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

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FGW_DID

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Bob Price

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At this rate TfW will be finished with its 769s before those on GWR start passenger service.
You're welcome to them. Constantly breaking down. Testing on the 231's on the Rhymney lines is scheduled for this weekend. Rumour is these will displace the 769's.
 

Bikeman78

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You're welcome to them. Constantly breaking down. Testing on the 231's on the Rhymney lines is scheduled for this weekend. Rumour is these will displace the 769's.
I'm in Wales! I think 231s to Rhymney has got way past the rumour stage.
 

FGW_DID

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Eastleigh moves were binned off today due to technical issues with one of the sets.
769922 did arrive though.

Space must be getting very tight having to find room for two train fleets.
Only two fleets!

Reading has to accommodate:
  • LTV 16x Turbo fleet.
  • LTV 387 fleet (including a number of the HEX liveried units.
  • 769s
  • The LTV ’thunderbird’ (57306)
  • Night Riviera stock.
 

Class319&373

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It seems as though some 769s made their way to/from Wolverton under their own power yesterday, as I couldn't see any loco moves prior (unless these were 165/166 moves). Can anyone confirm, and thanks in advance.


 

JonathanH

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It seems as though some 769s made their way to/from Wolverton under their own power yesterday, as I couldn't see any loco moves prior (unless these were 165/166 moves). Can anyone confirm, and thanks in advance.


165 movements, not 769s.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-class-166-turbos.222366/page-10#post-5489400

769937 did make it to Gatwick yesterday though. They seem to have ceased making the stops at intermediate stations on these runs now.
 
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Techniquest

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Could a kind soul confirm which 769s were on Reading depot this evening, a short time after 6pm? I think one of the coach numbers was 77352 (not certain in the dark!) but my NREA is out of date and doesn't show a 769 with that number.

I passed 928, 937 and 946 in Oxford today, it is fair to say the GWR 769s look very smart!
 

JonathanH

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I think one of the coach numbers was 77352 (not certain in the dark!) but my NREA is out of date and doesn't show a 769 with that number.
It will show a 319 with that number - ie 319432 - you just change the first four digits to 7699. 769932 is mentioned up thread (although that mention is in the context of it recently going to Eastleigh). 769922 (with 77332 in its formation) appears to have recently arrived at Reading.
 
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Techniquest

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It will show a 319 with that number - ie 319432 - you just change the first four digits to 7699. 769932 is mentioned up thread (although that mention is in the context of it recently going to Eastleigh). 769922 (with 77332 in its formation) appears to have recently arrived at Reading.

Thanks!
 

73128

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FGW_DID

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Things are getting busier around Reading today

769922/32 left for Eastleigh Arlington around 0938 today (c 30 mins late)
Realtime Trains - 502X 0902 Reading Traincare Depot to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg)

769928 formed 3O70 to Gatwick Airport at lunchtime:
Realtime Trains - 3O70 1220 Reading Traincare Depot to Gatwick Airport

769938/49 formed 5Q12 back from Eastleigh and retreated into the depot:
Realtime Trains - 583W 1140 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) to Reading Traincare Depot

The latter two services were photographed.

Friday (21/01) looks to be a busy day as well 769 wise:

925 & 938 Reading TCD > Oxford
937 & 928 Oxford > Long Marston
949 running in the usual 3O10 path on the North Downs.
927 arriving at Reading TCD.
 

rob.rjt

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That’s not the case, journey time is 6 minutes each way and change ends for a 769 is 4 minutes so that works fine. Like at the Saturday timetable on the branch in Real Time trains.
That would result in a timetable with no slack as the pre-Covid timetable was a 20 minute service. On those timings, every single minute would be used - 12 minute round trip plus 8 minute changeover. Again, in normal times the 3 carriage trains were rammed in summer, even at the 20 minute frequency, so extending to 4 carriage but dropping to (say) a 30 minute frequency would be even more of a squeeze.
 

KT530

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That would result in a timetable with no slack as the pre-Covid timetable was a 20 minute service. On those timings, every single minute would be used - 12 minute round trip plus 8 minute changeover. Again, in normal times the 3 carriage trains were rammed in summer, even at the 20 minute frequency, so extending to 4 carriage but dropping to (say) a 30 minute frequency would be even more of a squeeze.
Henley branch will be the same - Currently minimum 3 minute turnaround.

Locals campaigned for a 30 minute service but with absolutely no slack or recovery time the service is inevitably now less reliable - if the train is held for a connection or there’s Level Crossing Misuse for instance then a journey has to be cancelled to enable to train to recover.
 

