GWR Turbo Cascade

[FGW_DID]

Realtime Trains | 5C48 0850 Reading Traincare Depot to Reading | 26/03/2022

Real-time train running information for 5C48 0850 departure from Reading Traincare Depot to Reading on 26/03/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

165101 heading off West.

Mission aborted! No West Driver available.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Realtime Trains | 5C48 0850 Reading Traincare Depot to Reading | 26/03/2022

Real-time train running information for 5C48 0850 departure from Reading Traincare Depot to Reading on 26/03/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

165101 heading off West.

It doesn't look like it went very far though if this RTT report is correct? I hear that 165109 is at Oxford on the Bristol 2-car diagram that would normally work 2E77 on Monday morning, but that may be an irrelevant coincidence.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2022 ==

Mission aborted! No West Driver available.

I apologise for my previous query which you had already answered in the 10 minutes it took for the WiFi on board 165124 to come back to life after I hit post.

 

[fgwrich]

SWR should take over the half hourly Reading Basingstoke with a 158/9 to free up another 3 turbos for GWR but that would have to go through the DfT.

They certainly shouldn't! Unless you propose wiring it and using a 450 along the route (or AC equivalent), A 158 or 159 would be ridiculously slow for such a busy route, the end doors would make boarding slow which would impact the timetable along the 'branch'. As a former commuter along that line, the stoppers will always require something with 1/3 doors. If anything, the 150s seemed to manage better than the Turbos.

 

[JonathanH]

They certainly shouldn't! Unless you propose wiring it and using a 450 along the route (or AC equivalent), A 158 or 159 would be ridiculously slow for such a busy route, the end doors would make boarding slow which would impact the timetable along the 'branch'. As a former commuter along that line, the stoppers will always require something with 1/3 doors. If anything, the 150s seemed to manage better than the Turbos.

Yes, it would make more sense for the spare SWR 158s and 159s to go directly to GWR west for direct HST replacement and leave the Turbos where they are.

 

[RailWonderer]

They certainly shouldn't! Unless you propose wiring it and using a 450 along the route (or AC equivalent), A 158 or 159 would be ridiculously slow for such a busy route, the end doors would make boarding slow which would impact the timetable along the 'branch'. As a former commuter along that line, the stoppers will always require something with 1/3 doors. If anything, the 150s seemed to manage better than the Turbos.

I've never used that line regularly but it why is it so busy? I always had it as a quiet branch line. There's barely any developments between Reading and Basingstoke.

 

[fgwrich]

Yes, it would make more sense for the spare SWR 158s and 159s to go directly to GWR west for direct HST replacement and leave the Turbos where they are.

With GWR requiring a HST replacement, and the slow but eventual expansion of the Devon metro, I'm surprised they haven't already looked into transferring a 158 or two across yet. If anything, I'd move the oddball 798 to SWR for 2 if not 3 of the 2 car sets to GW.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2022 ==

I've never used that line regularly but it why is it so busy? I always had it as a quiet branch line. There's barely any developments between Reading and Basingstoke.

Both Reading and Basingstoke are busy and rapidly expanding towns, Bramley has also seen considerable expansion as well with a large new housing estate under construction next to the line in the North Western side of the village. It also helps that both Basingstoke and Reading are notable interchanges as well. Between the Peak Hours, it's busy enough that GWR has justified a 3rd service. It will also soon have Green Park, and potentially, the long talked about station at Chineham (north eastern suburb of Basingstoke with a large business park) added as well.

You will also see a considerable number of passengers who, despite having to stand, will take the XC service in the peaks simply to avoid the all stops - despite there being a 5 - 10 or so minute difference in journey time. It's certainly no rural backwater, and one that in my opinion, should have justified being wired up at the same time as Reading to Newbury was.

 

[Carlisle]

Bramley has also seen considerable expansion as well with a large new housing estate under construction next to the line in the North Western side of the village.

Presumably that’s the old MOD depot site ..

 

[fgwrich]

Presumably that’s the old MOD depot site ..

Nope, not yet at least. There's been development to the south of the village - right to the fence line of the MOD site in fact, which makes it nice and peaceful for when the RAF or Army land one of their Chinook's in the MOD site, but for now the MOD site remains as active as ever. Sadly all the recent development has been farmland - which of course has blocked any plans for a diverted road + bridge to reduce the reliance on the level crossing.

