Re: GSR will extend the Ghan service to Darwin

[Neil Williams <willian7@ug023.cs.man.ac.uk>]

John Gough <gof@iname.com> wrote:
> On 1 Nov 1999 12:39:32 GMT, Neil Williams
> <willian7@ug023.cs.man.ac.uk> wrote:

>>In what way?  Although I'm no fan of the Mark 3 coach's interior,
>>personally, I do recognise that it's probably the strongest and best-built
>>coach ever seen in the UK, and is light years ahead of the UIC standard
>>coach in that respect.

> I liked its interior much better as it was originally fitted out -- in
> both classes -- than as it has been re-done by the various TOCs. It
> was a good, open, spacious environment.

Do I take it you mean when it contained 16 bays of 4+table and 8 airlines,
as originally specified by BR then subsequently messed up again by them?
If so, I would probably agree, with the exception of the window alignment
(or lack thereof).  In the present format, you've got IIRC 10 4+table sets
per coach, most of which aren't aligned properly with a window.  Compare
to a 158, with 8 sets which are window-aligned, and have raising armrests
(easier to get in) and the 4+table groups matching up properly in case 8
are travelling together.  Okay, one could argue that the 158 should have
had 8 bodyside windows and better-spaced seating, but the seating
arrangement is fairly good for modern stock.

Personally, I'd prefer a hauled coach with 9 bodyside windows (larger than
158 ones - no cab space wasted) and a 158-type layout.  This would mean
that the airlines were spaced well enough to be pleasant for me to use
(and other tall people), and would also mean that the point at which the
train felt crowded would be a higher load than a full coach of 4+table.

Neil
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