Adelante/Class 180 FGW slow service

[Singing Rails]

Hello, I have searched around a bit and couldn't find the answer to my question:
Does anyone know if FGW are using their Adelantes for slow services (in lieu of Class 165/166s?). I have seen Adelantes on the slow lines between PAD and EAL from time to time, but assumed it was just empty movement to a depot, since I sometimes see empty HSTs as well. However tonight I saw a Adelante pull up at Ealing Broadway bound for Paddington (at about 18:45 I believe) with 'welcome on board' displayed, and the doors opened! I find this quite confusing because I also see 180s on the fast lines as well, can anyone enlighten me? perhaps this would give me an opportunity to go on one, seeing as I have not before.

Thanks.

 

[SWT_USER]

Hello, I have searched around a bit and couldn't find the answer to my question:
Does anyone know if FGW are using their Adelantes for slow services (in lieu of Class 165/166s?). I have seen Adelantes on the slow lines between PAD and EAL from time to time, but assumed it was just empty movement to a depot, since I sometimes see empty HSTs as well. However tonight I saw a Adelante pull up at Ealing Broadway bound for Paddington (at about 18:45 I believe) with 'welcome on board' displayed, and the doors opened! I find this quite confusing because I also see 180s on the fast lines as well, can anyone enlighten me? perhaps this would give me an opportunity to go on one, seeing as I have not before.

Thanks.

That one is semi fast, not sure where it originates (Oxford?)but it definitely stops at Slough, Hayes and Ealing Broadway.

 

[High Dyke]

Can't be specific about diagrams... However 180103 worked 2P74 - 17:06 Oxford - Paddington service, due off Ealing Broadway at 18:53

 

[dave_wm]

FGW use Adelantes on a few slower services as well as the faster ones. The following services are all booked for Adelantes on the slow lines, but may be replaced by 165s/166s at short notice due to reliability problems...

2N04 0522 London Paddington to Oxford 0702
2P22 0700 Oxford to London Paddington 0848
2P74 1706 Oxford to London Paddington 1902

 

[Rich McLean]

FGW use Adelantes on a few slower services as well as the faster ones. The following services are all booked for Adelantes on the slow lines, but may be replaced by 165s/166s at short notice due to reliability problems...

2N04 0522 London Paddington to Oxford 0702
2P22 0700 Oxford to London Paddington 0848
2P74 1706 Oxford to London Paddington 1902

The 17:20 PAD - OXF was also booked a 180 last night. I was on the 17:22 PAD - HFD which was in the next platform

 

[Singing Rails]

Thanks for the replies, I'll be sure to hang around if I'm around any of those times, I'm interested to compare it to HSTs and especially 221s and 222s, I can't be sure, but they seem more spacious than voyagers. I presume they accelerate faster than HSTs but wonder about the 165/6s, now I consider it, it does seem sensible to use Adelantes on the OXF service, seeing as they are shorter than HSTs, and the 165/6s on the service have a 'Intercity' layouts anyway (luggage racks, tables and 2 by 2 seating).

 

[David Goddard]

I have not ridden on the 180s that much, but I do remember liking them much more than Voyagers. They feel more spacious and overall are quite a good train.

 

[TEW]

The 17:20 PAD - OXF was also booked a 180 last night. I was on the 17:22 PAD - HFD which was in the next platform

Quite a few of the peak semi-fast London-Oxford services are booked for 180s. Generally running on the main lines to/from Maidenhead.

 

[jimm]

The duties the 180s currently work are listed on page 6 in this thread http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=65907

There are going to be some slight tweaks in the duties shortly, with a Newbury run or two in the peak (hence the recent gauging run to Newbury) - as the 180s are thought not to like making quite so many stops at close intervals as those Oxford semi-fast trains require. The HT and GC sets which run long distances between stops tend to break down less frequently than FGW's sets, though the past few weeks do seem to have produced a marked upturn in reliability, with fewer Turbo stand-ins required. The Cotswold Line duties booked for 180s will not be altered when the timetables tweaks take effect.

the 165/6s on the service have a 'Intercity' layouts anyway (luggage racks, tables and 2 by 2 seating).

Hardly, the overwhelming majority of seating in both variants is 3+2. The 166s have a small area of 2+2 with tables (but the seats are the same size as the rest of standard class) and a bit of extra luggage space but Intercity they most certainly are not.

 

[Singing Rails]

The duties the 180s currently work are listed on page 6 in this thread http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=65907
Hardly, the overwhelming majority of seating in both variants is 3+2. The 166s have a small area of 2+2 with tables (but the seats are the same size as the rest of standard class) and a bit of extra luggage space but Intercity they most certainly are not.

Sorry I suppose Psuedo-Intercity, It's still arranged for longer distance travelling, and is infact more 'intercity' like than e.g a LM 350 for crewe.

 

[Aictos]

Sorry I suppose Psuedo-Intercity, It's still arranged for longer distance travelling, and is infact more 'intercity' like than e.g a LM 350 for crewe.

Hardly, Networkers/Desiros like the ones described are are purely Outer Suburban trains they are nowhere near enough to be classed as Intercity trains.

The only EMUs I would class as Inter City Trains are Class 390s and Class 444s, that's it.

 

[jimm]

Sorry I suppose Psuedo-Intercity, It's still arranged for longer distance travelling, and is infact more 'intercity' like than e.g a LM 350 for crewe.

You really must be travelling on some other sort of Turbo than the ones I have been using for years. They are suburban trains. The few tables in one coach and a bike space and a couple of luggage racks in the 166s don't make them anything like an intercity train. Go on a 180 and you will see what an intercity train should look like.

As for the 350s, depends whether you are in a 350/1 (2+2 seats) or a 350/2, with 3+2, same as turbos. With the new 110mph operations, you only get 350/1s on the Crewe runs anyway, because 350/2s haven't been modified to run at 110mph.