Class 166's

[jopsuk]

At privatisation, there were three franchises covering the current "Greater Western" franchise area:
Thames Trains (owned by Go-Ahead) which was directly replaced in 2004 by First Great Western Link- fleet consisted entirely of 165s and 166s
Wales and West (Prism Rail/Nat Ex) till 2001, then after a reorganisation, Wessex, who ran all the "local" services in the SW
Great Western (owned by management, Badgerline and private equity) which only ran High Speed and Sleeper services. This was taken over by First in 1998.

The three were merged in 2006.

 

[jayc]

I wonder if it's maybe some of the adhesives used to put them together or something, as it seems to affect the non-toilet cars too.

It doesn't actually smell like urine to me, just 'peculiar'. I remember travelling on a turbo for the first time in five years or so last year. The first thing I said to my partner was 'wow - they still smell like they did in 1993!'

The second thought that struck me is how much I'd like a row of the seats for my living room. For some reason, the moment I sit in one, I feel like I have a new back

I always noticed a funny smell (maybe like tarmac?) on the Turbo's back in 1996/97 but only on the 165's, so I put it down to the floor covering. The 166's never smelt like it and the last couple of times I went on a Turbo (back in 98 and 99) - 165005 and 165115 - they'd 'lost' the smell.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I love them. What does everybody else feel about them?

Yes, I love them too. They restarted my interest in trains when I started using the North Downs line for a period in the 90's. Compared to the SR slammers or even a class 319 I'd connect to at Gatwick, they were pretty decent.

Always loved the sound of the engine.

Had been things different there may well of been a version built for Waterloo-Exeter routes.

 

[royaloak]

Had been things different there may well of been a version built for Waterloo-Exeter routes.

HAVE, there may well HAVE, the word is HAVE.

Oh and turbos wont fit on the SWML, they were built to the more generous GW loading guage so nobody could pinch them .

 

[Barn]

HAVE, there may well HAVE, the word is HAVE.

Oh and turbos wont fit on the SWML, they were built to the more generous GW loading guage so nobody could pinch them .

So compared to the 465s, say, do they have a wider gap between seats?

 

[royaloak]

They seem to have more than the 458s, cant comment on 465s, dont use them.

 

[jayc]

Oh and turbos wont fit on the SWML, they were built to the more generous GW loading guage so nobody could pinch them .

That's why a version suitable for this line (class 171) was suggested years ago but was dropped in favour of converting spare 158's to 159's.

 

[TheWalrus]

I avoid the FGW ones wherever possible, they're not very nice units to travel on IMO. The Chiltern ones are okay though.

So do I, but im from bedwyn

 

[Aictos]

I'm not a regular user of them but I don't have any problems with them when I do have to use them.