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I travelled both ways today from Maidenhead to Paddington on an Adelante (I thought they were getting rid of them?)...

Both times due to the fact that there are too many passengers (or too few trains!!?) I travelled in the door area.. And how hot that was... The carriages appear to be air conditioned and they throw the heat out into the door area (rather than outside).. Well at least they appear to!

The evening journey home (18.33 departure) was SO hot that even though I was standing still and hadn't exerted myself to get to the train, I had sweat dripping off of me all the way home (not pleasant!)..

My kitchen is currently 27 degrees and feels cool compared to that train.. How hot can it have been? It can't be safe..

I've told FGW many times before.. Either mend the air conditioning or give us lots of opening windows... I think the HSTS may be ok air conditioning wise although don't know for sure.. I know that the turbos aren't.. And that the adelante door areas aren't... I didn;t get the luxury of testing the carriage temperature out today.

I have travelled out of St Pancras before on lovely cool trains even on the hottest day of the year (and full of hot people) so I know it can be done..

Jo........The Heat problem in the door areas on a 180 have nothing at all to do with malfunctioinig air con and a lot more to do with the fact that the exhaust pipes for the engines run up behind the vestibule door  panels.......sorry its yet another design fault on these lousy units

Sorry to hear about your rather sweaty experiences today, johoare!  :-[ ::)

Ironically, due to various train delays this morning and this evening, I was deprived of my usual travel experiences on a 143 or 150, and enjoyed instead an HST for both journeys!  I can only confirm my impression that the air conditioning on HSTs does seem fine (at least within the carriages - I got a seat each time - bliss!).

However, I'm sorry, but I can't compare them with Adelantes, as they don't venture this far down into the country?  ;D

Ooh, a nice cool HST... Unfortunately the commuters from Maidenhead who pay nearly ^3000 a year each aren't entitled to nice cool HST's as a general rule.. Instead we travel in conditions that, if cattle were made to travel in such heat, the person responsible would probably be prosecuted!!  hhmmm that just doesn't seem quite right to me?  :-\

Oh dear! That really can't help.. It didn't help! I'm surprised no one passed out it was so hot...

Jo, I honestly do offer you my sympathy!  No, I don't think it's right at all!

My own ten minute journey each way, costing just ^3.80 return, is not too much of a strain - even in the most adverse weather conditions (flooding aside, of course), even on 143s or 150s with no air conditioning.

If you are paying nearly ^3,000 a year, I do think you are certainly entitled to travel on trains that have been designed by an at least competent designer??

 ::)

Jo, in future if you board an Adelante, I would strongly suggest trying to fight your way into the coach, even if you have to stand. If there is one thing that is right on these ill-starred trains, it is the air conditioning in weather like this - like a fridge - which is why people sometimes complain at other times of the year that it is set too cold.

Jo, while I do agree entirely with Will on this one,


the use of cutlasses is probably not allowed.

Chris  ;D ;D ;D

Ha ha.. Well exactly.. The coach was too full to get in...cutlass or no cutlass... Mmm, maybe we need more trains?

So now you want more Adelante's  ???  ;D

There maybe cutlasses at dawn yet...  arrrrrrrgh  ;D

Ha Ha.. but no.. more trains.. less adelantes please...? And trains where we can open all the windows and not rely on the air conditioning that never works would be just fine..... No mod cons required here... :)

I'll forward your request to Mr. G. Brown.

While you are holding for a response, if it gets too hot, just find the nearest Emergency window + green hammer = instant air conditioning*  ;D




*I will not be held liable for anyone stupid enough to do this (unless in a real emergency).

Travelled back from Paddington to Oxford on a fast service that was a turbo last sunday, all the windows were open and it was lush :) i think, what with the speed a train goes, windows that open are (mainly) the way forward.. though i guess you'd get the odd person complaining about the draft...

My suggestions to FGW about replacing Dispatch batons with Swords and being able to wear eye patches were denied...  Apparently we need both eyes for our job :(

I've been telling FGW (and Thames trains before them) this for years.. Still they insist on trying to make the air con work.. It never has.. not on the turbos..well not on a hot day anyway... You think they'd learn... Surely non air con carriages are cheaper?

yes but you're forgetting, that would require common sense!  :P which is something that seems to be lacking at times.  It was a nice journey though, it was an extremely hot day... but with all the windows opened, the carriage was perfectly cool.

