GWR Class 769 information. (Units no longer with GWR - Off Lease March 23)

[TEW]

I’m surprised first class was retained on the 769s - thought it would have been declassified like the rest of the Thames Valley fleet?

First Class is still provided on the 165s and is in operation on Reading to Gatwick Airport services.

 

[59CosG95]

First Class is still provided on the 165s and is in operation on Reading to Gatwick Airport services.

Thought 1st was only retained on the 166s, with the 165s being downgraded to Std only.

 

[FenMan]

Thought 1st was only retained on the 166s, with the 165s being downgraded to Std only.

That was the case. Then GWR changed their mind. 165s on the NDL have had 1st Class available for a while.

 

[73128]

That was the case. Then GWR changed their mind. 165s on the NDL have had 1st Class available for a while.

and elsewhere it's declassified

 

[skinjaman]

OK - 'Tri-means of supplying motors'. Should be catchy enough!


Welcome new member. It seems pretty apparent now that it's the shutter speed that causes the LEDs' 'flickering' - out of interest, do you happen to know at what shutter speeds you took these shots?

I have to admit, regarding avoiding LED flicker in my photos, I do find it rather hit-and-miss! These were taken at f10, 1/400 second, ISO400

 

[Deepgreen]

I have to admit, regarding avoiding LED flicker in my photos, I do find it rather hit-and-miss! These were taken at f10, 1/400 second, ISO400

I think that faster shutter speeds are the problem - mine were at 1/1250 and it's at that sort of level that I suspect the flickering may be caught.

That was the case. Then GWR changed their mind. 165s on the NDL have had 1st Class available for a while.

Yes, although their labelling has been awful - completely hit and miss for years now.

 

[bnsf734]

From my experience in May, a few weeks ago, the end compartments on 165 and 166s on the Cardiff - Portsmouth run , where the first class or declassified first are situated have been reserved for staff use use only.

 

[reddragon]

1st class old school with yellow line!

 

[AidWall]

I joined an on-line meeting/discussion with Mark Hopwood earlier this week and asked him about the 769s on the NDL.
He said that the intention was that they would be introduced during the autumn and that the intention was that, in due course, they would take over the entire service. On the matter of the passenger experience, he said that the trains are air-cooled (not air conditioned) and that the seating is being retained (ie the existing 3 + 2 layout in standard) but re-covered. I don't regard this as being great news for travelers but he was quite upbeat about the passenger experience on these trains.
Maybe not for this thread, but he also commented that the introduction of a 3 tph service would have to await the completion of the re-modelling at Gatwick and would obviously depend upon levels of demand in the future; the issue with level crossings on the line (which had been reportedly preventing the introduction of the third train) has been resolved.
Mark seems like a nice bloke and very much on top of the many issue he faces as MD.

 

[davetheguard]

Mark seems like a nice bloke and very much on top of the many issue he faces as MD.

He is a nice bloke; and he knows and cares about railways.

 

[Peter C]

Sorry if there are more relevant places to put this, but does anyone have any idea when the 769 at Long Marston for Rail Live is going to be leaving (and how - i.e. by road or rail)? I assume it might be leaving next week (at the earliest), but I don't know if it's there for anything else other than the event?

Thanks,

-Peter

 

[swt_passenger]

I joined an on-line meeting/discussion with Mark Hopwood earlier this week and asked him about the 769s on the NDL.
He said that the intention was that they would be introduced during the autumn and that the intention was that, in due course, they would take over the entire service. On the matter of the passenger experience, he said that the trains are air-cooled (not air conditioned) and that the seating is being retained (ie the existing 3 + 2 layout in standard) but re-covered. I don't regard this as being great news for travelers but he was quite upbeat about the passenger experience on these trains.
Maybe not for this thread, but he also commented that the introduction of a 3 tph service would have to await the completion of the re-modelling at Gatwick and would obviously depend upon levels of demand in the future; the issue with level crossings on the line (which had been reportedly preventing the introduction of the third train) has been resolved.
Mark seems like a nice bloke and very much on top of the many issue he faces as MD.

The level crossings issues were reported solved back in summer 2019. IIRC the changes were mainly about foot crossings, there’d been a popular misconception that the issue was about road traffic queues in Reigate, but it seems not.

But as you suspect there’s a dedicated thread about 3 tph issues. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/3tph-on-north-downs-line.140595/page-39

 

[FGW_DID]

Sorry if there are more relevant places to put this, but does anyone have any idea when the 769 at Long Marston for Rail Live is going to be leaving (and how - i.e. by road or rail)? I assume it might be leaving next week (at the earliest), but I don't know if it's there for anything else other than the event?

Thanks,

-Peter

769930 will be leaving by Rail (that’s how it arrived). Should be departing tomorrow, timings TBC.

 

[Peter C]

769930 will be leaving by Rail (that’s how it arrived). Should be departing tomorrow, timings TBC.

Ah brilliant - thanks I'll be having a look on RTT tomorrow then!

-Peter

 

[Deepgreen]

1st class old school with yellow line!

View attachment 98314

Good - I wonder if they will extend this to the whole range of GW fleets. Such a waste of group consciousness to do away with the established yellow line by some TOCs, thus losing some of the consciousness and then decide to bring it back! The pencil-thin silver line used by GW until now is classic example of design-over-function. I would still question the wisdom of a yellow/white '1' on the cab end when a green one similar to the one by the passenger doors would stand out so much more against the yellow end from a greater distance, to allow passegers to judge sooner where they should board.

On RTT - what's with all the losing and gaining of coaches en route and passing another train at Dorking Deepdene? Why is this shown as a 165 rather than all the previous tests which have been "diesel loco"?

