I agree, although I am glad I don't have to rely on them to get to work. They are so much comfier/quieter than the 150/153's and a world of luxury compared to the Pacer they replaced.
Hear from where?
I heard from a crew member and a member also reported on our local group a similar exchange. I said it with caution because I was told by someone I trust in confidence that 421 was absolutely the first out the door as it was in bits at the back of Canton, 2 days later it's back in service? So it could be wrong but the first can't be long in going. I don't think I've seen 007 since December.Hear from where?
I had shot of 007 passing through Heath High Level on 16th January. Info I had through today shows it as being under exam and having another issue dealt with.
Licence to fail! Had a ride on 769445 today. 1m 34s through Caerphilly tunnel, the fastest of the class so far.
That's true yes and it wasn't busy at the time so we were great for space. No problems.
As in the drivers can or on public display?
I had a ride on this one recently to Ystrad Mynach. 1m 33s through Caerphilly tunnel, the fastest of the class so far. If they are hammered, they can beat the class 150 schedules. Three minutes late off Cardiff Central with 75 seconds of delay clawed back by Ystrad Mynach. Easily made the +7 onto the 231 back to Cardiff.
I've always felt that it would be possible for drivers to get better performance out of 769s once they had got confidence with them. The MAN engines are proven rail types and fully compliant with current emission requirements, the ac generators are pretty low faiure rate devices, and the motors, although over 30 years old, they cannot be driven to more than about 80% of their continuous rating as the two gensets are then at maximum power. The engines, by virtue of the electric transmission are driven well within their safe rotational speed and there is no shock loading on starting.
And yet they are constantly failing. Often two sets fail on the same day and cause knock-on delays. The Rhymney line is steep I suppose and trains fail both towards Rhymney (engines?) and towards Cardiff (brakes?). They are obviously not suited for the task.
I don't follow their progress daily, but I do see regular posts complaining about them. It seems that a comment about one of the services that they are deployed being delayed or cancelled triggers a spate of 'well I told you they wouldn't work' responses, despite the reason for the failure not being given or even known at the time. Then a few days later, the failure is mentioned again by a member who is not part of the previous chorus with the news that the failure was something else e.g. signal failure, track failure, derailment/failure of another (not class 769) train or even a crew shortage. Strangely enough, the complaining posters don't want to comment on that!
If they are "constantly failing" Network Rail would never allow them off Canton, so in my view you are exaggerating. I do though feel there is a job for you at Porterbrook because you seem very aware of what the TOCs need.
The Rhymney crews don't mess about. I remember how they used to drive the class 37s. It's a shame the line wasn't wired in time for them to drive a 317 or 319 flat out. The 769s are a lot closer to 150s than I gave them credit for. My initial comparisons were with Pacers but it turns out they were a lot nippier than 150s. However, reliability does remain an issue. It's a pity they couldn't have had three engines.
That's a bit unfair. I'm merely an interested bystander, but I do know someone who spends quite a lot of time on the Core Valley Lines and it really does seem as if most times they mention another hold-up (that isn't due to the engineering work), it's a 769 at the heart of it. They are - by an order of magnitude - a "better" train from a passenger viewpoint than the old Pacers, but apart from the odd fire I don't recall (anecdotally) half as many Pacer failures, or at least, not ones which blocked the line for so long.
Not really what you asked for, but Roger Ford's article in Modern Railways on the Golden Spanners awards gives the following figures for MTIN (Miles per Technical INcident) for the various fleets.
Thanks. I have been told there is something in the can so is this inside the unit? If so I need to take a ride again
This is inside one of the drivers' cabs. I can't remember which end though!
Fantastic. I will try and get a ride down to Penarth and ask them if I can get a picture.
What couplings do the 769s have and can they be coupled to a BSI-equipped Pacer/Sprinter? If not, perhaps that explains why the 769s block the line for longer (if this is indeed the case) since presumably a failed Pacer could just be dragged out of the way by the next train.
While the Golden Spanners awards are only once a year, Roger Ford has also been reporting the MTIN figures for selected fleets (new builds and some re-powered units, including the 769s) monthly. I think the latest two updates were as follows (not sure what happened to Period 7):
| Fleet | 2022/23 Period 6 MTIN | 2022/23 Period 8 MTIN | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern class 769 | 2,394 | 2,838 | 444 |
| TfW class 769 | 2,690 | 2,863 | 173 |
Another issue is that almost all 150s are two-car untis whereas the 769s are all four-car, thus in passenger carrying terms, when comparing the two classes the 769 MTIN should be doubled, so on the assumption that the 150's figure above is stable, the difference is definitely narrowing, (and in the case of the Northern sets quite fast), currently less than 3:1. As the early bugs are driven out of the design, that difference could soon be operationally insignificant.
I see the point you're making, but a failed 769 is a failed unit. One out of two units failing in a 2 X 150 formation usually means a reduction in capacity, not a cancellation.
