I hope that GWR don`t give up with them and I suspect they won`t, once they have overcome the current availability and reliability problems with the correct help and support along with the maintenance teams becoming more familiar with 175s I cant see why they they cannot replicate the availability and reliability seen at TfW.
There have and possibly still are some body corrosion problems but they are not insurmountable at all.
Internally, the 175 is a great train. Spacious, airy, good seat alignment, and good suspension and comfort, but it's traction mechanics are the stuff of an engineers nightmare, especially when said engineer realises the services GWR are asking them to operate. Mechanically, they're absolute dogs. Underpowered, not enough tractive effort to pull the skin off a rice pudding, a mismatched engine/transmission combo, needing their guts absolutely ragged out on tough climbs, diminuative cooler groups, fire prone, and unsuited to anything but operating on limited stop, long distance cruising on flat ground in cold weather. Oh and they can't pull full power unless the driver hits to boost button and shutsdown half the onboard services. They should have gone to an appropriate service like Northerns Scarborough to Sheffield, Hull to Doncaster, and Bridlington to York services supplementing the 170's and replacing 158's, 155's and 150's where the would spend their time on flat ground in the cooler north of England able to spend like cruising.
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