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

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leomartin125

leomartin125

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FGW_DID said:
It should be at Long Marston with all the rest. Apart from the ones that had been left at Reading (now all back at LM), the only one that was elsewhere was 927 which was at Wolverton but it’s unconfirmed if it’s still there or has returned to LM.
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James Pilbeam was at Wolverton in May 2023 and confirmed sighting of 927 which is still there. I am sure that ROSCO will be keen to get it moved to Long Marston so whether it is still there or not, who knows!

Thinking theoretically here... if nobody is interested in the ex Stansted Express 379's which are tried and tested on battery power, would it not be possible to use these on the Gatwick services in place of the 769 project failure? You could retrofit 3rd rail to them similar to how the 387's have had their shoes isolated/removed and use 3rd rail and battery to complete the journey? Also with the drivers already familiar with the 387 family, surely signing off on these with ASLEF would be much simpler too!

Just an idea mind, I'm sure someone will advise me why this hasn't been thought of!
 

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D365

D365

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leomartin125 said:
if nobody is interested in the ex Stansted Express 379's which are tried and tested on battery power, would it not be possible to use these on the Gatwick services in place of the 769 project failure?
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The IPEMU was a proof of concept and not a finished product for regular service use. Any Electrostar battery fitments would be a clean slate design, so wouldn’t be 379-specific.
 
TransportHub

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MikePJ said:
This week's RAIL magazine has a feature saying that the 769s will operate between Honeybourne and Long Marston to take visitors to the Rail Live event next week (21st/22nd June), and details are now on the event website, should you wish to go and see them running for possibly the last time!
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www.raillive.org.uk

Rail Live 2022

Rail Live 2022 | 22-23 June | The only exhibition to bring the entire rail industry together in a real railway environment
www.raillive.org.uk www.raillive.org.uk

Doesn't look like it anymore, any idea what happened?
 
Bob Price

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TransportHub said:
www.raillive.org.uk

Rail Live 2022

Rail Live 2022 | 22-23 June | The only exhibition to bring the entire rail industry together in a real railway environment
www.raillive.org.uk www.raillive.org.uk

Doesn't look like it anymore, any idea what happened?
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They are using one of the Hydrogen Flex trains with a 769 on standby when it fails, sorry if it fails
 
leomartin125

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MikePJ said:
This week's RAIL magazine has a feature saying that the 769s will operate between Honeybourne and Long Marston to take visitors to the Rail Live event next week (21st/22nd June), and details are now on the event website, should you wish to go and see them running for possibly the last time!
Click to expand...
That unit they are using is a 'HydroFLEX' unit that never entered traffic. It is only ever 'in traffic' at RAIL Live, and I have ridden it myself - albeit at 10mph as they were scared any faster and it might internally combust! (This was 2018 or around then). This is a 799 not a 769, which technically has an even worse success story than the 769. But not to be confused, this thread is purely about the 769's.
 
pdeaves

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leomartin125 said:
That unit they are using is a 'HydroFLEX' unit that never entered traffic. It is only ever 'in traffic' at RAIL Live, and I have ridden it myself - albeit at 10mph as they were scared any faster and it might internally combust! (This was 2018 or around then). This is a 799 not a 769, which technically has an even worse success story than the 769. But not to be confused, this thread is purely about the 769's.
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Well, until yesterday Rail Live was advertising 769 shuttles (page illustrated with a GWR green one). That changed to the 799 today. It seems on the face of things (without knowledge of any other decision influences) that 769s are so troublesome they cannot even muster a single working one from all the ones stored at Long Marston!
 
Bob Price

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No, they are simply wanting to show off the Hydroflex. They are desperate for a customer.
 
fgwrich

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Well, the 769 came out to play this morning, while the 799 Hydroflex took over the afternoon journeys.
 

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FGW_DID

FGW_DID

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m79900 said:
It looks as if it’s been kept in good condition. What's going to happen to them in the end? Scrap?
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So it should do. It hasn’t been at LM very long. 769935 was one of the 6 that had been rotated between Oxford Sidings & Reading TCD so had been brought up to scratch ready to enter service.
It was only the lack of trained drivers that was preventing this. As has been mentioned previously, training had been due to start but the current IA kicked in and that was the end of that!
 
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St. Paddy

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leomartin125 said:
James Pilbeam was at Wolverton in May 2023 and confirmed sighting of 927 which is still there. I am sure that ROSCO will be keen to get it moved to Long Marston so whether it is still there or not, who knows!

Thinking theoretically here... if nobody is interested in the ex Stansted Express 379's which are tried and tested on battery power, would it not be possible to use these on the Gatwick services in place of the 769 project failure? You could retrofit 3rd rail to them similar to how the 387's have had their shoes isolated/removed and use 3rd rail and battery to complete the journey? Also with the drivers already familiar with the 387 family, surely signing off on these with ASLEF would be much simpler too!

Just an idea mind, I'm sure someone will advise me why this hasn't been thought of!
Click to expand...
Just seen a picture on Facebook of a line up of 769s at the Rail Live event at Long Marston and 927 is definitely there
 
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FGW_DID said:
It was only the lack of trained drivers that was preventing this. As has been mentioned previously, training had been due to start but the current IA kicked in and that was the end of that!
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I have to disagree with you. The real reason (I suspect) why 769/9s never entered passenger service was political. GWR were facing a battle with the train driver's union over the continuing fitment of the cabs, and it was easier for the DfT to finally say "no" so the DfT could avoid lashing out more money to Porterbrook. What should have happened was for Porterbrook to actually place the "tri mode" Flex project at the top of the agenda and produce a train which worked properly and was acceptable. They didn't and the 769/9s became an embarrassment.

I would agree that GWR didn't have any trained train drivers to drive them, but that was a byproduct of the issue.
 
FGW_DID

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Wyrleybart said:
I have to disagree with you. The real reason (I suspect) why 769/9s never entered passenger service was political. GWR were facing a battle with the train driver's union over the continuing fitment of the cabs, and it was easier for the DfT to finally say "no" so the DfT could avoid lashing out more money to Porterbrook. What should have happened was for Porterbrook to actually place the "tri mode" Flex project at the top of the agenda and produce a train which worked properly and was acceptable. They didn't and the 769/9s became an embarrassment.

I would agree that GWR didn't have any trained train drivers to drive them, but that was a byproduct of the issue.
Click to expand...

That issue had been resolved hence why training was going to start!
 
FGW_DID

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Deepgreen said:
Just out of curiosity, who is providing the driver(s) for the 769 shuttles?
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Whilst I have no idea of the actual answer,
a) potentially Long Marston has their own “depot drivers”.
b) someone hired in who has both traction & route knowledge. There were a number of COLAS drivers who were passed on the GWR 769 and iirc they did moves to/from LM.
 
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37884 hauling 769922 and 769937 from Long Marston to Brodies at Kilmarnock today as 5Q08.
 
Bob Price

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Seeing as their speciality is working on units for Scotrail this is an interesting move. I wonder if they will be finding work on suburban routes which are part wired to reduce their diesel reliance? I guess we will find out in due course.
 
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