Autumn refresh for GWR Class 165/166 Turbos

[HamworthyGoods]

The picture above perfectly illustrates why I no longer use the train on Journeys from South Hampshire to Cardiff. Who wants to spend around three hours in such a harsh, noisy rattling and sometimes even fume-filled environment perched on a seat like that? It's utterly disgraceful!

Evidently lots of people do as the trains are never quiet.

 

[GWVillager]

Evidently lots of people do as the trains are never quiet.

No, lots of people want to travel on that route, not the train. The atmosphere on those busy Portsmouth to Cardiff Turbos is dismal, and I have no doubt that demand would climb even higher if comfortable, higher capacity trains were introduced. The stripping of carpet is just rubbing salt into a wound.

 

[Parallel]

No, lots of people want to travel on that route, not the train. The atmosphere on those busy Portsmouth to Cardiff Turbos is dismal, and I have no doubt that demand would climb even higher if comfortable, higher capacity trains were introduced. The stripping of carpet is just rubbing salt into a wound.

I don’t really see why they need to remove the carpet? If anything, the carpet is probably the nicest thing on the Class 166s!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I don’t really see why they need to remove the carpet? If anything, the carpet is probably the nicest thing on the Class 166s!

Carpet to lino is a very retrograde step for a train now working really rather lengthy distances

 

[Anonymous10]

Carpet to lino is a very retrograde step for a train now working really rather lengthy distances

I wonder if it's to do with easier cleaning at outstations.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I wonder if it's to do with easier cleaning at outstations.

Everything’s about staff convenience over customer experience these days, and it’s a poor consideration of priorities.

 

[GWVillager]

I don’t really see why they need to remove the carpet? If anything, the carpet is probably the nicest thing on the Class 166s!

Indeed, it’s odd and doesn’t seem to be happening on other units. I hope it’s just a one-off.

 

[387star]

Indeed, it’s odd and doesn’t seem to be happening on other units. I hope it’s just a one-off.

The carpet on 158956 was all tearing apart maybe that's the reason

 

[py_megapixel]

No, lots of people want to travel on that route, not the train. The atmosphere on those busy Portsmouth to Cardiff Turbos is dismal, and I have no doubt that demand would climb even higher if comfortable, higher capacity trains were introduced. The stripping of carpet is just rubbing salt into a wound.

Clean, fresh hard flooring is far preferable to dated, dirty, torn carpet though.

 

[Anonymous10]

Everything’s about staff convenience over customer experience these days, and it’s a poor consideration of priorities.

I personally would prefer clean lino to filthy carpet so it depends if they do actually use it to keep the units cleaner.

 

[Parallel]

I personally would prefer clean lino to filthy carpet so it depends if they do actually use it to keep the units cleaner.

Well, judging by the state of the lino on the 165s, it looks worse! They needed a darker colour lino I think.

 

[Anonymous10]

Well, judging by the state of the lino on the 165s, it looks worse! They needed a darker colour lino I think.

Unfortunately - or is it fortunately? - I have not been on a turbo in about months.

 

[50002Superb]

It looks like another attempt at a Wolverton swap is to be made tomorrow;

5Q81 0633 Wolverton Centre Sidings to St Philips Mrsh H S T D

Realtime Trains | 5Q81 0633 Wolverton Centre Sidings to St Philips Mrsh H S T D | 20/09/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q81 0633 departure from Wolverton Centre Sidings to St Philips Mrsh H S T D on 20/09/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

5Q70 1331 St Philips Mrsh H S T D to Wolverton Centre Sidings

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1331 St Philips Mrsh H S T D to Wolverton Centre Sidings | 20/09/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1331 departure from St Philips Mrsh H S T D to Wolverton Centre Sidings on 20/09/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

However, I am not sure whether 5Q81 will still be 166201, which has been at Wolverton since 03/08, or 166202 which has been at Wolverton since 21/08 and would be due to return if the usual 4 weeks for the refresh was being followed?

Did 201 make the journey back to Bristol today?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Well, judging by the state of the lino on the 165s, it looks worse! They needed a darker colour lino I think.

Yes, mud often tracked through them.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Did 201 make the journey back to Bristol today?

No, as posted by CR165022, 5Q81 and 5Q70 were both cancelled again. I do not know why 166201 is being delayed.

 

[GWVillager]

Clean, fresh hard flooring is far preferable to dated, dirty, torn carpet though.

Yes, but clean, fresh carpet is preferable even to that. It hides mud and other minor dirt, and reduces noise noticeably. I would much rather the green and grey carpet to Lino, it wasn’t even that old.

