GWR Class 165/166 Turbo Diagrams

[PointA Rail]

This is a stretch from the focus of the thread, but i just thought I'd ask anyway.

Back in July 2023, I saw a 5 car set of 165s running through fast at Maidenhead on an Oxford to Paddington service. I can only imagine it was filling in for an unavailable IET, but I was curious to know whether this still occurs from time-to-time? Or what services would these substitutions would be possible on if the need arose?

 

[brad465]

This is a stretch from the focus of the thread, but i just thought I'd ask anyway.

Back in July 2023, I saw a 5 car set of 165s running through fast at Maidenhead on an Oxford to Paddington service. I can only imagine it was filling in for an unavailable IET, but I was curious to know whether this still occurs from time-to-time? Or what services would these substitutions would be possible on if the need arose?

They've been on a Paignton-Paddington diagram before, which caused right chaos. IIRC certain stops had to be omitted to a) keep to time as much as possible and b) limit overcrowding.

 

[150249]

It is largely settled as

165101-103, 108, 130-136
166201-221

Live in the West

165104-107, 109-114, 116-129, 137

Live in the East

Weird that 108 has always caused a gap in the fleet. How come it was sent rather than 104? Horrible unit as well, I must add.

 

[PointA Rail]

They've been on a Paignton-Paddington diagram before, which caused right chaos. IIRC certain stops had to be omitted to a) keep to time as much as possible and b) limit overcrowding.

That's cool, that's quite the long distance with it limited to 90 and all. I don't imagine they'd be able to go further south west towards Plymouth and Cornwall though, as I don't know if they're cleared for the route. They could possibly cover a Cardiff to Paddington though!

 

[Jamesrob637]

That's cool, that's quite the long distance with it limited to 90 and all. I don't imagine they'd be able to go further south west towards Plymouth and Cornwall though, as I don't know if they're cleared for the route. They could possibly cover a Cardiff to Paddington though!

They're passed for Plymouth and maybe Cornwall, but whether they regularly go there is another matter.

 

[Ashley Hill]

They're passed for Plymouth and maybe Cornwall, but whether they regularly go there is another matter.

Only as far as Plymouth, very rare to work there though.

 

[PointA Rail]

Thanks for the replies guys, that's very interesting and really cured my curiosity. I didn't realise just how large of an area they could cover!

 

[DelW]

This is a stretch from the focus of the thread, but i just thought I'd ask anyway.

Back in July 2023, I saw a 5 car set of 165s running through fast at Maidenhead on an Oxford to Paddington service. I can only imagine it was filling in for an unavailable IET, but I was curious to know whether this still occurs from time-to-time? Or what services would these substitutions would be possible on if the need arose?

They've been on a Paignton-Paddington diagram before, which caused right chaos. IIRC certain stops had to be omitted to a) keep to time as much as possible and b) limit overcrowding.

Last summer (probably but not definitely 6th June 2024) I was travelling from Reading to the west country via the B&H, when I was alerted by a forum post to RTT showing a Turbo allocated to a normally IET service heading up the B&H. I assumed it was an error, but I was intrigued enough to keep an eye open. Sure enough, somewhere between Castle Cary and Cogload we passed it, it was a 3-car turbo though I wasn't able to spot number or even class.

Curiously, when I looked back to find the post I'd seen originally, to reply and confirm the allocation, it had apparently been deleted. I was then too busy to track the train's onward progress, so I don't know how far east it got.

 

[tomsy47]

Last summer (probably but not definitely 6th June 2024) I was travelling from Reading to the west country via the B&H, when I was alerted by a forum post to RTT showing a Turbo allocated to a normally IET service heading up the B&H. I assumed it was an error, but I was intrigued enough to keep an eye open. Sure enough, somewhere between Castle Cary and Cogload we passed it, it was a 3-car turbo though I wasn't able to spot number or even class.

Curiously, when I looked back to find the post I'd seen originally, to reply and confirm the allocation, it had apparently been deleted. I was then too busy to track the train's onward progress, so I don't know how far east it got.

Yes, I was working at Dawlish station on that day when the CIS announced it as a three-car. I ended up keeping a copy of the RTT log at the time. Seems it was only 5 minutes late into Paddington! I believe it also ran the return run in passenger service.