Realtime Trains - 563J 1332 Reading Traincare Depot to Reading Traincare Depot

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Ted633]

Saw it accelerating through Horley on its way back to Reading. Definitely on electric and it had built up a decent amount of speed, even though the rails must of been a tad slippy today.

 

[Deepgreen]

Saw it accelerating through Horley on its way back to Reading. Definitely on electric and it had built up a decent amount of speed, even though the rails must of been a tad slippy today.

I think the rain has been so heavy that the rails are clean now - it's been torrential.

 

[fgwrich]

Good - I wonder if they will extend this to the whole range of GW fleets. Such a waste of group consciousness to do away with the established yellow line by some TOCs, thus losing some of the consciousness and then decide to bring it back! The pencil-thin silver line used by GW until now is classic example of design-over-function. I would still question the wisdom of a yellow/white '1' on the cab end when a green one similar to the one by the passenger doors would stand out so much more against the yellow end from a greater distance, to allow passegers to judge sooner where they should board.

On RTT - what's with all the losing and gaining of coaches en route and passing another train at Dorking Deepdene? Why is this shown as a 165 rather than all the previous tests which have been "diesel loco"?

Realtime Trains - 563J 1332 Reading Traincare Depot to Reading Traincare Depot

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

View attachment 98387

They are - albeit slowly. A small number of Laira based Mk3s have the new signage, and I believe 1 IET has some of it as well. What is also noticeable with this 769 is also a wider silver band around the first set of doors, the yellow FC Stripe (and Blue for the Wheelchair space) and 1 on the front indicating the FC compartment.

 

[Wyrleybart]

What is also noticeable with this 769 is also a wider silver band around the first set of doors, the yellow FC Stripe (and Blue for the Wheelchair space) and 1 on the front indicating the FC compartment.

The white "1" on that end is presumably perpetuating the arrangements BR made for providing a frontal visual indication of which way round the unit is. Remember the three dominoes on one end of the class 310s ?

https://20.cdn.ekm.net/ekmps/shops/397dcc/images/class-310-4-car-emu-124-p.jpg?w=600&h=421&v=1

Or the inverted black triangle on the cab end of the "thumpers" ?
https://sites.create-cdn.net/siteimages/19/3/4/193478/16/5/4/16542916/1920x1080.jpg?1530534769

 

[Deepgreen]

The white "1" on that end is presumably perpetuating the arrangements BR made for providing a frontal visual indication of which way round the unit is. Remember the three dominoes on one end of the class 310s ?

https://20.cdn.ekm.net/ekmps/shops/397dcc/images/class-310-4-car-emu-124-p.jpg?w=600&h=421&v=1

Or the inverted black triangle on the cab end of the "thumpers" ?
https://sites.create-cdn.net/siteimages/19/3/4/193478/16/5/4/16542916/1920x1080.jpg?1530534769

Indeed, but my point was that it would be hugely clearer in a contrasting colour - the green '1' label used by the passenger doors would be ideal against the yellow front.

 

[Geoffrey Lee]

769943 pasted Horley on the 16/06/2021 on way to Gatwick

 

[30909]

If not already posted there is a good video, with sound, of the test runs on 16 & 18 June on youtube. the title is

GWR Class 769 Flex Test Runs on the North Downs and Brighton Main Lines - 16 & 18/06/21​

The poster has requested that links are not shared without permission the above is the best I can do

 

[XAM2175]

If not already posted there is a good video, with sound, of the test runs on 16 & 18 June on youtube. the title is

GWR Class 769 Flex Test Runs on the North Downs and Brighton Main Lines - 16 & 18/06/21​

That would be this video?

 

[30909]

It is indeed!

 

[Fincra5]

Watching that video, it looks like they've nailed the changeover times from/to 3rd Rail and GenSet!

 

[30909]

Also a fair bit of acceleration when leaving Guildford and speed through Betchworth, I wonder how it performed up Dorking bank?

 

[DelW]

Also a fair bit of acceleration when leaving Guildford and speed through Betchworth, I wonder how it performed up Dorking bank?

Last week I watched one climbing the bank from Shalford to Chilworth (1:100) and it was coping well, I'd estimate running at 50 mph or so. The diesels didn't sound to be working especially hard, though it's been commented that they're fairly quiet anyway,
Obviously there wouldn't have been any passenger loading, but it certainly didn't seem to be struggling at all.

 

[swt_passenger]

Good to see the explicit statement from the Mark Hopwood interview in Modern Railways about exactly where they’ll use third rail, the main change being that it will be used Aldershot junction to Guildford station (in platform changeover) eastbound, and Shalford Jn to Aldershot Jn westbound.

IIRC at one stage it was authoritatively posted that the middle of the route in the Guildford area would not see DC power used at all.

 

[Meerkat]

Good to see the explicit statement from the Mark Hopwood interview in Modern Railways about exactly where they’ll use third rail, the main change being that it will be used Aldershot junction to Guildford station (platform change) eastbound, and Shalford Jn to Aldershot Jn westbound.

IIRC at one stage it was authoritatively posted that the middle of the route in the Guildford area would not see DC power used at all.

Does that mean they will all westbound stop at Shalford Jcn to changeover?
Or do they change on the move but they don’t want to leave Guildford without knowing the engines work?

 

[swt_passenger]

Does that mean they will all westbound stop at Shalford Jcn to changeover?
Or do they change on the move but they don’t want to leave Guildford without knowing the engines work?

No, changeover westbound will be on the move, they explain its only eastbound that specifically has the change in the platform, but without a detailed reason. It may as you suggest just be so short a distance the DG start up procedure has to commence before leaving Guildford anyway.