FGW HST Diversions - December 2010

[swt_passenger]

It can be done via Mount Pleasant Junction, Windsor Lines and Stewarts Lane to gain access to Victoria but totally impractical. I have been on a diesel-hauked charter that traversed the link in the Down direction, ex-Victoria.

Funnily enough, if anyone had thought of running from the Windsors into Victoria that way during the current period they'd have found the line blocked anyway. The bridge which takes the four Brighton lines over the Ludgate and Kensington lines is being replaced over the next few days - which is why SN aren't running between Clapham Jn and Victoria...

Never rains...

 

[TheWalrus]

Why is only Pl 17 and that clear for HSTs, and not the other platforms?

 

[MCR247]

Length?

 

[TomJ93]

On Wednesday i'm going to nip down to Banbury, anybody kind enough to provide me with some times when i'll see some HSTs?

 

[TheWalrus]

Length?

Is that a guess? Plus cant they take a 10 car 444, or 9 car 159?

 

[spark001uk]

As you can see from my photo from yesterday, length not an issue, all plats are about same length (apart from i think 1-4 are a bit shorter), and they comfortably take a 2+8 HST. In comparison that's an 8 car (cl458) on p19 and a 12car (cl450) on p12. I believe it's just a matter of keeping them over to the windsor side for routing reasons.

(Yes i went on it, to WSB and back, nightmare! Took forever.)

 

[saracen43]

On Wednesday i'm going to nip down to Banbury, anybody kind enough to provide me with some times when i'll see some HSTs?

Correct me if i am wrong,but am i right in thinking the Padd-Oxford diversions crawl their way on to the chiltern line, then up to banbury and reverse down to oxford,if so where do they join the chiltern line.

 

[matt]

At Anyho junction to the south of Kings Sutton

 

[richw]

As you can see from my photo from yesterday, length not an issue, all plats are about same length (apart from i think 1-4 are a bit shorter), and they comfortably take a 2+8 HST. In comparison that's an 8 car (cl458) on p19 and a 12car (cl450) on p12. I believe it's just a matter of keeping them over to the windsor side for routing reasons.

(Yes i went on it, to WSB and back, nightmare! Took forever.)

is it not to with the platform curve to do with the plattform restrictions? are hst coaches longer than those of the 450?

 

[MCR247]

Yes, HSTs are 23m and 450s are 20m.

 

[saracen43]

At Anyho junction to the south of Kings Sutton

At Banbury is it set down only, or do they unlock the doors.

 

[swt_passenger]

Why is only Pl 17 and that clear for HSTs, and not the other platforms?

The power car bogies have stuff on them - such as footsteps - that fouls other platform structures, (according to a post elsewhere), but platforms 17-19 are OK.

SWT apparently limit P17 to a 9.159, 8 car EMUs generally, or single 444, but an 8+2 HST must be OK in P17 as photted above.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

At Banbury is it set down only, or do they unlock the doors.

Banbury isn't a timetabled call, as far as journey planners and published leaflets go.

On the other route Basingstoke is set down only in the up direction, and pick up only in the down direction.

 

[spark001uk]

At Banbury is it set down only, or do they unlock the doors.

Wouldn't they unlock the doors if it was set down only then? Or have they established a new method of throwing the passengers out the windows!?

 

[paul1609]

I travelled on the 10.45 ex Paddington and returned on the 16.15 ex Oxford today neither had the doors released at Banbury. The down working did the new main line throughout whilst the return was via the Greenford Branch and Ealing Broadway.
The return was also rather overcrowded with about 8 people standing in our vestible.

Also did the Oxford to Bicester Town branch before it gets Evergreened.

Overall an interesting day out.

 

[Dampflok]

New signals were installed at Banbury to facilitate the reversal of the diverted FGW HSTs, but apparently there is the possibility of the trains reversing at Aynho Junction instead and thus not going into Banbury at all, whether any have done this as yet I don't know.

A few photos now on my site of diverted trains passing Princes Risborough, starting here:

http://www.geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p68533366.html

followed by several more, more still to be added...

Cheers, Geoff

 

[EltonRoad]

Nice photos, thanks for posting.

