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James Shields · 26-06-2006, 15:04

I agree with you about the purpose of the 2900s/C3Ks. My point was that IE put a huge amount of effort into getting the train right from an engineer's point of view, but almost none from a passenger perspective. A few minor tweaks could have made a big difference. I don't know if anyone could have known about the rolling suspenseion in advance, since it was the first time CAF had built for Ireland, but it was certainly known that Irish track can be dodgy. However, the interior noice could certainly have been predicted and a little insulation would have gone a long way. I also think the interior could have been made a little more pleasent all round.

The C3Ks feel about half way between commuter and full intercity. You could probably reasonably call it a regional train. The doorway placement is commuter style, but there is not such a big standing area around it. Glass panels partially seperate the doorways from the rest of the passenger compartment, but you'd still get an icy blast when the doors open on a cold day. The finishing is all to a higher standard, with some nicer colours and it all looks a little less clinical. The noise problem has largely been dealt with, and the suspension is way better than 2900 or Enterprise, but not in the same league as Mk3 or CDE.

If the CDE is anything to go by, I think there is reason to hope that the IC DMUs will be a whole lot better than the C3Ks. The CDE ride was a bit off out of the box, but IE had obviously speced enough adjustability that they were able to get the spanners out and fiddle to produce something very close to the Mk3 ride. It's clear that they know what to aim for, and I would expect that they will be looking for something similar from the new kit. The fact that a mock-up was made of the CDE is very encouraging. It whould have been better if they'd sought feedback from customers, but at least they had a good look at the interior and got all the things they wanted.

Now, if only we could get them to give the same attention to detail when dealing with customers...

26-06-2006, 15:04	#10
James Shields Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Drogheda, Ireland Posts: 1,275	I agree with you about the purpose of the 2900s/C3Ks. My point was that IE put a huge amount of effort into getting the train right from an engineer's point of view, but almost none from a passenger perspective. A few minor tweaks could have made a big difference. I don't know if anyone could have known about the rolling suspenseion in advance, since it was the first time CAF had built for Ireland, but it was certainly known that Irish track can be dodgy. However, the interior noice could certainly have been predicted and a little insulation would have gone a long way. I also think the interior could have been made a little more pleasent all round. The C3Ks feel about half way between commuter and full intercity. You could probably reasonably call it a regional train. The doorway placement is commuter style, but there is not such a big standing area around it. Glass panels partially seperate the doorways from the rest of the passenger compartment, but you'd still get an icy blast when the doors open on a cold day. The finishing is all to a higher standard, with some nicer colours and it all looks a little less clinical. The noise problem has largely been dealt with, and the suspension is way better than 2900 or Enterprise, but not in the same league as Mk3 or CDE. If the CDE is anything to go by, I think there is reason to hope that the IC DMUs will be a whole lot better than the C3Ks. The CDE ride was a bit off out of the box, but IE had obviously speced enough adjustability that they were able to get the spanners out and fiddle to produce something very close to the Mk3 ride. It's clear that they know what to aim for, and I would expect that they will be looking for something similar from the new kit. The fact that a mock-up was made of the CDE is very encouraging. It whould have been better if they'd sought feedback from customers, but at least they had a good look at the interior and got all the things they wanted. Now, if only we could get them to give the same attention to detail when dealing with customers...