7 coach FGW HST's

[truckman060473]

not a one off, today i saw at least two London Paddington - Swansea HST sets with 7 coaches. any reason these lost the eighth?

 

[MCR247]

Aren't the 7 car ones meant to be on Oxford with the mini buffet, so they are missing the buffet :?

 

[truckman060473]

the ones i saw were at Cardiff going west, then hour or so later, another at Patchway going west. not possible to have been the same one

 

[Ivo]

We get sevens all the time. We get every kind of coach formation here it seems. Standard buffet, First buffet, mini-buffet, whichever.

 

[Mike Redding]

Quite often find them on the Reading - Exeter (via Newbury) line too.

I'm probably wrong, but i thought they were sets that were transferred from Midland Mainline, and they also have SDO(? - I'm not sure if thats right, they have the ability to only open a certain amount of coaches doors, eg. at Thatcham they will only open the doors on the first(westbound)/last(eastbound) 5 coaches)

 

[MCR247]

Quite often find them on the Reading - Exeter (via Newbury) line too.

I'm probably wrong, but i thought they were sets that were transferred from Midland Mainline, and they also have SDO(? - I'm not sure if thats right, they have the ability to only open a certain amount of coaches doors, eg. at Thatcham they will only open the doors on the first(westbound)/last(eastbound) 5 coaches)

AFAIK they are sets with no buffet car, just a mini one in Coach C?

 

[323235]

Don't all FGW HST's have SDO?

 

[fgwrich]

AFAIK they are sets with no buffet car, just a mini one in Coach C?

Don't all FGW HST's have SDO?

7 Coach sets can be down to a variety of things - Faulty or non Faulty Mk3s taken of the the set for maintenance & exams, The Oxford / Bristol sets with the Mini Buffet in Coach F or just Missing buffet car altogher...

As for the SDO - All FGW Sets have SDO...Especially one of the mini buffet which had to have a replacement panel fitted last year:roll:...

Coach C By the way is the TSD

 

[royaloak]

We get sevens all the time. We get every kind of coach formation here it seems. Standard buffet, First buffet, mini-buffet, whichever.

Didn't know FGW had any standard buffets, thought all the 402xx, 407xx, 408xx and 409xx series were all fitted with first class seats, the 401xx don't count as they are just a TSO with a few seats removed.
The only standard buffets were the 404xx ones used by Virgin Cross Country.

Mini buffets get used to Plymouth and Penzance quite often as well.
Yes all sets have SDO fitted.

 

[Mike Redding]

I'm probably wrong, but i thought...

I didn't know they all had SDO. I lost interest in trains for about 5 years, only really taken an intrest in them again in the last few months since we moved to a different part of the country. Still filling in the gaps.

 

[royaloak]

There is a lot of SDO in Cornwall so all sets are fitted, a lot of things have changed in 5 years, mainly a unit country now

 

[Techniquest]

401xx don't count as they are just a TSO with a few seats removed.

Technically, they do count as Standard buffet vehicles if only because of their classification of TSMB (Trailer Standard Micro Buffet). Excellent move for increasing capacity and removing the need for a trolley service those conversions.

Talking of which, does any know of a full list of the TSMBs converted? My NREA 2009 book suggests that 40101 - 118 are to be done, anyone able to clarify?

 

[devon_metro]

Technically, they do count as Standard buffet vehicles if only because of their classification of TSMB (Trailer Standard Micro Buffet). Excellent move for increasing capacity and removing the need for a trolley service those conversions.

They don't actually increase capacity, up to 23 First Class seats are lost compared to a set with a TFB. (17 if a TRFB)

There is also a loss of a number of standard class seats. However granted, they are useful for services that stop at loads of places (eg Pad - Exeter stoppers) and many off peak Cardiff/Bristol trains. Plus, its far better than a trolley in coach A!

 

[Dreadnought]

Talking of which, does any know of a full list of the TSMBs converted? My NREA 2009 book suggests that 40101 - 118 are to be done, anyone able to clarify?

P5 goes up to 40119! I have seen 40106, 40108 - 40114 & 40116 and have also been told that 40107 is out. This was upto the 1st week of February so may be more out since then.

 

[Techniquest]

40106/107/108/110/111/112/115/116 are definately out there, have seen/travelled in that lot, as for the rest I've no idea.