The class 166/165s are turning 32 on the 23rd of June will DTG do anything to celebrate these workhorses of GWR?
Probably not. If they were to do anything GWR related I’d rather it be a remake or a remaster rather than just something for the 166.
Most likely not Dovetail no longer hold a license with GWR unless they do something with the current GWR content in game
Adding the 166 to Livery Editor would be fantastic. But they can't do anything with GWR stock anymore as they don't have the license.
To be fair, 32 or 33 is not really a significant milestone. Maybe 35 and certainly 40, if they stay in service that long. What’s scary is I remember being about on the railway when they were introduced, though by then I had a regular turn on the Provincial Desk in Control where were also getting to grips with the 158’s introduced about the same time. However the Turbos were very welcome on NSE as the conventional DMU’s both the 117’s and 119’s were very tired by that point. In fact it’s scary to reflect the Turbos are now older than those original DMU’s were, when the new fleet first entered service.
I was about 10 when they were introduced but I didn't get to the southeast until later (Being from Leicester most of my trips were northbound) but when I was older they were synonymous with going into or out of Paddington and Marylebone, it still feels weird seeing them in Devon
Such a crying shame they never gave us the 165/1 to make GWE more realistically busy. These units, on introduction in 1992, were a radical departure from the largely 117/121 fleet out of Paddington. No guard, dot matrix pis, and the acceleration. The only thing that this route ever had that was even close, were the prototype Class 210 (001/002) from 10 years before but they were withdrawn around 1987. If we ever get a Chiltern 165/0, it would be a perfect excuse to give us the /1, even if it were unbranded. GWE needs a full rebuild at this point as there are a number of points that I have listed in another post.
I still regularly ride the 165s which retain a major role on my local Chiltern trains. Though I prefer the 168s with their 2+2 rather than 2+3 seating (and the Class 68 services are even better - pro tip for travellers, always go in the end coach before the DVT, which is former 1st class stock with 2+1 seats ).
Nah I don't think it's that much of a big deal to celebrate to be honest. If they were to revisit GWE, and First Group won't allow the licencing, I'd personally revamp the route to the 1990s standard with InterCity and NSE. So the 166 would be in original specification in toothpaste livery and the HST in InterCity livery, and pre heavy overhauls. The track work would need reworking too... Anyway...