 

[Snow1964]

GWR stock allocation is all a bit comical, where I live (Bradford on Avon) we have mix of 158, 165 & 166, with the non through gangwayed sets often operating as 5 car (or 6car), and the gangwayed 158s as 2car or 3car (with the 3car having a yellow fronted cab in the middle)

Now they introduce 5car IET onto services with 3car platforms elsewhere due to a lack of turbos

 

[baza585]

Yes, it would make more sense for the spare SWR 158s and 159s to go directly to GWR west for direct HST replacement and leave the Turbos where they are.

That is the obvious solution which doesn't seem to have occured to DfT yet.


Anyone know how many 158/9s are not allocated at Salisbury on a weekday; must be quite a few given the current WoE reduced service.

 

[FGW_DID]

Now they introduce 5car IET onto services with 3car platforms elsewhere due to a lack of turbos

There isn’t a lack of Turbo’s, there are more Turbos then there are Turbo diagrams (in LTV land anyway)!

 

[Wolfie]

SWR should take over the half hourly Reading Basingstoke with a 158/9 to free up another 3 turbos for GWR but that would have to go through the DfT.

So SWR get screwed over to bail out GWR?

 

[JonathanH]

So SWR get screwed over to bail out GWR?

No, I don't think that is what is being implied. If demand is reduced at both GWR and SWR and there is a pressing need to eliminate a fleet at GWR, it would make sense to use the spare capacity at both operators to eliminate that fleet.

 

[181]

I've never used that line regularly but it why is it so busy? I always had it as a quiet branch line. There's barely any developments between Reading and Basingstoke.

Both Reading and Basingstoke are busy and rapidly expanding towns, Bramley has also seen considerable expansion as well with a large new housing estate under construction next to the line in the North Western side of the village. It also helps that both Basingstoke and Reading are notable interchanges as well. Between the Peak Hours, it's busy enough that GWR has justified a 3rd service. It will also soon have Green Park, and potentially, the long talked about station at Chineham (north eastern suburb of Basingstoke with a large business park) added as well.

You will also see a considerable number of passengers who, despite having to stand, will take the XC service in the peaks simply to avoid the all stops - despite there being a 5 - 10 or so minute difference in journey time. It's certainly no rural backwater, and one that in my opinion, should have justified being wired up at the same time as Reading to Newbury was.

Not directly relevant to boarding times at intermediate stations, but it's also an important link in various journeys to/from further afield, and XC are only running a third of the number of trains over it compared with the pre-Covid service, which may have increased passenger numbers on the local trains.

 

[fgwrich]

Not directly relevant to boarding times at intermediate stations, but it's also an important link in various journeys to/from further afield, and XC are only running a third of the number of trains over it compared with the pre-Covid service, which may have increased passenger numbers on the local trains.

Even before XC's ridiculous sweeping cutbacks, both XC services were busy. I'd always try to catch the :19 if on a late shift - or stood up on the now removed 06:47 on an early shift.

Going back to the employment reason - one of the towns biggest employers - SSE limited - moved it's offices a few years ago from Basingstoke Town Centre to Forbury Place, which increased commuting too.

 

[Carlisle]

Nope, not yet at least. There's been development to the south of the village - right to the fence line of the MOD site in fact, which makes it nice and peaceful for when the RAF or Army land one of their Chinook's in the MOD site, but for now the MOD site remains as active as ever. Sadly all the recent development has been farmland - which of course has blocked any plans for a diverted road + bridge to reduce the reliance on the level crossing.

Thanks for the information, been a few years since I’ve been along that route .

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2022 ==

SWR should take over the half hourly Reading Basingstoke with a 158/9 to free up another 3 turbos for GWR but that would have to go through the DfT.

Rightly or wrongly around 1993 BR transferred stewardship of that local route from the South Western to the Thames & Chiltern division of Network South East & it remains with the resultant successors to this day.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I've never used that line regularly but it why is it so busy? I always had it as a quiet branch line. There's barely any developments between Reading and Basingstoke.

Ah. Would it be because of less CrossCountry services to and from the Reading and Basingstoke corridor?

 

[MattRat]

So SWR get screwed over to bail out GWR?

Or maybe SWR could get brand new possibly bi mode trains to replace the Super Sprinters, allowing for cascades to occur. Too often do we just accept something 'good enough' instead of striving for better.