 

[96tommy]

I am going to Paddington tomorrow for around 1 and a half hours. Will there be any HST's

 

[ushawk]

Should be some HST's and i guess those will be reversing near Banbury.

I managed to catch a glimpse of a HST leaving Waterloo yesterday morning at about 10.30. Also noticed that on the platform the HST was on, on the tracks was some black sheets, any idea what thats for ?

 

[Voyager 2093]

Today I saw FGW HST, The car I recorded was 45053 on the former Grand Central Railway between North Acton and South Ruilsip. From what I could see it was heading for the Chiltern Mainline.

 

[Ibex]

Also noticed that on the platform the HST was on, on the tracks was some black sheets, any idea what thats for ?

I may well be wrong but I can only assume they are there to prevent rather unattractive diesel stains on the track when the trains are idle, as seen here at Fort William.

 

[swt_passenger]

I may well be wrong but I can only assume they are there to prevent rather unattractive diesel stains on the track when the trains are idle, as seen here at Fort William.

There's also the more obvious problem that the HSTs have dump through toilets, unlike everything else using Waterloo. So it'll help the clean up after the weekend...

 

[ian13]

New signals were installed at Banbury to facilitate the reversal of the diverted FGW HSTs, but apparently there is the possibility of the trains reversing at Aynho Junction instead and thus not going into Banbury at all, whether any have done this as yet I don't know.

A few photos now on my site of diverted trains passing Princes Risborough, starting here:

http://www.geoff-plumb.fotopic.net/p68533366.html

followed by several more, more still to be added...

Cheers, Geoff

1B59 today (1515 PAD - SWA) reversed at Aynho Junction instead. Was rather hoping for a trip to Banbury really!

 

[swt_passenger]

Today I saw FGW HST, The car I recorded was 45053 on the former Grand Central Railway between North Acton and South Ruilsip. From what I could see it was heading for the Chiltern Mainline.

The line name you are thinking of is the 'Great Central Railway', but that bit was always considered a joint GW/GCR line anyway, normally referred to as the New North Line.

(Grand Central is the open access operator...)

 

[saracen43]

Wouldn't they unlock the doors if it was set down only then? Or have they established a new method of throwing the passengers out the windows!?

I think Paul1609 answered my question.

 

[TheWalrus]

1B59 today (1515 PAD - SWA) reversed at Aynho Junction instead. Was rather hoping for a trip to Banbury really!

Good! Was it delayed? How does it reverse there, cross over then reverse or vice versa, or is there a turnback siding?

 

[The Planner]

Comes over the flyover, stops on the down behind 5002 signal (i think...) and goes over the crossover onto the up.

 

[TheWalrus]

I think I get you, thanks!

 

[paul1609]

Comes over the flyover, stops on the down behind 5002 signal (i think...) and goes over the crossover onto the up.

There also appears to be a signalled route from the down chiltern line just before the flyover on to the Up "off ramp" Id always assumed this continued on to the Up main line to allow reversal there?

 

[sonic2009]

No they couldn't. It would delay existing services because of having to cross all of the lines. It isn't practical. It would take a bit longer than a SWT service?

The freightliner pilot man I spoke to yesterday on the 1501 off westbury to prnzance, said the reason they take so long from waterloo to basingtoke is that they are limited to 10mph through twickenham and other stations, due to something to do with the bogie, can't remeber what exactly, and main line is out of bounds, because not cleared via esher...

 

[swt_passenger]

The freightliner pilot man I spoke to yesterday on the 1501 off westbury to prnzance, said the reason they take so long from waterloo to basingtoke is that they are limited to 10mph through twickenham and other stations, due to something to do with the bogie, can't remeber what exactly, and main line is out of bounds, because not cleared via esher...

It's the side steps on the power car bogies that are the gauging issue. The coaches are apparently ok, this is why Waterloo can accept Mk3 coaches into P8-19, but HST sets only into P17-19

As I've pointed out earlier, gaining clearance for the main line route (through Esher etc) isn't of much relevance to getting into platforms P17-19 at Waterloo, which is probably why it won't be done.