 

[800301]

Yes, I was working at Dawlish station on that day when the CIS announced it as a three-car. I ended up keeping a copy of the RTT log at the time. Seems it was only 5 minutes late into Paddington! I believe it also ran the return run in passenger service.

It did do the return, I was on my pass out following close behind in a 387, for some reason it was announced as a 5 car from Paddington, it did confuse a lot of passengers, some stops were unadvertised as well to try and prevent overcrowding, I can’t say it was full and standing leaving Paddington however


They do cover for IET’s on Oxford Pad every now and then but recently have only run Oxford-Reading, a few weeks back they had one doing a Pad - Newbury diagram due to a dire shortage of 387’s

 

[DelW]

Yes, I was working at Dawlish station on that day when the CIS announced it as a three-car. I ended up keeping a copy of the RTT log at the time. Seems it was only 5 minutes late into Paddington! I believe it also ran the return run in passenger service.

It did do the return, I was on my pass out following close behind in a 387, for some reason it was announced as a 5 car from Paddington, it did confuse a lot of passengers, some stops were unadvertised as well to try and prevent overcrowding, I can’t say it was full and standing leaving Paddington however

Thanks both, it's good to finally know the full story!

 

[150249]

Looks like 165134 is currently in place to operate on the Okehampton branch tomorrow.

 

[REVUpminster]

Looks like 165134 is currently in place to operate on the Okehampton branch tomorrow.

A 165 is a good choice for Okehampton with the extra bicycle space.

 

[Steveswan10]

Dose anyone know where 165102 mainly works (Reading, Bristol or the south West area) ? It's my last one for sight

 

[JN114]

Dose anyone know where 165102 mainly works (Reading, Bristol or the south West area) ? It's my last one for sight

102 is officially in the West fleet, which means it will “usually” be used interchangeably between Bristol area and Exeter area as and when the cycle of diagrams takes it, probably biased more towards Bristol as a 165 3 car

 

[FGW_DID]

Dose anyone know where 165102 mainly works (Reading, Bristol or the south West area) ? It's my last one for sight

Currently working the Exmouth - Exeter SD - Paignton services. Ends the day at Exeter.
Note: This is actually working a Class 166 diagram.

Realtime Trains | 2T15 1057 Exmouth to Paignton | 14/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 2T15 1057 departure from Exmouth to Paignton on 14/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Steveswan10]

Thank you very much for the replys, now I know roughly where to go on my next jolly

 

[FGW_DID]

Thank you very much for the replys, now I know roughly where to go on my next jolly

If you put 165102 into the Quick Search field on Real Time Trains on the day, if it’s in service, this will show you the service it is working at the time of search, should help narrowing down your target area.

 

[windnoise69]

165102 is a EXD allocated unit. Although in the grand scheme of things can end up anywhere and everywhere a 165 or 166 may venture too

 

[JN114]

165102 is a EXD allocated unit. Although in the grand scheme of things can end up anywhere and everywhere a 165 or 166 may venture too

It isn’t, none of the 16x fleet are allocated to EX. Units do rotate through EX as part of the diagram cycle; and EX do help out with the exam workload for PM - but all units are PM or RG per my extensive post on previous page.

 

[Steveswan10]

If you put 165102 into the Quick Search field on Real Time Trains on the day, if it’s in service, this will show you the service it is working at the time of search, should help narrowing down your target area.
View attachment 186313

Thats a feature I never new existed, a very useful one though

 

[Jrocks]

It isn’t, none of the 16x fleet are allocated to EX. Units do rotate through EX as part of the diagram cycle; and EX do help out with the exam workload for PM - but all units are PM or RG per my extensive post on previous page.

There are a number of 165s (NOT 166s) that are allocated to EX. Its ready for the introduction of the 175s that cascades the remaining 158s that Exeter have allocated back to Bristol. If you look on the ends of the coaches, the EXTMD stickers are on them - thats the way GW show where a unit is allocated.

 

[FGW_DID]

165102 is a EXD allocated unit. Although in the grand scheme of things can end up anywhere and everywhere a 165 or 166 may venture too

There are a number of 165s (NOT 166s) that are allocated to EX. Its ready for the introduction of the 175s that cascades the remaining 158s that Exeter have allocated back to Bristol. If you look on the ends of the coaches, the EXTMD stickers are on them - thats the way GW show where a unit is allocated.