 

[FGW_DID]

It doesn't look like it went very far though if this RTT report is correct? I hear that 165109 is at Oxford on the Bristol 2-car diagram that would normally work 2E77 on Monday morning, but that may be an irrelevant coincidence.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Mar 2022 ==

165109 has returned to Reading. 165135 went up to Oxford this afternoon so should drop back onto the West diagram. 165101 is still planned to go West, hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Thank you for that information, that makes sense. Can I ask what the situation is with 165121? I had assumed it returned from Wolverton last weekend when 165120 went North, but since then it does not appear to have done anything and it looks like Reading have been relying on 8 2-car units for 8 diagrams for the past week.

 

[FGW_DID]

Thank you for that information, that makes sense. Can I ask what the situation is with 165121? I had assumed it returned from Wolverton last weekend when 165120 went North, but since then it does not appear to have done anything and it looks like Reading have been relying on 8 2-car units for 8 diagrams for the past week.

Amongst other bits and pieces, it’s still undergoing repair from the tree strike (Eunice??). TBH I thought all the repairs were getting done whilst it was at Wolverton for the refresh. Whilst some were done there is still a multitude of other issues.
When I left work today it was still in the heavy lift road (where it’s basically been since it’s return) after an abortive attempt to move it round to the wheel lathe.
it certainly doesn’t leave much flex with the 2 cars but thankfully, quite a few of the 2 car diagrams are ‘3 car friendly’, its only really the Greenford & Marlow branches that must be 2 cars, but chuck in a couple of restricted units ie Non-Multi etc and it certainly makes life “fun!”

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Feel free to send all turbos back to the Thames Valley

Are you advocating massive service cuts in the West then to suddenly remove a large proportion of the west fleet?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Are you advocating massive service cuts in the West then to suddenly remove a large proportion of the west fleet?

Was very clearly just a tongue in cheek comment reflecting his preference rather than a serious suggestion

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Was very clearly just a tongue in cheek comment reflecting his preference rather than a serious suggestion

Yes, I know that but seems a strange suggestion to even contemplate making being the biggest fleet in the west!

 

[Siemens Staines]

Amongst other bits and pieces, it’s still undergoing repair from the tree strike (Eunice??). TBH I thought all the repairs were getting done whilst it was at Wolverton for the refresh. Whilst some were done there is still a multitude of other issues.
When I left work today it was still in the heavy lift road (where it’s basically been since it’s return) after an abortive attempt to move it round to the wheel lathe.
it certainly doesn’t leave much flex with the 2 cars but thankfully, quite a few of the 2 car diagrams are ‘3 car friendly’, its only really the Greenford & Marlow branches that must be 2 cars, but chuck in a couple of restricted units ie Non-Multi etc and it certainly makes life “fun!”

Thank you for that reply. I too had assumed the tree repairs were getting done at Wolverton and that was the reason why 165121 had been stepped up ahead of 165120 for the refresh. With 165101 leaving for Bristol and 165121 out of action, that does not leave a lot of leeway in the morning peak. I assume the Bourne End peak diagram is now booked a 2-car, as a consequence of the reallocation of 165101, as it now appears to end up working to Marlow late in the evening. I notice that 165109 is on the Windsor branch today but that will be due to the "fun"!

 

[3973EXL]

165101 3F13 0920 Reading - Temple Meads

 

[Siemens Staines]

And straight to Portsmouth on 1F13

Realtime Trains | 1F13 1030 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour | 28/03/2022

Real-time train running information for 1F13 1030 departure from Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour on 28/03/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[REVUpminster]

165101 gone west then it will probably be down at Exeter on the cycle that has seen all the 166s appear on the Devon Metro over the last year.

I shall look out for it.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

And straight to Portsmouth on 1F13

Realtime Trains | 1F13 1030 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour | 28/03/2022

Real-time train running information for 1F13 1030 departure from Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour on 28/03/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

My heart just sank. I can just about put up with a 166 on my 3.5hr journey, but this…

I’m guessing all First Class antimacassars and signage have been removed.

 

[Kite159]

My heart just sank. I can just about put up with a 166 on my 3.5hr journey, but this…

I’m guessing all First Class antimacassars and signage have been removed.

Agreed
At least the outer suburban spec 166s had small tables in the bay seats and some smaller tables in the centre coach in an area of 3-1+2 seating.
The inner suburban spec 165s don't have any tables, even the small ones in the FC end might not exist.

But at least the tourists between Bath & Bristol will be happy they get a seat, squeezed into the middle.

No wonder why catering has been removed, no where for passengers to put coffee cups.