern end on Hinksey Yard with Oxford Station just round the corner in the distance.
..05 march 2013..
180102 sweeps past the lake at Hinksey heading for London-Paddington with '1P40' from Great Malvern (09:54 off).Some of these 180's are now back in the FGW-fold after being rejected several years ago.But due to their desperate need for more seats on some routes in the Thames-Valley they are back.The front-end of these Adalante's reminds me somewhat of the front end of the original Ford-Focus! A far more stylish looking DMU than the much maligned Voyager!
..15 january 2013..
'Adelante' 180108 on the 17:50 from Paddington to Oxford speeds up the 'slow' at Lower Basildon.Note the high flying pigeon checking out the nose of the 180,no doubt trying to recognise the remains of his recently departed brother!
..05 september 2012..
My first encounter with the newly re-introduced Class-180's now returned to the FGW-fleet. Here is 180102 speeding through Lower-Basildon on the fast with the 14:50 express service from Paddington going to Oxford.This new shot has been opened up due to the felling of several trees during the rebuilding of the bridge here ready for the projected electrification from London to Oxford and Cardiff. Make the most of it as when the wires go up the masts and other crap will ruin it forever!
..05 september 2012..
Sporting the striking Black/Orange Livery of Grand-Central 180105 passes Colton-Junction south of York on the 09:18 from Sunderland going to London-Kings-Cross.
..03 february 2011..
5-car 180102 passes Berkley-Marsh on a Exeter bound working from Paddington.These 'Units' did not last very long with FGW and were quickly passed off lease and on to other operators such as 'Hull-Trains' and 'Grand Central'
..07 august 2007..
'Adalante' 180107 which confusingly shows 50907 on its front-end due to the plastic coupling-cover being left off! speeds down past Bunn's Lane nr Witham-Friary with the 12:18 from Paddington going only as far as Exeter-St-Davids. Ahhhh those were the days,spending a usually fruitful lunch break watching movements on this stretch of quite busy mainline to the west.Unfortunately now the gate has a 4ft barbed wire extension to keep the unwanted local riff-raff out and anyway the embankment here is now about 6ft high in bushes and shrubs--so game over here really?
..6 march 2007..
When these Bugatti styled Adelante's first appeared on these services through Westbury the front-end reminded me of the then current Ford-Focus.Those motors are of coarse now long out of production but these units continue to give reasonable service around the county. So here is 'Barbie' styled 180101 which confusingly is showing its carriage number 59901 due to the front fairing over the drawgear being removed.It is slowing for its Westbury stop on the 12:07 from Exeter-St-Davids service to Paddington.These 180's never went further than Exeter when running down the B&H.Location is of coarse Fairwood-Junction nr Westbury.