What date in September is it due change
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Transport for Wales 769's
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Cardiff123
Established Member
Monday 13th September, same date as any changes in England & Scotland
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
There were two test runs scheduled today +from Canton to Bargoed and return which illustrates that an attempt is being made to ready them for a more reliable service. It is interesting that they ran under a ZZ rather than AW banner.
769002 which hasn't been out for many weeks and had had a poor record when it was out, had had enough by Caerphilly and turned back.
769006 another long term absentee was more successful and completed the course.
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Just a gentle reminder this thread is to discuss updates regarding TfW Class 769s
Any suggestions for alternative provision should be posted in the Speculative Ideas section please. I have moved some posts accordingly.
Many thanks.
Any suggestions for alternative provision should be posted in the Speculative Ideas section please. I have moved some posts accordingly.
Many thanks.
Grumpy Git
On Moderation
On the "Merseyrail class 777" thread, it's reported that the first unit has to complete 1,500 miles "fault free" running before being accepted, with subsequent units needing less, but still significant "fault free" mileages.
Is this a standard requirement for new stock or peculiar to the 777's?
I'm asking as I cannot see that the 769's as a whole have ever got anywhere near 500 miles "fault free", yet are being used on scheduled services.
Is this a standard requirement for new stock or peculiar to the 777's?
I'm asking as I cannot see that the 769's as a whole have ever got anywhere near 500 miles "fault free", yet are being used on scheduled services.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Further to an unsuccessful trip on Friday (Engine out) 769002 has completed a round trip to Bargoed and back this morning. (Passed 153914 en route also using the route as a test bed)
Bob Price
Established Member
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- 1,243
Had a ride on 452 today. Comfortable, smooth and good acceleration. Odd listening to electric traction motors similar to a Southern train, but on TfW rails. When they work they seem to be good.
Yes it really does seem bizarre hearing the familiar sound of an EMU in the Valleys with no overhead wires or third rail.
56xx
Member
I've done the full run Rhymney - Penarth and return a few times in the last week or so and fully agree. There seems to be some hope of a more reliable service until the new units arrive.
Grumpy Git
On Moderation
I watched 769008 trackside climbing out of Pontlottyn en route to Rhymney on Tuesday evening. Nice and quiet, but it had a very prominent "ozone" smell like when a motor has burnt-out or a circuit board overheated?
Dai Corner
Established Member
- Joined
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Any sign of 'magic smoke' as it's called in the electronics world?
Grumpy Git
On Moderation
No and it did make the return working OK. Maybe it was the brakes, but I'd have thought they wouldn't get much use in that direction?
221101 Voyager
Established Member
Do the 769s run on Saturdays please? 
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Do the 769s run on Saturdays please?
Yes. Similar to Mondays to Fridays hopefully
221101 Voyager
Established Member
anthony263
Established Member
6 class 769s out today .
5 in service and 1 on test.
2P10 769008
5D55 769445
2R09 769003
2P59 769007
2D10 769452
5 in service and 1 on test.
2P10 769008
5D55 769445
2R09 769003
2P59 769007
2D10 769452
Cardiff123
Established Member
TfW are restoring most of their pre-March 2020 TT from 13th September. They must be confident the 769s will be reliable enough to take over most Penarth - Rhymney diagrams. I can't see how they will cope if the 769s are not able to step up from a week on Monday.
Thread in Allocations, Diagrams & Timetables here
Thread in Allocations, Diagrams & Timetables here
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
I've had a look and although 6 diagrams for 769s can be picked out to work exclusively over the route, there will be quite a substantial number of 150s also, especially to Rhymney. By some journeys broken at Cardiff they will intermingle with Taff side services.
_toommm_
Established Member
007 has failed again, this time at Ystrad Mynach:
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
1Z99 being sent from Rhymney, with the 37 hauling it back to Canton.
Realtime Trains - 2P71 2146 Bargoed to Ystrad Mynach
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
1Z99 being sent from Rhymney, with the 37 hauling it back to Canton.
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PHILIPE
Veteran Member
2P84 2202 Rhymney to Penarth behind it terminated Bargoed and returned ECS to Rhymney. Thunderbird at Rhymney being readied once again.007 has failed again, this time at Ystrad Mynach:
Realtime Trains - 2P71 2146 Bargoed to Ystrad Mynach
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.
_toommm_
Established Member
37418 according to Facebook.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
769445 went up ECS from Canton this morning to collect 007 from the Down Loop at Ystrad Mynach after 37418 had deposited it there apparently with difficulty. While events were taking place this morning 37418 quietly slipped back to Rhymney and not following the demic down to Canton as was the case last time
_toommm_
Established Member
I was watching it last night on Traksy - think it was about two hours between the 37 running round the train and it actually moving into the loop.
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
TFW have managed to get 5 of the six 769 Diagrams covered by a Unicorn today, the first day of the September Timetable. As an aside though, some Treherbert services are cancelled due to "more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time"
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Cardiff123
Established Member
Real Time Trains is showing this service as 6 carriages, a 769452 + 150236. I'm assuming this is an error on RTT's behalf?
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Realtime Trains - 2R24 1733 Penarth to Rhymney
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Real Time Trains is showing this service as 6 carriages, a 769452 + 150236. I'm assuming this is an error on RTT's behalf?
Realtime Trains - 2R24 1733 Penarth to Rhymney
Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.
Now we see the allocations on RTT there will be a lot of this. It usually happens when the original allocation has been changed and the original hasn't been allocated to something else. 769452 failed around lunch time and several Bargoed trips were cancelled as there was nothing to replace it until 150236 became available at quoted time
Grumpy Git
On Moderation
These units are a disaster and someone needs to take the rap for allowing such a crappy "upgrade" to see the light of day.
Cardiff123
Established Member
That "someone" would be the people at Porterbrook who in 2016 thought it would be easy to sling diesel engines into the empty space underneath the 319s and extend the life of their assetts (and so get more £££££ from them), the civil servants at the DfT who bought the 769 idea from Porterbrook's sales people, and finally the SoS at the time, Chris Grayling, who authorised Northern to sign the first leasing contract for the 769s, spurring other TOCs on to do the same.
Welsh Govt signed a contract for 5 x 769s in July 2017, thinking they'd have them running on the Rhymney line within a year and the 769s would help to solve the looming PRM rolling stock crisis in Wales. As we know, neither of those things happened.
Dai Corner
Established Member
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I had 769003 on the 1120 Queen Street - Rhymney and 1227 return as far as Llanishen today.
I was half hoping for a failure and 37 418 rescue but in the event it was an uneventful pair of journeys.
The PIS got a bit confused on the way down. It announced the next station was Lisvane & Thornhill as we approached Caerphilly and then said we were at Aber as we stood in Caerphilly. I think the guard turned it off then.
General ambience was fine for the type of service and the toilet and USB sockets worked! From an enthusiast point of view I enjoyed the authentic EMU sound in the motor cars and hearing a bell instead of a buzzer when in the driving cars.
I was half hoping for a failure and 37 418 rescue but in the event it was an uneventful pair of journeys.
The PIS got a bit confused on the way down. It announced the next station was Lisvane & Thornhill as we approached Caerphilly and then said we were at Aber as we stood in Caerphilly. I think the guard turned it off then.
General ambience was fine for the type of service and the toilet and USB sockets worked! From an enthusiast point of view I enjoyed the authentic EMU sound in the motor cars and hearing a bell instead of a buzzer when in the driving cars.
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