So there has been been a mix of blue and green units for over 8 years (not about 7 years as I originally thought).
Happened to see 166201 yesterday, and this one also seems to have had its carpet removed in favour of lino - which is a bit of a pity as mentioned before. I wonder if all the remaining units are to be done in this way?
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166201 was unique especially when it had its First branding on the front.
14 left to be refreshed including 166211 (the last blue one) which is due into Wolverton tomorrow.
That's currently on Gloucester Westbury, so I assume today is the final day of blue 166s.
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.... I photographed 166 211 in FirstGW blue livery working both up and down the line through St Denys on Wednesday 24th November.
Yes, blue 166s not a thing anymore now!
8.2 years after GWR introduced Green livery, so has been long process.
.... As the 166 class are being refreshed inside, that indicates to me that there are no plans to retire them in the near future - That's good news as far as I am concerned! But is anything known about a possible future development such as an entirely new unit design which would eventually replace the two Networker classes?
Weastbury GWR Class165 112 & 101 & Class166 217_M1X95156 @ by Robin Procter, on Flickr
Westbury GWR Crews Class165 & 166_M1X95059 @ by Robin Procter, on Flickr
Westbury GWR Guard Class166 214_M1X95596 @ by Robin Procter, on Flickr
There is word of a “Project Churchward”, a multi-mode MU that would replace all non IET and 387s classes in the GWR fleet. I know nothing more than that, and it might just be a rumour anyway.
Yes.
Long term, almost certainly not. But they’ll still be around for 30 years, I should think, with new diesels still being delivered.
Nice photos!.... As the 166 class are being refreshed inside, that indicates to me that there are no plans to retire them in the near future - That's good news as far as I am concerned! But is anything known about a possible future development such as an entirely new unit design which would eventually replace the two Networker classes?
Has the 165 class already been refreshed inside?
Does the Diesel MU have a future on the network in the world of the electric MU?
When I was at Westbury last Wednesday 29th (November 2023) there had been "an electric rail failure" somewhere which effected passenger services - According to a public announcement.
If anyone knows any of the GWR crews in these photos, please give them a shout - Cheers!
.... "Operation Churchward" (doubtless named after the GWR's Chief Mechanical Engineer in the age of steam) appears to be an official name rather than only a rumour, according to this long but interesting article linked below. Operation Churchward is mentioned starting about a quarter of the way down the page. I Google'd it :
www.modernrailways.com
.... Are you saying that new Networker Turbos (165s/166s) are still being built and delivered now? Or that more diesel powered units generally are still being built and delivered? With all the current talk about killing all fossil fuels it seems to contradict the environmental policy, but all of that is another can of worms!
Diesels generally, as said the Turbos have been out of production for 30 years!
Getting speculative now but it could happen that the west midlands or another region gets an urban electrification greenlit which would cascade 196s or 185s for example, but even then GWR would need 50-60 2 car units and 35 3 to 4 car units as a rough count to replace their current regional fleet like for like.
Aren't the 777s on Merseyrail already operating with batteries?
There are 7 units fitted with batteries for the Borderlands line I believe but I'm not sure if they're in service or not.
They're not for the Borderlands, they are for the Headbolt Lane extension.
And they are in service and indeed running with batteries on the Headbolt Lane extension.
.... You can see how the 168 design has evolved from the 166s. I have yet to see one but now fancy dropping by Marylebone Station when next in London. An added bonus would be to photograph 165/166s in a different livery than GWR green!
.... Although I can see the functional advantage of end gangways, I personally do not like them aesthetically - I am a railway photographer rather than regular passenger. But of course the railway operators need to consider much more than my personal opinions! Being 76yo I will have left this planet by the 2060s.
.... So in other words, the not insignificant costs of modifying the physical infrastructure would have to be taken into account just to run battery trains on local services in the southwest counties.
Thread here (and the place for project Churchward discussion).... As the 166 class are being refreshed inside, that indicates to me that there are no plans to retire them in the near future - That's good news as far as I am concerned! But is anything known about a possible future development such as an entirely new unit design which would eventually replace the two Networker classes?
Has the 165 class already been refreshed inside?
Does the Diesel MU have a future on the network in the world of the electric MU?
When I was at Westbury last Wednesday 29th (November 2023) there had been "an electric rail failure" somewhere which effected passenger services - According to a public announcement.
If anyone knows any of the GWR crews in these photos, please give them a shout - Cheers!
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
