Trimode cl 769 to operate Reading to Oxford and Gatwick.

[whole diary]

[eightonedee]

Another month passes, and still no sign of progress. In the meantime the delay in bringing the 769s into service continues to feature in posts on other threads.

During my now weekly commute past Reading Traincare depot, I don't think I have seen more than 3 "on shed", of which (insofar as I can tell from fleeting views as I go past) only one seems to have its GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logos and markings applied to its green and grey livery.

Any news - has the ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) problem been resolved? Are those that have been delivered working properly? When will the rest arrive? Will they enter service before I finally retire in April? Any inside knowledge out there? 

[IndustryInsider]

There’s three more stabled at Oxford, others at Eastleigh I believe and more no doubt dotted around the countryside!

[onthecushions]

I wonder if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is waiting sensibly and quietly for Northern and TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) to sort out the 769's, one way or another, before taking the plunge on (and expense of)  driver training and introduction into service.

OTC

[stuving]

I wonder if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is waiting sensibly and quietly for Northern and TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) to sort out the 769's, one way or another, before taking the plunge on (and expense of)  driver training and introduction into service.

OTC

Driver training started early in September, but there hasn't been a great deal of it yet. I imagine that's because it calls for spare drivers - not needed to drive trains in service -  and they have been hard to find. Train failures on the runs that did happen have not been common, but a lot of trips have been cancelled throughout.

[onthecushions]

I was in Palmer Park, Reading about 1210 today and saw 3V11, 769 937 returning ecs to Reading from Gatwick on time. Looked very smart.

Try the Park's TuTu's Cafe, it's very good.

OTC

[TonyN]

Only one 769 at Oxford this morning so they do move.

[Reading General]

I saw one move through platform 3 at Oxford station last week towards the sidings. I couldn’t see it on the real time trains website.

[anthony215]

I was in Palmer Park, Reading about 1210 today and saw 3V11, 769 937 returning ecs to Reading from Gatwick on time. Looked very smart.

Try the Park's TuTu's Cafe, it's very good.

OTC

According to the gwr staff 769937 seems to be the most behaved of the 769s they've received so far

[stuving]

It also might hint that the 769 introduction is still a LONG way off.

... and maybe getting longer off!

While GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s herd were doing better than the rest, recently they haven't done at all well. With six runs to Gatwick a week planned, so far this week it's been four no-shows out of six. That may be due to last week, where there were three failures at Guildford (one after a failed attempt to fail at Redhill, followed by a successful failure on the way beck). Two runs went OK, the sixth was cancelled.

These runs are still being called mileage accumulation, but with some scope for training. So far that's been training driver managers and trainers, but even if driver availability allowed their inclusion, ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) still don't.

[RichT54]

There's been an interesting conversation on RailUK Forums today:

Possibly. 769s like 319s before them have two AWS^▸ (Automatic Warning System - an arrangement of permanent magnets and electro-magnets that convey information about the associated signal to the train driver) receivers. The AWS magnets on DC^▸ (Direct Current) electrified lines have a much stronger magnetic field to overcome the electromagnetic interference from the 3rd rail so there is an AWS receiver for DC, and another for AC & diesel. The switch from one to the other should happen as part of the power changeover procedure, but if it doesn't then the train can be running with the wrong receiver active, which can result in lots of AWS irregularities. That's just an educated guess on my part though as to what happened on 939 today.

Meanwhile, 936 failed at Guildford this afternoon with a traction motor fault, could only get as far as Wanborough on the other motor, so headed back to Guildford, and is now sat in disgrace in the sidings awaiting rescue tomorrow.

There are four traction motors, yes, but it's only possible to isolate pairs of motors so if one develops a fault that requires isolation, then two motors are lost. I probably could have been clearer in that it was one pair that had been isolated leaving one pair operational, i.e., 50% power. Performance on one pair of motors is pretty dire, especially on any sort of gradient like the 1 in 100 leaving Guildford on the down Ash.

Reading low level line has been attempted from a standing start on one pair of motors a while ago - I can't remember the exact gradient (something severe like 1 in 35?) but that one very nearly didn't make it.

Edit: forgot the link https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-class-319-769-information-discussion.174866/page-51#post-5538947

[eightonedee]

Doesn't look like the failure rate is improving?

Saw first one at Guildford this evening,  but all shut up and dark in the sidings beyond platform 8 and the temporary site offices. Another failure?

[stuving]

Doesn't look like the failure rate is improving?

Saw first one at Guildford this evening,  but all shut up and dark in the sidings beyond platform 8 and the temporary site offices. Another failure?

Yes. Though it's got a traction motor fault, which might be attributed to the original 319. But the result is it lost the use of half its motors, and was unable to get up the hill to Wanborough. Hence it was sent to the naughty siding to wait for someone to do the sums to see if another 769 could pull it up 1/100.

Plans to shift is on Friday were Euniced, but I though there was another go planned today. At least, there was an ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) move from Oxford to the sidings, and another from there to Reading depot. Some timing reports of that are showing, but rather too few to be really convincing, so maybe (given that it's still there) that didn't happen.

[eightonedee]

I have just realised why they are no longer going to use them for bi-mode trains between Reading and Oxford - they will need all 19 to run up and down the North Downs line rescuing one another when they break down!

[RichT54]

It looks like the failed 769 has been rescued at last:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:16493/2022-02-23/detailed

[stuving]

It looks like the failed 769 has been rescued at last:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:16493/2022-02-23/detailed

And less than a week later the same unit (769936) has been and gone and done pretty much the same thing again. This time it's at Redhill, and in another naughty siding - number 2 is a series of ...