"Robert Neville" wrote in message
...
I recently spent some time in Teignmouth and had occasion to take a FGW
train
to/from Exeter. I don't know what models FGW uses - the set going to
Exeter was
definitely an older 2 car set, the return trip was still two car but much
newer.

I thought most modern trains were diesel electric. That is, the diesel ran
at
constant speed power an genset, which in turn provided electricity to
drive
electric motors.

None of FGW's 2 car DMUs are diesel electric - I'm sure the only diesel
electric units (ie DEMUs) in use in GB are the Voyagers and Meridians.

The latest new small DMUs (the 172s used by LO and Chiltern) aren't diesel
electric either, and have surprisingly gone back to mechanical gearboxes
following the widespread use of hydraulic gearboxes...

Paul S