Autumn refresh for GWR Class 165/166 Turbos

[smithy_37688]

166215 returned from Wolverton earlier today. Another on its way to Wolverton, currently unsure on which 166 though.

 

[FGW_DID]

166215 returned from Wolverton earlier today. Another on its way to Wolverton, currently unsure on which 166 thought.

Should be 166201 heading to Wolverton.

 

[fgwrich]

Should be 166201 heading to Wolverton.

Bye Bye Blue Brian!

 

[smithy_37688]

Should be 166201 heading to Wolverton

Ah perfect - Thank you for confirming.

 

[387star]

No extra tables but the first class and middle coach tables are new and larger than before

 

[GWVillager]

No extra tables but the first class and middle coach tables are new and larger than before

Oh? I thought they weren’t allowed any interior changes, do you have any photos?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Oh? I thought they weren’t allowed any interior changes, do you have any photos?

Any changes which affect (reduce) total seating capacity.

 

[fgwrich]

Any changes which affect (reduce) total seating capacity.

Indeed. Pleased to hear the rubbish old tables have been binned off (sticky, scratched, graffitied), even if the seats haven’t been changed.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Oh? I thought they weren’t allowed any interior changes, do you have any photos?

It's booked for Gloucester Westbury/Weymouths today. Maybe someone might ride and upload.

 

[GWVillager]

It's booked for Gloucester Westbury/Weymouths today. Maybe someone might ride and upload.

Is it 215? I might have a look.

 

[FGW_DID]

166215's services for the rest of today ( if it stays on diagram!):

2F03	Bristol TM	08:45	Warminster	09:42
2E60	Warminster	09:50	Gloucester	11:56
2C12	Gloucester	12:07	Westbury	13:47
2E68	Westbury	14:02	Gloucester	15:58
2O82	Gloucester	16:09	Weymouth	19:37
2V82	Weymouth	20:18	Bristol TM	22:39

 

[cactustwirly]

So basically it's 205 with bigger tables?

 

[Snow1964]

Just seen 166 215 at Bradford-on-Avon. Somebody needed wheelchair ramp so managed to jump on for few seconds and take some photos (apologies for quality as I rushed them)

Painting of the box under drivers cab bright yellow makes front look asymmetrical.
I didn't move the raised table, train arrived with it in upright position.
Noticed that some of the seats are fitted with shiny seat reservation card holders (not that they have been used for a while)
Last photo hopefully shows there is now a light blue stripe and seats strangely numbered from 00A

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

So basically it's 205 with bigger tables?

And no squashy leather section.

 

[GWVillager]

Just seen 166 215 at Bradford-on-Avon. Somebody needed wheelchair ramp so managed to jump on for few seconds and take some photos (apologies for quality as I rushed them)

Painting of the box under drivers cab bright yellow makes front look asymmetrical.
I didn't move the raised table, train arrived with it in upright position.
Noticed that some of the seats are fitted with shiny seat reservation card holders (not that they have been used for a while)
Last photo hopefully shows there is now a light blue stripe and seats strangely numbered from 00A


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They look like the same tables to me, at least in first class.

 

[FGW_DID]

Last photo hopefully shows there is now a light blue stripe and seats strangely numbered from 00A

At a guess, would those be the wheelchair spaces and the light blue stripe being related to those?

 

[Benjwri]

Just seen 166 215 at Bradford-on-Avon. Somebody needed wheelchair ramp so managed to jump on for few seconds and take some photos (apologies for quality as I rushed them)

Painting of the box under drivers cab bright yellow makes front look asymmetrical.
I didn't move the raised table, train arrived with it in upright position.
Noticed that some of the seats are fitted with shiny seat reservation card holders (not that they have been used for a while)
Last photo hopefully shows there is now a light blue stripe and seats strangely numbered from 00A


View attachment 140366View attachment 140367View attachment 140368View attachment 140369View attachment 140370View attachment 140371View attachment 140372View attachment 140373View attachment 140374

Is all this numbering a sign that seat reservations are on the way in the next few years to routes such as Cardiff to Portsmouth?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Is all this numbering a sign that seat reservations are on the way in the next few years to routes such as Cardiff to Portsmouth?

They were standard until Turbos were introduced to the route. If it’s going to work again they need to be consistent with formations allocated as booked.

 

[Snow1964]

Is all this numbering a sign that seat reservations are on the way in the next few years to routes such as Cardiff to Portsmouth?

