GWR Class 769 On Test at Dorking 21/06/21

[@MikeWillSee]

I realise now that I should have made the video 2 seconds longer so that it would be 3:19 minutes long. Oh well!

[@MikeWillSee]

@@jamiesbusrailandannoucneme1667 exactly!

[@pj6641]

Green park new station being built between Reading and Basingstoke have got longer platforms as the 769's are going to be used on the Basingstoke to Reading Branch hence releasing more turbos for Bristol areas

[@MikeWillSee]

Ah I didn't know that - will definitely do more research on it. Thanks for the comment!

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

Enjoy the the new update very much .Hope there more to come.

[@MikeWillSee]

Yeah I will certainly looking forward to their entry into service. It would also be good to capture them operating on electric power somewhere too.

[@gtwxpvideosandphotos2419]

Nice to finally hear it run on diesel mode!

[@MikeWillSee]

Yeah I agree! Interestingly, this is my only real encounter with it though so I haven't actually heard it in electric mode yet! (unless you count when they used to operate as 319s on thameslink). I hope to capture it on electric some time though (for both electric and overhead power). Thanks for the tip-off about when it would be running!

[@beta.3984]

Great Catch!

[@MikeWillSee]

Thank you!

[@glenday1146]

I believe Sandhurst has also had the platform lengthened ready for the Class 769s.

[@MikeWillSee]

That would make sense. It would be silly not to extend the platforms if the space is there!

[@brunaskarting116]

It’s brilliant how, despite the diesel engines, they still retain the classic Class 319 electric motor whine. Reminds of me catching First Capital Connect services when going on holiday to Sussex!

[@MikeWillSee]

Yes, it's nice that you can still hear the original motors. I think the reason for that is that the engines don't power the train directly, they act more like a generator of electricity for the electric motors, which actually drive it.

[@brunaskarting116]

So, when it’s running on diesel, it’s practically a DEMU set up like the Class 22x Voyagers and Meridians? In terms of the Meridians, I’ve had loads of fun trying to explain to my 4 year old son why, despite the Meridians and Class 180 Adelantes both having the same Cummins QSK19 engine, they sound different when setting off. How do I properly explain the difference between a DMU and DEMU to a 4 year old?! 😂

[@MikeWillSee]

@@brunaskarting116 that is correct that they more or less operate as DEMUs (while on Diesel power only of course). It is very rare to find a 'diesel' train that isn't actually a DEMU, pure diesel trains are a lot older (you're looking at something like a class 55 deltic for that) and they have a very distinct sound. The reason they run this way is because it's simply more energy efficient.

[@MikeWillSee]

@@brunaskarting116 also with regards to explaining the difference, I'd say it's like explaining the difference between a petrol and a hybrid car. One powers the wheels directly, while the other is basically electric where the diesel motors act purely as a generator.

[@joshuahalla.k.a.controlla6333]

Great video.☺️

[@MikeWillSee]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@beta.3984]

When the 165/6’s go I’m gonna miss them

[@MikeWillSee]

Yeah same, luckily they're not being scrapped so you'll still be able to see them elsewhere on the network!

[@BerlietGBC]

Living at RDH I had been trying to catch one of these on test by never managed, we did have some new signage go up at RDH shame it’s not going ahead now

[@MikeWillSee]

Agreed it would have been really good if these had entered service

[@BerlietGBC]

@@MikeWillSee The sad thing is I not only remember these as 319’s entered service , but originally being a ECML boy I remember the wires going up and there 313’s replacing the DMU’s lol

[@MikeWillSee]

@@BerlietGBC and now even the 313s have been replaced!

[@BerlietGBC]

@@MikeWillSee Well we have a few on the coastal service and occasionally one come past going to Selhurst , I back onto to the slow at RDH so all the interesting stuff comes past me

[@MikeWillSee]

@GarageBartune from what I understand even southern's coastway units don't have long left (which seems silly to me given there is no plan to replace them either) so we'll have to enjoy those while they last!

[@traindriver35]

Other platforms lengthened... Betchworth up. Chilworth down. Sandhurst both.

[@MikeWillSee]

makes sense, thanks for dropping by!

[@anglian.railways]

it was waving at you!

[@MikeWillSee]

I'm assuming you mean the wipers, yeah haha!

[@JamesTrainspotter]

epic

[@trainsandboatschannel8777]

Nice video

[@MikeWillSee]

Thanks! :D

[@Southerntrainspotter315]

Would be cool if they could do it to the 313s or 508s

[@MikeWillSee]

Whilst that would be nice I fear we would get a repeat of the 442s where they decide the units are too old to justify the expense of keeping them running

[@Southerntrainspotter315]

Well the 442s had there time and where great at there job but everyone has there time and there story has come to an end

[@johnkeepin7527]

It’s a shame it’s produced at 60 fps - even at a download speed of 69 Mbps it’s not really watchable. 25 fps, or 30 fps would still be fine at 4k but more accessible by many more.

