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FGW train faults
- Thread starter Parallel
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ValleyLines142
Established Member
Don't even get me started on last night! I arrived at Parkway and just missed the 1708 to Swansea, literally by seconds; it was pulling away from the station as I got to the platform. I then found out that the following service, the 1745, was twenty minutes late, so I had almost an hour's wait at Parkway, which was not fun with the current state of my back!
I then considered getting the 1720 to Weymouth to Filton Abbey Wood then getting the 1730 from there to Cardiff, but then the platform announcements came on saying the 1720 to Weymouth (150261 and 150239) would be delayed at Bristol Parkway due to the failed train, which it was, having departed Parkway 28 minutes late. As a result, services from Temple Meads towards Bath were dangerously overcrowded and apparently the 1722 Temple Meads to Portsmouth (usually a 153+158) was just a 2 car unit, which is already HALF of what it should be, on top of there being delays. Apparently a passenger fell on the floor and was injured due to the severe overcrowding.
Anyway back at Parkway, the 1643 from Bath (158958) terminated and left Parkway, where the 1727 to Penzance (221138) went from the same platform about twenty minutes late, then 158958 (just a 2 car unit also) returned to depart with the 1748 to Westbury. Things slowly got back to normal at this point, but my train left 27 minutes late at 1812. All in all, not a good evening, especially as I had to be somewhere.
Also yesterday, the 0823 Portsmouth to Cardiff was just 2 instead of 3 carriages, which sounds like hell as this is the first Off-Peak train for much of the southern towns (i.e. Westbury, Warminster, etc).
And this morning the 0930 Cardiff to Portsmouth was full and standing from Newport (a picture of it is on FGW's Facebook page, does not look fun at all!), and I've just had 153305 and 150926 on the 1530 Cardiff to Portsmouth.
Praying I get home on time tonight!
Rich McLean
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As a result of numerous HST failures, some peak Oxfords that are normally HSTs have been swapped for 16x units of late to avoid cancellations, thus meaning many LTV worked services are operating with reduced carrages
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PHILIPE
Veteran Member
Not necessarily covering for 158959 directly, just part of the availability/allocation picture as a whole. A SWT 159 is being hired until Xmas on Saturdays and working the Malvern to Brighton diagram as before. You could refer to that as a replacement for 959 also.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
158959 ran as 12+15 Fareham to Bristol today as a 2 Car with 57778 missing (not the odd one attached to make it a /9). 57778 was berthed in Stone Terminal for conveyance by road due cardan shaft problem.
So that would have been with both the other coaches (52746 and 52778) facing the same way then!
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Rich McLean
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Rich McLean
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There is no lug for it at the rear, as is evident on other 15x units, so it had special permission to run ECS like that.
Last weekend a 159 was working some of the additional Westbury - Bristol Temple Meads services on Saturday (29th Nov). I couldn't see it lasting on those services over the next month though (despite being well loaded). Makes sense for it to return to the Brighton run I guess!
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Excellent, might finally have a journey between Southampton and Bath on a train with a functioning air conditioning system!
A couple of pretty large delays on the FGW network tonight due to a broken down train between Gloucester and Bristol. I'm unsure if the said train was freight, FGW or XC but I'll post it here anyway. I must admit, the last update did make me laugh a little! Such an inconvenience 
Captain Chaos
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I believe it was a freight train that broke down this evening.
It was 6B47 1814 Westerleigh to Robeston that failed near Haresfield, the loco was 60024. Lickey banker was being readied to assist.
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PHILIPE
Veteran Member
I notice from Parallel's post on trains Seen Working yesterday, shows 2 of the Cardiff to Portsmouth Diagrams being worked by a 150/1 and a 150/2
There was a single 153 operating the 17:02 Worcester Foregate Street - Westbury service earlier, from Bristol at least (cancelled between Gt. Malvern and Shrub Hill on the inbound journey from Southampton Central.) Due to the 3 minutes dwell time at Bristol it doesn't look like a set swap happened there, but there looks to have been extended dwell time at Gloucester on the previous journey - I wonder if an original unit needed to be set swapped? If the 153 did make it to Worcester at peak time, perhaps this explains the heavy delays - how is the passenger loading Worcester - Bristol at peak time?
17:02 Worcester
(Inbound) 12:27 Southampton
17:02 Worcester
(Inbound) 12:27 Southampton
PHILIPE
Veteran Member
It was booked a Single 153 until about 3 years ago.
Peak time loading on 150s must be on the lighter side then! 153s don't seem to make it to Worcester/ Malvern much, anymore.
windnoise69
Member
It was a single 153 throughout; there were plans for a Set swap (or strengthen it to 3 cars) but the 150 that was going to do that failed itself.
It was delayed at Gloucester coming down due to a interlock problem
I belive
It was delayed at Gloucester coming down due to a interlock problem
I belive
But when it was booked a single 153 it worked a different service back from Great Malvern. It ran from Gloucester-Westbury via Swindon and Melksham.
ValleyLines142
Established Member
Horrendous. Just go on the 1640 Gloucester to Weymouth and you'll see! Booked for a pair of 150s, fairly busy from Yate, full and standing upon departure from Temple Meads, god knows what it's like when it gets to Bath!
Edit: Admittedly that only starts at Gloucester but even so!
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windnoise69
Member
You'll find that more than likely 50-75%
Of the people on board will
Leave at Bath.
I travel on the 18:07 Weymouth departure from Bath a fair bit, it is quite often full and standing, but you really appreciate the 4 car service when a short formed single 150 turns up, which it did do fairly recently.
In relation to the peak time loadings, I meant more so from the Great Malvern/Worcester leg, rather than Gloucester - I have a better idea on passenger loadings from Gloucester!
