British Rail Class 166
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 166 Turbo Express is a fleet of diesel multiple unit
s (DMUs), originally specified by and built for British Rail
, the then United Kingdom
state owned railway operator. They were built by ABB at York
Works between 1992 and 1993. The trains were designed as a faster, air conditioned variant of the Class 165 Turbo
, intended for longer distance services, and, like the 165s, belong to the Networker family of trains
. They were originally known as Networker Turbos to distinguish them from the electrically propelled members of that family.
The class is still in service, and is operated by First Great Western
on its services out of London Paddington station. The trains, along with that operator's Class 165 trains, are often known as Thames Turbos.
design. They have a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) (suitable for mainline use), are carpeted throughout and have air-conditioning. Externally, the class 166 can be distinguished from a Class 165
by having a first class section at each end of the train, and opening hoppers on every other window.
Other differences over a 165 are as follows:
Twenty-one 3-car units were built, numbered 166201-221. Each unit was formed of two outer driving motors, and an intermediate motor. The technical description of the formation is DMCL+MS+DMCL. Individual carriages are numbered as follows:
The units were built to replace elderly Class 117
, Class 119
and Class 121
"Heritage" DMUs, and locomotive-hauled trains on services from London Paddington along the Great Western Main Line
.
Six cars were added to the original order in 1991 after Network SouthEast
acquired some of the Cotswold Line
line services from Regional Railways
to allow Class 158
units to be converted to Class 159s
for the West of England
services.
Class 166 units were some of the first trains in Britain to be designed for Driver Only Operation, in cases were a Guard is required they must carry out their door operation duties via a bell system to signal the Drivers to close doors and start the train. This requires the Guard to return to a vacant cab at each station to carry out these duties, examples of this First Great Western
services on the Cotswolds Line.
and therefore carried NSE blue, red and white livery with Turbo Express branding between the two first class windows of the DMCL carriages.
Their main destinations included fast-trains to Reading
, Newbury
and Oxford
, with some services continuing beyond Oxford to Banbury
and Stratford-upon-Avon
, or along the Cotswold Line
to Evesham, Worcester, Great Malvern
and Hereford
. Units are also used on the Reading to Gatwick Airport services along the North Downs Line
. Many services operated by the 166 were branded as Turbo Express in the timetables.
A rail user's group has suggested that Class 165 Turbo and the express variant, Class 166 Turbo Express will work services on the to route after the Thameslink
cascade, subject to line clearance. However, a Network Rail document released in 2011 cast doubts on whether this would actually happen after revealing the gauge between Cardiff and Portsmouth is currently not suitable for Class 166s.
Following privatisation, the units passed to the Thames Trains
franchise, who introduced a new blue, white and green livery. There were two variants of this livery; the Class 166 units had the 'express' variant.
In April 2004, operation of the Thames Trains franchise passed to the First Group, who now operate the company as First Great Western
. The livery remained the same, but FGW Link branding was applied over the obsolete Thames Trains logo.
In 2012, First Great Western will be take delivery of five Class 180 Adelante units for Cotswold Line
services, and three-car Sprinter units for Reading to Basingstoke Line
services, allowing Class 165 and 166 units to be used to be used entirely for Thames Valley services.
Towards the end of January 2010, First Great Western have announced an £8,000,000 refresh programme to their fleet of Class 166 Turbo DMU trains.
The carpets & seats will be retrimmed, interiors repainted, Passenger Information Displays replaced with a GPS based system and toilets upgraded. The refresh work is being carried out in house at Reading Depot, with the first two vehicles already arrived and eventually five vehicles will be in the works at any one time. The refresh will be completed by the end of March 2012, by which time 151 vehicles (Class 165 as well as Class 166) will have received the refresh work.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 166 Turbo Express is a fleet of diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s (DMUs), originally specified by and built for British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, the then United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
state owned railway operator. They were built by ABB at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
Works between 1992 and 1993. The trains were designed as a faster, air conditioned variant of the Class 165 Turbo
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
, intended for longer distance services, and, like the 165s, belong to the Networker family of trains
Networker (train)
The Networker is a family of trains which operate on the UK railway system. They were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s by BREL . The trains were built for the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail...
. They were originally known as Networker Turbos to distinguish them from the electrically propelled members of that family.
