Historical 166 diagrams

[cactustwirly]

Just out of curiosity, before the electrification of the GWML (ie around 2015), did the 166s have specific diagrams on the Paddington to Reading/Oxford stoppers or were they worked in a common pool with the 3 car 165s?

Thanks

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’m fairly sure around 2016 ish time, just before the 166s started to transfer, I was seeing only 166s and no 165s on the Reading Gatwick services which I used to get extremely regularly

 

[adc82140]

When I commuted on the GWML around 2008-2011 it was a bit of a random unit generator.

 

[Triumph]

Just out of curiosity, before the electrification of the GWML (ie around 2015), did the 166s have specific diagrams on the Paddington to Reading/Oxford stoppers or were they worked in a common pool with the 3 car 165s?

Thanks

All the 165/166's had specific diagrams:
RG201+ 165/2
RG301+ 165/3
RG401+ 166

 

[cactustwirly]

All the 165/166's had specific diagrams:
RG201+ 165/2
RG301+ 165/3
RG401+ 166

Interesting, it did seem like it was a bit of a lottery if you had a 165 or 166 on the stopping services.
Are you able to list a few? Or pm me with some? Thanks in advance

 

[Triumph]

Interesting, it did seem like it was a bit of a lottery if you had a 165 or 166 on the stopping services.
Are you able to list a few? Or pm me with some? Thanks in advance

I am afraid I don't have any of the old diagrams now.

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

In my experience it was generally 166s on Bedwyn semifasts, Oxford fasts and North Downs. 165s on Newbury stoppers. The rest could be either (although I can’t remember what was on the branches between Reading and London as I rarely used them).

 

[cactustwirly]

In my experience it was generally 166s on Bedwyn semifasts, Oxford fasts and North Downs. 165s on Newbury stoppers. The rest could be either (although I can’t remember what was on the branches between Reading and London as I rarely used them).

I definitely saw 165s on those services, especially some 2 car 165s on Bedwyns.
I reckon about 40% of the Paddington stoppers were 166s but I don't remember any pattern to it.

 

[Journeyman]

I did some work for Thames Trains in 1998/9, and all services were diagrammed for specific 165 or 166 units, or pairs/combinations thereof. During peak periods these had to be strictly adhered to, to provide the required number of seats. If less seats than diagrammed were provided on any train, the company could be penalised. One of my jobs was to check diagrams against what units were actually provided, and identify the shortfalls.

 

[FGW_DID]

Just out of curiosity, before the electrification of the GWML (ie around 2015), did the 166s have specific diagrams on the Paddington to Reading/Oxford stoppers or were they worked in a common pool with the 3 car 165s?

Thanks

The 166s had their own specific diagrams, as mentioned further up at post #4 they were in the RG4xx series. Generally we would try to keep the 166 & 3 car 165 to their own diagrams but sometimes due to engineering requirements or depot constraints there was certainly some mixing and matching!

 

[Sprinter107]

I remember going on a 3 car 166 to Bourne End from Maidenhead, and from West Ealing to Greenford on a 2 car 166221.

 

[Wolvercoter]

Did I imagine it or was there a diagram for a 166 which included Worcester to Birmingham New Street via Kidderminster? About 1999 or thereabouts?

 

[Taunton]

The 166s had their own specific diagrams, as mentioned further up at post #4 they were in the RG4xx series. Generally we would try to keep the 166 & 3 car 165 to their own diagrams but sometimes due to engineering requirements or depot constraints there was certainly some mixing and matching!

The old Western Region used to use their diesel units pretty much as a common pool. I certaily recall a 3-car suburban unit setting off on the long run to Weymouth from Bristol, right alongside a nice Swindon cross-country unit departing for Severn Beach.

 

[JonathanH]

I did some work for Thames Trains in 1998/9, and all services were diagrammed for specific 165 or 166 units, or pairs/combinations thereof.

Back at that time though there were still five 2-car 165/0s in the Thames Trains fleet and Turbos ran all Oxford fasts so the 166s presumably didn't have a lot of diagrammed work on stoppers.

The tragic events of 5 October 1999 reduced the fleet by one 3-car 165. I recall wondering whether that service to Bedwyn was actually booked for a 166 given it was a 'fast' service and the substitution of 165s and 166s on each other's diagrams.

Did I imagine it or was there a diagram for a 166 which included Worcester to Birmingham New Street via Kidderminster? About 1999 or thereabouts?

Not in Thames Trains days - it was pre-privatisation - Winter 1993 and Summer 1994 timetable as described here.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-direct-service-to-birmingham.152207/page-2#post-3094612

I remember going on a 3 car 166 to Bourne End from Maidenhead, and from West Ealing to Greenford on a 2 car 166221.

I suspect that all of the 3-car Turbos have operated as 2-car units at some point in their history although it seems to be less common these days. 3-car 166s on the Henley, Windsor and Bourne End lines were not unknown - obviously not Marlow or Greenford unless reduced to 2-car.

 

[Sprinter107]

Did I imagine it or was there a diagram for a 166 which included Worcester to Birmingham New Street via Kidderminster? About 1999 or thereabouts?

You remember correctly. It was before 1999 tho. It was about 1992ish. It worked into New Street from Hereford, then it went via Stourbridge and Worcester to Oxford and Paddington. In the afternoon it came back the same way but terminated at Stourbridge Junction, and went ecs to New Street to form a train for Hereford at about 17.20.
That wasn't for long tho, as the morning working was diverted to run back to Paddington via Barnt Green. Not sure about the return afternoon working at that point.