In relation to the peak time loadings, I meant more so from the Great Malvern/Worcester leg, rather than Gloucester - I have a better idea on passenger loadings from Gloucester!
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Ingleborough
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350 hp engine trying to power the coach, the aux systems and the air con. BR was very economical on the power allowed for air con. The air con system is actually working the majority of the time and back during last summer the complaints about it not working were in fact mainly groundless. If the ambient outside is 31, and with a full load of people putting out many kilowatts of heat plus an engine underneath also putting out plenty of heat, and the temperature inside is only 29, then it's working. If you want a fridge, then it involves a much more powerful engine and a new air con module that was designed in 2015 to work with new gases and not 1980 and adapted. The 180s have loads of power to spare for air con, are a newer design and could freeze the nuts of a badger.
SWT received a nice big chunk of bunce early in their franchise from the Govt. outside the original terms of their agreement, and their fleet has all Liebherr systems. Only a few FGW ones have it and it's usually better fitted to 400hp examples.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On the matter of fleet size, it took FGW nearly two years of 'discussions' with the DfT just to get 57212 and 57209 from LM. The promise of new 172s came to nothing. Sweating the assets? it's either that or a limited service. The fleet is far too small. FGW's senior people managed to get ex LOROL and LM 150s and unbelievably the DfT put obstacle after obstacle in the way of that. Better to store stock than risk extra leasing costs hitting the franchise premium to the Treasury. Of course the storage costs are not the DfT's problem.
Every time I go past Salisbury and see all those 158s and 159s sat in the yard, knowing all the services are covered, I get quite jealous.
Another challenging day for FGW today, seem to have been a few issues with train faults today.
This morning, the 06:00 Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central terminated at Bath Spa due to a fault involving 'on board safety systems' after being delayed at Freshford.
This afternoon I was waiting for my train at Bristol Temple Meads and the 14:57 from Taunton to Cardiff Central with newly DDA compliant 150219 (and thus its return trip) were cancelled due to a problem with the brakes.
There's also been a cancellation of a HST travelling to Taunton this evening, on the St Ives Branch and a service on the North Downs Line due to faults, according to Journeycheck.
The 16:40 Gloucester - Weymouth is reported to be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4 today due to a train fault.
In addition emergency engineering works caused the 06:40 Weymouth - Bristol Parkway to arrive into Westbury 61 minutes late where it terminated. A replacement service did run but itself terminated at Bristol Temple Meads rather than Parkway, probably due to being stuck behind the Cardiff service.
The 14:50 from Great Malvern - Weymouth was delayed due to "disruptive passengers" and after Bristol, it ran fast to Bath, and then fast from Bath to Westbury. As a result, the evening Warminster stopper from Bristol was stuck behind this and was very overcrowded, and then pulled over at the loop near Bathampton junction to let the Portsmouth Harbour & London Paddington service pass. It itself then terminated early at Westbury.
A bit of a headache for services around Bristol today it would seem.
This morning, the 06:00 Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central terminated at Bath Spa due to a fault involving 'on board safety systems' after being delayed at Freshford.
This afternoon I was waiting for my train at Bristol Temple Meads and the 14:57 from Taunton to Cardiff Central with newly DDA compliant 150219 (and thus its return trip) were cancelled due to a problem with the brakes.
There's also been a cancellation of a HST travelling to Taunton this evening, on the St Ives Branch and a service on the North Downs Line due to faults, according to Journeycheck.
The 16:40 Gloucester - Weymouth is reported to be formed of 2 coaches instead of 4 today due to a train fault.
In addition emergency engineering works caused the 06:40 Weymouth - Bristol Parkway to arrive into Westbury 61 minutes late where it terminated. A replacement service did run but itself terminated at Bristol Temple Meads rather than Parkway, probably due to being stuck behind the Cardiff service.
The 14:50 from Great Malvern - Weymouth was delayed due to "disruptive passengers" and after Bristol, it ran fast to Bath, and then fast from Bath to Westbury. As a result, the evening Warminster stopper from Bristol was stuck behind this and was very overcrowded, and then pulled over at the loop near Bathampton junction to let the Portsmouth Harbour & London Paddington service pass. It itself then terminated early at Westbury.
A bit of a headache for services around Bristol today it would seem.
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PHILIPE
Veteran Member
150219 is the one which has just been to Wolverton to be "modernised" !!!
And of course now that it's warm we can once again appreciate the oft-promised efforts that FGW have made with sorting the air conditioning on the Class 158s. The majority which I have seen over the past fortnight have had the windows open in all three carriages.
I usually aim for the coach in each set which has had Liebherr aircon fitted (you can tell by the shape of the vents above the doors on the roof) as it has a better chance of working but more often that not all three coaches are like the tropics.
I usually aim for the coach in each set which has had Liebherr aircon fitted (you can tell by the shape of the vents above the doors on the roof) as it has a better chance of working but more often that not all three coaches are like the tropics.
In summer, I prefer to use the 150s/153s if I can, more opening windows. I don't find the 4 windows in 158 carriages do a great job regulating temperature (but obviously would rather have them open when aircon is faulty).
I wonder if it will be much the same when the 166s arrive. Mind you, replacing 25-30 year old trains with 25 year old trains, I'm not expecting every problem to be solved. Would be good if the 158s'/166s' aircons do get sorted though. It's been long overdue.
The 1630 Paddington to Taunton was cancelled so the HST could be used on the 1606 to Penzance which was declared a failure before departure. Passengers were asked to leave the failed train on Platform 4 and transfer to Platform 9.
The fact that FGW preferred to cancel the 1630 to Bristol / Taunton rather than putting passengers onto the 1636 Exeter or 1703 Penzance is a clear indicator of the passenger volumes on the Berks & Hants route trains.
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