It is just about bearable on a stifling hot day when you are on a FGW turbo and all the windows are open - until the train stops moving of course. Then it soon becomes an oven again. The air-con on 166's is abysmal - it always has been - I've never been on a unit where the air-con is working properly in all nine zones throughout the train. Even when it is working properly, it only takes one punter to open a window for all the hard work it's doing to be totally nullified.

Take a look at Chiltern Railways however - when refurbished ALL their 165's were fitted with air-con and the opening windows removed. It would be my preference to travel out of Marylebone on a 165 with air-con than on FGW out of Paddington with a 165 with no air-con any day of the week. You can even hear yourself think! Obviously there may be the odd occasion where the air-con has failed and then, should the outside temperature be hitting 30c that train should not be in service.

Is there any news on the plans to refurbish the Turbos with better airconditioning? I recall that last January it was said a major project was due to start in the spring but I've heard nothing more about it.

Just to add regarding the opening windows on 165s, they're great in the summer but it's an entirely different matter in the winter, there's often one window in each car which refuses to close properly and keeps springing open creating a sub-zero draft. And add to that there's usually one person joining the train who insists on opening a window as they sit down even if there are Arctic-like conditions outside. Some years ago I had a minor contretemps with a guy who did this on boarding at Ealing Broadway even though there was snow on the ground outside!  >:(

They won't be spending anywhere near enough money to do a 'proper job' as with the Chiltern sets, but in fairness at half the length of Chiltern's franchise it would be difficult to FGW to put a business case forward to FirstGroup to spend that kind of money anyway - especially with the premium payment years of the franchise looming large. Expect an improvement on turbo train interiors, but nothing revolutionary!

How about for Talk Like A Pirate day only? Arrr!

Might propose that... could have some comical announcments:

"Please do not leave ye old luggage unattended or ye will be made to walk the plank and your luggage will be tarred and feathered.... arrrrrrrrrrrgh!"

I think it has been said before elsewhere, but 166201 does have a different air con system from the rest of the 166s, installed by Thames Trains in its dying days as a trial with a view to refitting the rest. While not up to HST or Adelante standard, it does a decent job.


Couldn't agree more. And in the seats under the open window, you don't get to feel the howling gale at all. On one occasion, at a less than stifling time of year, I offered to swap seats with the offender, so they could get a bit of the fresh air they appeared to want - aided by murmurings of support from the seats around, I got it shut again. Certainly don't miss this kind of carry-on now that Turbos are few and far between on the Cotswold Line.

Funnily enough, I travelled in 166201 tonight - my section was decidedly warm and all windows throughout the train were open indicating it certainly wasn't doing a decent job today! I have to say that from my observations over the years is that whilst marginally better than the 'standard' system, as soon as a hot day comes along it fairs little better (i.e. all windows opened at a stroke). It also makes a hell of a racket!  :o

the trouble is train crew open the windows on a warm day at the drop of a hat now,they seem to do it out of instinct even if the a/c is working.
the amount of 158's that have windows open with air con working is ridiculous,plus trolley dollies on pompey-cardiff putting napkins over door sensor does not help with the operation of a/c either

not sure about turbo's but about 85% of 158 a/c works if it was given a chance.

Unfortunately, with them being predomidantly Driver Only Operated the windows on Turbos can all be opened by members of the public, who either don't realise there is air-con fitted (the warning sticker telling them is easy to miss) or don't understand how air-con works.

As for 158's, then yes, I agree that the train crew should at least see how well the system is working, and if it is working shut the windows so that it can operate properly. I am guessing that some take the easy option of just leaving them open when they relieve the previous crew?

At one time a few years ago the windows on 166s were secured shut by plastic ties but they didn't seem to last very long. I don't know if they were cut by passengers or perhaps there were safety issues so they had to be removed?

Although if the air conditioning was actually working on the turbos then the members of the public wouldn't feel the need to open the windows in the first place I assume?

Some pillock wearing a jumper might act differently...