Not sure, there is no electronic seat reservations. The route also sees a mix of 2car 165, 3car 165, 166 and 158 which would make allocating seats complicated

The door marked seats 17-32 is the one immediately behind the drivers cab, which intrigues me. No idea where seats 1-16 went.

 

[jackot]

They look lovely and smart now the green carpet matches the rest of the interior and isn’t some unsightly clash! Seeing as the routes they serve won’t be getting new trains anytime soon, it’s a welcome update.

 

[Deepgreen]

Just seen 166 215 at Bradford-on-Avon. Somebody needed wheelchair ramp so managed to jump on for few seconds and take some photos (apologies for quality as I rushed them)

Painting of the box under drivers cab bright yellow makes front look asymmetrical.
I didn't move the raised table, train arrived with it in upright position.
Noticed that some of the seats are fitted with shiny seat reservation card holders (not that they have been used for a while)
Last photo hopefully shows there is now a light blue stripe and seats strangely numbered from 00A


View attachment 140366View attachment 140367View attachment 140368View attachment 140369View attachment 140370View attachment 140371View attachment 140372View attachment 140373View attachment 140374

The residents of Bradford on Avon won't thank you for the hypenating! I see traces of the pink paint linger behind the open doors. I imagine the '00' seats are the disabled access ones?

 

[JohnRegular]

This thread is 32 pages and just short of 1000 posts long…

I have to say, the 5 carriage 165 all in green (as it would be, as there are no blue 165s) looked very coordinated and smart the other day. It’ll be good when the out of date (as of 2015) blue is gone.

Honestly, on a refreshed turbo with working air conditioning/cooling and of suitable length to avoid excessive crowding, the travelling environment is okay. Not great, but not bad, and looks smart enough both outside and in.
It's still very much the exception rather than the rule, and still unsuitable for many of the routes they work.

This may also have been answered previously, but does anyone know if the AC on the 166s is being addressed as part of the refresh? A 166 with working AC is truly a rarity.

 

[Benjwri]

This may also have been answered previously, but does anyone know if the AC on the 166s is being addressed as part of the refresh? A 166 with working AC is truly a rarity.

Almost definitely not c they just finished refreshing the AC, at least for the SPM units. To be fair it seems to work a little better, but haven’t been around Bath enough in the summer to properly judge.

 

[387star]

166205 166213 and at least one other 166 have tables missing which will hopefully be reinstated
Appears then tables are the same size just resprayed or replaced?

 

[Oli Bashford]

166205 166213 and at least one other 166 have tables missing which will hopefully be reinstated
Appears then tables are the same size just resprayed or replaced?

Yes the tables are the same as before.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Aug 2023 ==

Looks like they had the doors shut and painted what they could, there’s a decent sized bit of purple on the inside of the doors. Around the cab still has a bit of purple as well.

 

[Snow1964]

Looks like they had the doors shut and painted what they could, there’s a decent sized bit of purple on the inside of the doors. Around the cab still has a bit of purple as well.

Agree all seems rather rushed, and poorly finished, if something is hidden then fine not to touch it, but a door that opens in front of a window left in that state just makes it look uncared for.

They look lovely and smart now the green carpet matches the rest of the interior and isn’t some unsightly clash! Seeing as the routes they serve won’t be getting new trains anytime soon, it’s a welcome update.

Maybe a myopic person will think so, but when you are actually inside the carriage and can look at it close up, then it doesn't look lovely, better described as less bad.

All rather feels like a patching up exercise of a train that unexpectedly needs to do extra 6-12 months before scrap, than a proper refresh suitable for 5-9 years more service.

 

[Benjwri]

but a door that opens in front of a window left in that state just makes it look uncared for.

But on a refresh program that is already well over schedule and operating on a very tight budget taking the entire door assembly apart for every door is probably not something that they can afford.

Maybe a myopic person will think so, but when you are actually inside the carriage and can look at it close up, then it doesn't look lovely, better described as less bad.

I think this is quite harsh. You can’t expect a brand new train, and these are heavily used commuter vehicles. The interiors are built to last (in theory), not look pretty. Well see if that happens in reality.

 

[FGW_DID]

But on a refresh program that is already well over schedule

Is it well over schedule?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Is it well over schedule?

It is behind the original schedule which had all the units completed by the end of this summer. The first units took a while longer, now there appears to be a decent throughput.

 

[CR165022]

Paths are in for 18th:

5Q81 0633 Wolverton Centre Sidings to St Philips Marsh Depot Fhh

5Q70 1409 St Philips Marsh Depot Fhh to Wolverton Centre Sidings