Transport for Wales 769's

[PHILIPE]

Fixating on USB ports and WiFi, which frankly would be a relatively minor part of the refurb, is in my view losing sight of the main issue here.

Getting a reliable unit.

The USB ports and WiFi are minimal parts of the project which have little or no impact on delivering a reliable unit.

Agree with you that we get back to the main issue. Posters still carrying on posting about accessories despite a reminder from the Mods (Post #584)

 

[JN114]

2 runs in the past 2 days, and 2 failures out on the network. Heard they won't be in service before December.

Has it actually failed on either of those days - my understanding, backed up by postings on here was that 769002 was just undertaking shake-down runs as far as Heath Jn on both days, as unlike its slightly older cousin it hasn’t spent the past few months running up and down the yard under its own power at Canton - these are amongst its very first runs on it’s own as a 769. There certainly doesn’t appear to have been any significant disruption to services that you’d expect with it having failed; nor any entries to that effect in the NR Wales Control Logs....

 

[Caaardiff]

Has it actually failed on either of those days - my understanding, backed up by postings on here was that 769002 was just undertaking shake-down runs as far as Heath Jn on both days, as unlike its slightly older cousin it hasn’t spent the past few months running up and down the yard under its own power at Canton - these are amongst its very first runs on it’s own as a 769. There certainly doesn’t appear to have been any significant disruption to services that you’d expect with it having failed; nor any entries to that effect in the NR Wales Control Logs....

I probably should've worded it better. "Journey abandoned due to mechanical issues", rather than failure. It could still run under it's own power, albeit less than it should have (Engine issues). Yesterday it was turned back at Heath and the day before had issues at Tir-phil. Both should have made it to Rhymney.

 

[Anonymous10]

Looking forward to using these when down my grandfathers and visiting friends

 

[JN114]

I probably should've worded it better. "Journey abandoned due to mechanical issues", rather than failure. It could still run under it's own power, albeit less than it should have (Engine issues). Yesterday it was turned back at Heath and the day before had issues at Tir-phil. Both should have made it to Rhymney.

Okay fair enough. There’s nothing about either in TRUST - although in both cases there is evident late running of the train itself.

It’s been 2 runs per day all week, except today (nothing scheduled today as bank holiday) and those are the only 2 that were turned back - presuming they really were for mechanical issues it’s 6 out of 8 runs completed successfully. Not nearly as dire as initially inferred.

 

[konstant]

nope just usb

Just to settle this discussion - it has two Type A USB sockets per side per row of seats, no 3 pin plugs, and the WiFi kits for the entire TfW 769 fleet are sat in a shed on pallets in Canton depot awaiting fitment.

 

[Max]

Right all, as this appears to have been settled, this is your final reminder. As has already been mentioned, this thread is about the 769s not wider points about whether or not commuter trains should have wi-fi and power sockets. Any further posts on this matter will be deleted - you have been warned!

 

[Phil Scott]

Other than the already confirmed 769/0s, has it been confirmed which four 319/4s are going to be converted for TFW? Thanks

 

[tomwills98]

According to https://tfwunofficial.wordpress.com/, 426 is one of them but it doesn't mention the other three

 

[Senna1210]

According to https://tfwunofficial.wordpress.com/, 426 is one of them but it doesn't mention the other three

769 452,769445,769426,769421

 

[Jamesrob637]

Do TfW 769s have declassified First?

 

[anthony263]

Theyd have to as theres no first class on the valley lines

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are the "donor" units not the ones that weren't fitted with 1st in the first place? They look like they might be, those ones have the all-facing 3+2 seating layout, whereas those with 1st are 2+2 with mixed airline and tables I think?

 

[43096]

Are the "donor" units not the ones that weren't fitted with 1st in the first place? They look like they might be, those ones have the all-facing 3+2 seating layout, whereas those with 1st are 2+2 with mixed airline and tables I think?

The first 5 are yes, but the second batch of 4 are from the 319/4 group which have first class.

 

[Class455]

769 452,769445,769426,769421

I thought 769 452 was going to GWR?

 

[Avid Fan]

I've just heard that an empty 769 couldn't make it up a gradient out of Canton depot. Anyone know if this is true?

 

[PHILIPE]

I've just heard that an empty 769 couldn't make it up a gradient out of Canton depot. Anyone know if this is true?

What is your source for that ? `

 

[Efini92]

Doesn’t look like they’ll be around anytime soon.

 

[PHILIPE]

Doesn’t look like they’ll be around anytime soon.

There have been both 769 and 67 runs since this date, 7th May although the 67 runs seem to have stopped now.

 

[Avid Fan]

What is your source for that ?

Brush Traction.....

 

[JonathanH]

Doesn’t look like they’ll be around anytime soon.

Is there some kind of difference between the cab ergonomics in a 769 and a 319?

 

[Dai Corner]

Is there some kind of difference between the cab ergonomics in a 769 and a 319?

Presumably there's a control to start/stop the Diesel engines, apart from anything else.

 

[Efini92]

Is there some kind of difference between the cab ergonomics in a 769 and a 319?

The 769 is a new class of train so even though it’s based on an old design it has to conform to the latest standards of cab ergonomics

 

[rf_ioliver]

I must say I don’t understand the need for wi-fi on trains anymore . Sim only data contracts are relatively cheap for a good chunk of data, so I would have thought most people have them anyway these days. And if people don’t value data enough to pay a tenner a month why should the railway (= other passengers) pay for all the infrastructure to support it?

I’m equally dubious about the need for USB ports on commuter trains, but accept that is probably too well entrenched now to roll back from.

Mainly it is for reliability of communications - you can provide a single network end point and then route that using more powerful equipment over the 3/4G networks, else you get a few hundred phones constantly making cell handover and saturating the network with handover, roaming and other non-data related traffic.

The other reason is that the train operator can inject traffic (adverts), have a restricted end-point and charge customers for use of their Wifi...

Note to mods: just seen the posting about what this threat is about. Maybe a new thread for this topic which can go into a more technical discussion?

 

[JN114]

I've just heard that an empty 769 couldn't make it up a gradient out of Canton depot. Anyone know if this is true?

Considering they’ve been out and about on the much more steeply graded Rhymney line several times without issue, barring some kind of underlying secondary issue it’s first grade horse droppings....

 

[aleggatta]

The 769 is a new class of train so even though it’s based on an old design it has to conform to the latest standards of cab ergonomics

By that definition, if they had renumbered them as say, 319/9's rather than a whole new class number, would they not have to conform to the latest standards of cab ergonomics? it does seem a very... extreme position to take if simply changing the class number requires full compliance of all technical standards that would not have applied if it had not have happened?

 

[Efini92]

By that definition, if they had renumbered them as say, 319/9's rather than a whole new class number, would they not have to conform to the latest standards of cab ergonomics? it does seem a very... extreme position to take if simply changing the class number requires full compliance of all technical standards that would not have applied if it had not have happened?

It’s not really a sub class of 319 though. Brush have created a new type of traction, albeit by using an existing one.

 

[Bikeman78]

Doesn’t look like they’ll be around anytime soon.

My suggestion (in another discussion) of running the 67 in service to retain traction knowledge seems like a plan after all. Though it would be a bit difficult now. A mate text me to say that most of the MK3 have gone to Long Marston.

On a wider note, this will make it impossible to introduce any new trains for quite a while.

 

[Bob Price]

Found another Video of 769008 at Hengoed a week or so ago

 

[Bikeman78]

Found another Video of 769008 at Hengoed a week or so ago

Old school starting bell. Sounds similar to a class 304. Very bizarre listening to diesel sounds at each end but normal class 319 sound in the middle.