Seeing as there's no sign of anyone spending money on a solution to the a/c on 166s wouldn't it be nice if FGW were to give away some chilled bottles of water to Turbo passengers at Paddington in the evening peak on the hottest summer days? (and yes that's a serious suggestion to anyone from FGW reading this! ;))

Erm ... cue Ollie, again?

(Sorry, mate! Couldn't resist!)

C.  ;) :D ;D





And, by the way, cue Andrew and Andrew, too - if they're also watching!   ;D

But, as others suggest, people see a window that can be opened and open it anyway - especially if sat at a station when the sun is beating down through the windows - not realising that by doing so they cripple the a/c. This applies to 201 as much as all the other 166s. People just seem to ignore the stickers on the windows, where they survive, saying they are for use only when the a/c really has packed up.

The ultimate answer, of course, would be to fit the Chiltern a/c kit to all the 165s and 166s, but sadly there's no sign either First or the leasing company is willing to cough up for it, even though these trains are probably only half way through their working lives.

My sympathy to all you poor Thames Valley commuters who have to endure the Turbos on a hot day.

One of the many reasons I decided to retire a couple of years early and avoid the daily commute was to avoid paying FGW ^2k a year a for the priviledge of travelling of hot overcrowded unpuntuctual Turbos. Plus an added Underground journey, fortunately on the Hammersmith so slighly cooler than the Bakerloo.

FGW seem to have done something about the punctuality, but the 166 a/c problems and 165 draft problems don't seem to have been cured. Also overcrowding still seems to be a problem on some services.




willc comment just sums up the stupidity of the franchise system and the allocation of rolling stock. There is no incentive for either the TOC or ROSCO to fit decent a/c to the 165/6s.

There's been a couple of attempts with these ties over the years. They do act as a slight disincentive, but were easily broken (by passengers or staff), and of course as soon as the air-con didn't perform up to scratch the window had to be opened anyway. There are three air-con zones per carriage on a 166 - I have known one zone to be cooling well whereas at the other end of the carriage the damn thing is actually throwing out hot air on a summers day!

I would estimate that at the moment (with all windows shut) 33% of zones on the 166 provide partial cooling and about 10% provide 'proper' cooling that is up to the standards of HST's/180's. The rest just vent or in extreme cases pump out heat whatever the temperature. The passengers, many of whom travel daily, get used to the fact that windows are open on hot days -not least because they also travel in 165's without any air-con at all, and the net result is a system that is a waste of time because the windows soon get opened even if the system is working in that part of the train!

As some people on here are passengers, you can help by running the back of your hands underneath the vents which are located on the ceiling of the carriage each side of the aisle between the seats - if it feels nice and cool then close the windows. Some staff do this as well, but of course it's difficult to keep on top of due to the trains being Driver Only Operated.

on the west operations they do have bottled water to give out to passengers during summer months if the a/c is knackered,but this is assuming train crew report it so either them or control can arrange for water to be put on train at suitable stations

Just be grateful you have air con you can (sometimes) use!

Travelling on Class 150s (or any other non air con sprinter etc.) is hell!!

In the heat when the train is stationary, the train is an oven. When it gets to high speeds, it is deafening (it is loud enough when all the windows are closed) so you have to shout. The breeze is good though....

Oh I forgot - the heaters cannot be switched off!!

When it is cold, half the windows can't shut probably anyway. But they are warm.

As for the Thames Turbos, FGW should put bigger signs up, and do announcements where applicable (i.e. telling people not to open the windows when the air con is working). That would work - as people have said above, passengers don't understand how it works and just open the windows when they board. An announcement or two here and there would stop them.

I can imagine the announcement. "For those lucky people sat in the rear section of the second carriage, please note that the air-conditioning is working and the windows need to remain closed. For everyone else, our air-con system is a load of shite so please open the windows if you are struggling to breathe because it's so hot!"  ;)

:P

Hhmm.. well I was on 22.53 Slough to Maidenhead tonight and it was a supposed air conditioned carriage.. All windows were shut (I checked). It was about a third full.. And it was too warm...

New air conditioning please?

heard someone moaning about at a/c being too cold on an HST a couple of days ago!!!