[@MikeWillSee]

Thanks for the feedback! I filmed the video on two different cameras, one of them (from the first half) actually records at 4K 30fps, but the other one (from the second half) records at 1080p60. I wanted to keep the 4K from the first half, but the 60fps from the second half, and as such set the video to render at 4K 60fps in order to get both, though I must confess I wasn't thinking about accessibility and ease of streaming at the time. Future videos will probably only require one camera, so should be uploaded at 4K 30fps and thus be easier to stream. Thank you for the feedback, I will definitely try and remember that to improve future videos. Sorry you found this one hard to stream.

[@gharwood1356]

@@MikeWillSee It ran perfectly on my elderly and slightly clanky laptop. Didn't try it on the TV

[@MikeWillSee]

@@gharwood1356 glad to hear that, hope you enjoyed!

[@Andrewjg_89]

When is GWR due to start allowing the Class 769s in passenger service on the North Downs Line. Or are they already in service.

[@MikeWillSee]

I'm afraid I'm not sure, they _were_ originally meant to enter service in 2019, but that has been significantly delayed. Wikipedia says December 2021 but that hasn't happened so who knows! Hopefully some time in the near future seems likely!

[@Andrewjg_89]

Then what a waste of money on converting trains that can’t be in passenger service either before the end of the year. Or in the beginning of the new year. Such a shame that our government is a complete mess.

[@MikeWillSee]

@@Andrewjg_89 not a huge waste when considering that they will enter service at some point, at least it's not the class 442s all over again!

[@BTTT-c9q]

What will happen with the 166 and 165? Traveled on these for years

[@MikeWillSee]

Transferred to other parts of the network i.e. around Bristol I believe!

[@BTTT-c9q]

@@MikeWillSee I think it will do the line good, has been really bad for years with train reliability

[@MikeWillSee]

@@BTTT-c9q yeah, plus you get extra capacity with 4 cars rather than 3 Not to mention they're better for the environment too

[@DennosManCave]

With these "new" units likley to run RDG to GTW, what are the likely sections they run on diesel? Will they depart Reading on 3rd rail as far as (I'm guessing) Wokingham? Or is it only the latter section from Guildford to Gatwick on 3rd rail?

[@MikeWillSee]

I'll have to double check which sections of the line are electrified and which aren't, but a large proportion of the line is electrified which is why these units make sense. They will definitely have to run on diesel between Guildford and Reigate though (reigate is electrified because it gets a half-hourly service to London), and I think somewhere else too but I'll have to check now.

[@MikeWillSee]

Having another quick look, they also run on Diesel from Wokingham through to Ash, where it merges with the electrified SWR line to Guildford

[@MikeWillSee]

So to conclude: Reading - Wokingham third rail Wokingham - Ash diesel Ash - Guildford third rail Guildford - Reigate diesel Reigate - Redhill/Gatwick Airport third rail. If this shows anything it's the insanity of having the line only partially electrified and having to switch back and forth between electric and diesel, when the line should be electrified outright! Nonetheless until that happens these trains are a great compromise to avoid needlessly running diesel trains on electrified lines.

[@DennosManCave]

@@MikeWillSee Thanks! I guess we look at old legacy rail companies who owned the rails from years gone by. The old Southern Railway will never have ran trains I guess across this sort of route, and hence why it was never ever electrified over these short stumps (were some of these ownerd by the GWR??). I'm guessing most historical Reading onto what is the main London to Brighton line services would have gone via inner London routes via Kensington Olympia and Clapham Junction. I know when I was at Uni in Guildford in the 90's, I used to have to change to a horrid old DMU in Reading (I came in from Birmingham) as there was only 1 Birmingham to Guildford service a week!

[@MikeWillSee]

@@DennosManCave interestingly there is still a one a week service from Newcastle to Guildford (via Birmingham) but for most journeys you do have to change as its mainly a parliamentary service at this point. I believe the line was _historically_ operated by by South Eastern Railway (later the Southern), who did run services all the way along the line from places such as Charing Cross (via the Brighton Mainline obviously), and also from places like Ashford (via Tonbridge) but the line has a very checkered history. The main focus would have been electrifying the commuter lines up to London, but there has always been a long term plan to electrify this line too (some substations for adjacent lines (like at Dorking) even left extra room for when the North Downs Line would eventually be electrified too!). Some more modern proposals have said that the link with Ashford, combined with electrification could allow Eurostar services to run along the line to places like Bristol and Cardiff (via Reading) although of course these never came to fruition. Who knows what the future holds for the line but hopefully it is some form of electrification, especially considering the increasingly apparent need to decarbonise!

[@nataliehilton9334]

Does Geoff Marshall know about this train?

[@MikeWillSee]

I'm sure he does, in one of his newest videos he rode the Transport for Wales 769 which is very similar except it's diesel only.