DelW

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Friday (21/01) looks to be a busy day as well 769 wise:

925 & 938 Reading TCD > Oxford
937 & 928 Oxford > Long Marston
949 running in the usual 3O10 path on the North Downs.
927 arriving at Reading TCD.
Has it been explained what the purpose is of these various trips to and from Eastleigh, Wolverton, Long Marston etc? Is there work being done to the units at any or all of these locations, or is it just a matter of giving each unit in turn a run out to charge the batteries and stir up the engine oil, while keeping them out of the way at Reading?

With Covid restrictions being relaxed later this month, hopefully lessening staff shortages and limits on numbers in the cab, is there likely to be any increase in fault-free running, driver training, and whatever else is currently necessary before they enter service?

TIA for any publicly available information.
 

FGW_DID

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Has it been explained what the purpose is of these various trips to and from Eastleigh, Wolverton, Long Marston etc? Is there work being done to the units at any or all of these locations, or is it just a matter of giving each unit in turn a run out to charge the batteries and stir up the engine oil, while keeping them out of the way at Reading?

With Covid restrictions being relaxed later this month, hopefully lessening staff shortages and limits on numbers in the cab, is there likely to be any increase in fault-free running, driver training, and whatever else is currently necessary before they enter service?

TIA for any publicly available information.

Anything to Wolverton, Eastleigh & Long Marston is for work to be carried out. New deliveries are from Wolverton or Burton. Anything running from Reading or Oxford over the North Downs is for driver training (managers only at the moment) to allow DC running.
if there is a run that just goes between Maidenhead & Didcot (some have extended to Swindon IIRC) it will be for AC running.

I’ve no idea of the scope of mods carried out at the above locations. Someone more involved with the 769s May be able to answer that.
 

DelW

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Anything to Wolverton, Eastleigh & Long Marston is for work to be carried out. New deliveries are from Wolverton or Burton. Anything running from Reading or Oxford over the North Downs is for driver training (managers only at the moment) to allow DC running.
if there is a run that just goes between Maidenhead & Didcot (some have extended to Swindon IIRC) it will be for AC running.

I’ve no idea of the scope of mods carried out at the above locations. Someone more involved with the 769s May be able to answer that.
Thanks for the info' :)
 

fgwrich

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Anything to Wolverton, Eastleigh & Long Marston is for work to be carried out. New deliveries are from Wolverton or Burton. Anything running from Reading or Oxford over the North Downs is for driver training (managers only at the moment) to allow DC running.
if there is a run that just goes between Maidenhead & Didcot (some have extended to Swindon IIRC) it will be for AC running.

I’ve no idea of the scope of mods carried out at the above locations. Someone more involved with the 769s May be able to answer that.

Eastleigh is where the SDO / ADSO? modifications are being installed to the units, including the installation of the ‘Wireless Connections’ above the cabs (often mistaken as a third light). I think Long Marston is just storage, replacing Oxford.
 

FGW_DID

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Eastleigh is where the SDO / ADSO? modifications are being installed to the units, including the installation of the ‘Wireless Connections’ above the cabs (often mistaken as a third light). I think Long Marston is just storage, replacing Oxford.

If LM is just storage, it will be as well as Oxford. There will still be units at Oxford.
 

3973EXL

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DownFast

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I’ve no idea of the scope of mods carried out at the above locations. Someone more involved with the 769s May be able to answer that.
ASDO fitment plus (just beginning now) upgraded cab air cooling system at Eastleigh. Long Marston is mostly for storage but some internal works too.

Unfortunately 769949 didn't complete its runs today. Traction fault meant it returned to depot early, rather than risk it failing completely on the mainline.
 
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berneyarms

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That's 12 sets delivered now, with 7 more still being worked on at Wolverton or tested at Burton.
 

AM9

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That's 12 sets delivered now, with 7 more still being worked on at Wolverton or tested at Burton.
Despite some here calling for the immediate scrapping of the 769s (presumably because they don't like them), it doesn't look like GWR are going to give up on them, so they are likely to be put in service as planned.
 

43102EMR

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Despite some here calling for the immediate scrapping of the 769s (presumably because they don't like them), it doesn't look like GWR are going to give up on them, so they are likely to be put in service as planned.
I wouldn’t say it’s not liking them, it’s more a case of “GWR should have ordered new bi-modes instead of the 769s” given the amount of time and effort it’s taking to get them into service - then again, that’s just my opinion…
 
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