The class is still in service, and is operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
on its services out of London Paddington station. The trains, along with that operator's Class 165 trains, are often known as Thames Turbos.
Description
These units are a modification of the Class 165British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
design. They have a top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) (suitable for mainline use), are carpeted throughout and have air-conditioning. Externally, the class 166 can be distinguished from a Class 165
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
by having a first class section at each end of the train, and opening hoppers on every other window.
Other differences over a 165 are as follows:
- Air conditioning
- Two toilets (a 165 only has one toilet per unit)
- Tables in first class and in one third of the middle carriage
- Dedicated cycle/luggage storage in the middle carriage
- Different interior panelling between the door and seating areas
- Grab rails painted in yellow instead of the blue found in the 165s (Unrefurbished trains)
Twenty-one 3-car units were built, numbered 166201-221. Each unit was formed of two outer driving motors, and an intermediate motor. The technical description of the formation is DMCL+MS+DMCL. Individual carriages are numbered as follows:
- 58101-58121 - DMCO
- 58601-58621 - MSO
- 58122-58142 - DMCO
The units were built to replace elderly Class 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
, Class 119
British Rail Class 119
The British Rail Class 119 DMUs were used throughout the Western Region and on services in the Midlands sourced by Tyseley Depot. Shortly after their introduction, sets were transferred from Cardiff to serve the intermediate stations on outer suburban services from London Paddington to Oxford...
and Class 121
British Rail Class 121
Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
"Heritage" DMUs, and locomotive-hauled trains on services from London Paddington along the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
.
Six cars were added to the original order in 1991 after Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
acquired some of the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
line services from Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
to allow Class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
units to be converted to Class 159s
British Rail Class 159
The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit of the Sprinter family, built in 1989 - 1992 by BREL at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as Class 158...
for the West of England
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
services.
Class 166 units were some of the first trains in Britain to be designed for Driver Only Operation, in cases were a Guard is required they must carry out their door operation duties via a bell system to signal the Drivers to close doors and start the train. This requires the Guard to return to a vacant cab at each station to carry out these duties, examples of this First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
services on the Cotswolds Line.
Operations
When built, these units were operated by the Thames Line and North Downs Line subdivisions of Network SouthEastNetwork SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
and therefore carried NSE blue, red and white livery with Turbo Express branding between the two first class windows of the DMCL carriages.
Their main destinations included fast-trains to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, with some services continuing beyond Oxford to Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
and Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, or along the Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
to Evesham, Worcester, Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
and Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. Units are also used on the Reading to Gatwick Airport services along the North Downs Line
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton Main Line...
. Many services operated by the 166 were branded as Turbo Express in the timetables.
A rail user's group has suggested that Class 165 Turbo and the express variant, Class 166 Turbo Express will work services on the to route after the Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
cascade, subject to line clearance. However, a Network Rail document released in 2011 cast doubts on whether this would actually happen after revealing the gauge between Cardiff and Portsmouth is currently not suitable for Class 166s.
Following privatisation, the units passed to the Thames Trains
Thames Trains
Thames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
franchise, who introduced a new blue, white and green livery. There were two variants of this livery; the Class 166 units had the 'express' variant.
In April 2004, operation of the Thames Trains franchise passed to the First Group, who now operate the company as First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. The livery remained the same, but FGW Link branding was applied over the obsolete Thames Trains logo.
In 2012, First Great Western will be take delivery of five Class 180 Adelante units for Cotswold Line
Cotswold Line
The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill...
services, and three-car Sprinter units for Reading to Basingstoke Line
Reading to Basingstoke Line
The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western Railway between 1846 and 1848. The line is served by First Great Western local services between Reading and Basingstoke, which stop at the...
services, allowing Class 165 and 166 units to be used to be used entirely for Thames Valley services.
London and Thames Valley Refresh
The carpets & seats will be retrimmed, interiors repainted, Passenger Information Displays replaced with a GPS based system and toilets upgraded. The refresh work is being carried out in house at Reading Depot, with the first two vehicles already arrived and eventually five vehicles will be in the works at any one time. The refresh will be completed by the end of March 2012, by which time 151 vehicles (Class 165 as well as Class 166) will have received the refresh work.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 166 | First Great Western | 21 | 1992–1993 | 3 | 166201 - 166221 |