 

[50002Superb]

No, as posted by CR165022, 5Q81 and 5Q70 were both cancelled again. I do not know why 166201 is being delayed.

Apologies, must have missed that post.

@diligentdave might know the reasons

 

[fgwrich]

Yes, but clean, fresh carpet is preferable even to that. It hides mud and other minor dirt, and reduces noise noticeably. I would much rather the green and grey carpet to Lino, it wasn’t even that old.

Indeed, the carpet provides a noticeable sound deadening effect in various DMUs including the 166.

 

[D6975]

No, lots of people want to travel on that route, not the train. The atmosphere on those busy Portsmouth to Cardiff Turbos is dismal, and I have no doubt that demand would climb even higher if comfortable, higher capacity trains were introduced. The stripping of carpet is just rubbing salt into a wound.

Anyone who has done Bristol - Southampton and beyond by car will understand why the train is so popular on this route. The A36 is a pretty bad trunkroad with only short stretches of decent dual carriageway and is oft mentioned as needing an upgrade. The alternative route is considerably longer and not really an option.

 

[12LDA28C]

Yes, mud often tracked through them.

Which is much easier to clean off lino than it is carpet.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Carpet to lino is a very retrograde step for a train now working really rather lengthy distances

Carpet is a bit rubbish on trains, it is hard to clean so is invariably filthy. I'd far rather see premium looking lino, e.g. fake wood, which seems to be near universal on buses now. I'd agree "NHS fleck" looks awful though.

 

[12LDA28C]

Indeed, the carpet provides a noticeable sound deadening effect in various DMUs including the 166.

But carpet is much more difficult to keep clean. Carpet can get ripped and stained whilst lino can be kept clean much more easily with a simple mop and bucket.

 

[berneyarms]

Apologies, must have missed that post.

@diligentdave might know the reasons

FYI, clicking on the links in the post you quoted would also tell you that the transfers were cancelled.

 

[Melancholia]

But carpet is much more difficult to keep clean. Carpet can get ripped and stained whilst lino can be kept clean much more easily with a simple mop and bucket.

The problem with the lino fitted to the recently refurbished 165s is the texture of it resembles what would be best described as sandpaper.

This is why the new lino on turbos is so hard to keep clean, as it is impossible to mop without taking hours per unit.

 

[Siemens Staines]

FYI, clicking on the links in the post you quoted would also tell you that the transfers were cancelled.

To be fair, sometimes these trains are re-planned with a new scheduled to run a few hours later so that the train in the link will show as cancelled, even though it does run. However, in this case that did not happen. Assuming that 166203 is still next in line to go to Wolverton, then checking the whereabouts of that unit can be an indicator as to whether these transfers will run or not.

 

[GWVillager]

But carpet is much more difficult to keep clean. Carpet can get ripped and stained whilst lino can be kept clean much more easily with a simple mop and bucket.

Without meaning to sound dismissive, we have managed it on trains for over 100 years. We don’t need to be so terrified of dirt going unnoticed in carpet that we let all other considerations fall to the wayside.

 

[12LDA28C]

Without meaning to sound dismissive, we have managed it on trains for over 100 years. We don’t need to be so terrified of dirt going unnoticed in carpet that we let all other considerations fall to the wayside.

Hardly letting 'all other considerations fall to the wayside'. Not all train interiors feature carpet anyway.

 

[GWVillager]

Hardly letting 'all other considerations fall to the wayside'. Not all train interiors feature carpet anyway.

It is, really. Carpet provides a better ambience/first impression for passengers and a quieter journey, the only other considerations you can really find with regards to train flooring.

And obviously not all feature carpet, but virtually all trains on routes of this calibre do, indeed, the 158s and (most) 166s have it. I don’t see what’s changed recently that would affect the ability of operators to maintain carpets.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hardly letting 'all other considerations fall to the wayside'. Not all train interiors feature carpet anyway.

Short distance commuter trains don’t. Something that really ruined the 458s for me was the replacement of carpet with lino, the 334 would look far more welcoming with carpet, and the lack of it on Frecciarossa really cheapens the feel of what would otherwise be an exceptional high speed train to me.

 

[GWVillager]

Short distance commuter trains don’t. Something that really ruined the 458s for me was the replacement of carpet with lino, the 334 would look far more welcoming with carpet, and the lack of it on Frecciarossa really cheapens the feel of what would otherwise be an exceptional high speed train to me.

Finally, someone else who thought the same about Frecciorossa! I’d never dared say that.