Nope, all the 16x Turbos are allocated to either St Phillips Marsh or at Reading TCD. None allocated to Exeter despite what stickers may have been stuck on them.

 

[frankmoh]

Aside from the first/last service of the day to Greenford, do any 165s still operate in Paddington?

 

[JN114]

Aside from the first/last service of the day to Greenford, do any 165s still operate in Paddington?

Not on a routinely scheduled basis, no.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Aside from the first/last service of the day to Greenford, do any 165s still operate in Paddington?

Not on a routinely scheduled basis, no.

Just a single 4-165 formation to Oxford at about midnight.

 

[stadler]

Aside from the first/last service of the day to Greenford, do any 165s still operate in Paddington?

Not on a routinely scheduled basis, no.

Just a single 4-165 formation to Oxford at about midnight.

There is still a very early morning working from Reading to London Paddington on six days a week.

These are the only class 165 passenger workings in and out of London Paddington these days:

MONDAY TO FRIDAY:
03:54 Reading to London Paddington 04:47
05:44 London Paddington to Greenford 06:07
22:03 Greenford to London Paddington 22:31

SATURDAY:
04:13 Reading to London Paddington 05:04
05:43 London Paddington to Greenford 06:07
22:04 Greenford to London Paddington 22:29

SUNDAY:
No Services

All of the above workings are a single two coach class 165 unit working on its own.

The return working from London Paddington to Reading in the evening is unfortunately an ECS empty stock service. It is 22:42 London Paddington to Reading 23:22 on Monday to Friday. It is 22:52 London Paddington to Reading 23:28 on Saturday. My guess is that they probably thought the two coach unit would suffer from too much overcrowding at that time so decided to make it an ECS service.

That old evening Oxford working no longer runs and it stopped a couple of years ago.

 

[800301]

There is still a very early morning working from Reading to London Paddington on six days a week.

These are the only class 165 passenger workings in and out of London Paddington these days:

MONDAY TO FRIDAY:
03:54 Reading to London Paddington 04:47
05:44 London Paddington to Greenford 06:07
22:03 Greenford to London Paddington 22:31

SATURDAY:
04:13 Reading to London Paddington 05:04
05:43 London Paddington to Greenford 06:07
22:04 Greenford to London Paddington 22:29

SUNDAY:
No Services

All of the above workings are a single two coach class 165 unit working on its own.

The return working from London Paddington to Reading in the evening is unfortunately an ECS empty stock service. It is 22:42 London Paddington to Reading 23:22 on Monday to Friday. It is 22:52 London Paddington to Reading 23:28 on Saturday. My guess is that they probably thought the two coach unit would suffer from too much overcrowding at that time so decided to make it an ECS service.

That old evening Oxford working no longer runs and it stopped a couple of years ago.

5R65/5L56 does run in service every so often as 1R65 when events are on, or when there is disruption, I’m not sure why it’s booked ECS as it could easily be a passenger service

 

[LUYMun]

I'm led to believe there is an unadvertised express, which runs every now and then, non-stop from London to Reading but unsure if the Greenford 165 gets allocated to that service following its arrival at Paddington?

Realtime Trains | 2Z13 0025 London Paddington to Reading | 23/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 2Z13 0025 departure from London Paddington to Reading on 23/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Horizon22]

There is still a very early morning working from Reading to London Paddington on six days a week.

These are the only class 165 passenger workings in and out of London Paddington these days:

MONDAY TO FRIDAY:
03:54 Reading to London Paddington 04:47
05:44 London Paddington to Greenford 06:07
22:03 Greenford to London Paddington 22:31

SATURDAY:
04:13 Reading to London Paddington 05:04
05:43 London Paddington to Greenford 06:07
22:04 Greenford to London Paddington 22:29

Off-topic but I have wondered what would happen to that very early arrival at Paddington once (if) the 230s are fully signed off for the Greenford branch. It has a lot of staff (across various companies!) on it normally, so I imagine it wouldn't be canned and run back ECS or start another branch off or a 387 would be used instead.