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165107 was the one planned when I left work this morning but due to disruption this morning, the plan went to rats**t! 165108 was readily available as it had been stopped on depot for an A Exam.
Don't know if it has been mentioned but a lot more 2-car 165's are popping up on North Downs and subsequently getting very overcrowded. Got squeezed into 165 118 back from Reading today
Don't know if it has been mentioned but a lot more 2-car 165's are popping up on North Downs and subsequently getting very overcrowded. Got squeezed into 165 118 back from Reading today
No booked work on the N. Downs for the 2 cars so that would be a 2 vice 3. 118 should have been on the Newbury / Bedwyns but there was disruption with this mornings departures from the depot.
No booked work on the N. Downs for the 2 cars so that would be a 2 vice 3. 118 should have been on the Newbury / Bedwyns but there was disruption with this mornings departures from the depot.
Cheers - just from casual observations I've seen a few 2 car sets recently but first one I travelled on, so I guess no 3 car spares available as everything is a bit tight!
I believe 2E70 is normally formed of 2 158s and splits at Gloucester, with half continuing to Worcester then the other half forming a service to Salisbury via Swindon. The set swap was presumably to allow the 158 to be used for the Salisbury service.
This isn't the case anymore now with the timetable change. The Worcester service is now an IET, the Salisbury service is now a 2 car 165, with that unit coming from 2V68 1328 Weymouth to Gloucester, which is booked 2 x 165 with them splitting on arrival (front unit forms 2O84 back to Weymouth, rear forming the Salisbury).
The allocation for the afternoon isn’t quite right, HSTs don’t come from Stoke Gifford as it’s an IET only depot, if the ECS comes from there it’ll be an 80x if it’s the HST shown on the allocation it’ll be coming from St Phillips Marsh - keep an eye on that one either the stock allocated or the origin will change.
The allocation for the afternoon isn’t quite right, HSTs don’t come from Stoke Gifford as it’s an IET only depot, if the ECS comes from there it’ll be an 80x if it’s the HST shown on the allocation it’ll be coming from St Phillips Marsh - keep an eye on that one either the stock allocated or the origin will change.
The origin won't change as such as far as the schedule is concerned to be one of those annoying pedants, it'll just be locally arranged off of SPM to take the path from Bristol TM, which I believe is the plan.
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165104 finally made it West working yesterdays 3C88 0715 Reading TCD - Swindon for 2O88 0815 Swindon - Weymouth. Normally, the same unit should return home on Sundays 5A90 2314 Swindon - Reading TCD, but as it stands 5A90 tonight is showing as 166213 on RTT. Perhaps this is a consequence of disruption yesterday, and it will be changed later?
165104 finally made it West working yesterdays 3C88 0715 Reading TCD - Swindon for 2O88 0815 Swindon - Weymouth. Normally, the same unit should return home on Sundays 5A90 2314 Swindon - Reading TCD, but as it stands 5A90 tonight is showing as 166213 on RTT. Perhaps this is a consequence of disruption yesterday, and it will be changed later?
Three of my last four trips on the NDL have been on 2-car 165s, including a Gatwick to Reading today which was full to standing! Very poor, and seemingly getting worse. On the way back, it was a three car, and pretty empty but the guard chose to ride with the driver instead of at the back where he should have been and I heard him telling some passengers that the first class is declassified on this line! Just in case the May timetable had removed first class again, I checked the current timetable and no, every train on the route is shown to have first class. Can't necessarily blame the staff because the situation has been farcical. Hopwood will be getting another letter!
Three of my last four trips on the NDL have been on 2-car 165s, including a Gatwick to Reading today which was full to standing! Very poor, and seemingly getting worse. On the way back, it was a three car, and pretty empty but the guard chose to ride with the driver instead of at the back where he should have been and I heard him telling some passengers that the first class is declassified on this line! Just in case the May timetable had removed first class again, I checked the current timetable and no, every train on the route is shown to have first class. Can't necessarily blame the staff because the situation has been farcical. Hopwood will be getting another letter!
Three of my last four trips on the NDL have been on 2-car 165s, including a Gatwick to Reading today which was full to standing! Very poor, and seemingly getting worse. On the way back, it was a three car, and pretty empty but the guard chose to ride with the driver instead of at the back where he should have been and I heard him telling some passengers that the first class is declassified on this line! Just in case the May timetable had removed first class again, I checked the current timetable and no, every train on the route is shown to have first class. Can't necessarily blame the staff because the situation has been farcical. Hopwood will be getting another letter!
They should just declassify the route and be done with it, if only to put an end to complaints like this. I don’t also think it’s for you to dictate “where he (the guard) should have been.”
How do you know he ‘chose’ to be at the front? There are certain reasons, outlined in the Railway Rule Book where a second competent person must accompany the driver in the front cab, defects with certain safety systems is one of those.
That’s a very bold statement to say the guard should have been at the back when you may not understand the full reasons of what was going on and frankly as others have pointed out of what relevance is this to you? Whilst guards do carry out revenue duties there are other duties which are higher up the list of requirements from time to time.
That's not the point, though. GWR have consistently failed to provide a proper first class provision in the route while advertising it, for years It's all very well saying people can claim, but they shouldn't have to except in rare cases. I don't care if first is abolished on the route, but there just needs to be some proper railway management and consistency. It should not be the unmitigated free-for-all it has been for years. I feel sorry for the staff who clearly simply do not know what to do (although a glance at the timetable would show them that first class applies to every train).
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OK agreed, my choice of word was poor - but the train was lightly loaded, on time and there were no obvious operational issues (he used the rear cab for some stations then went forward). Not blaming the guard here - the management of the route has been awful for many years.
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How do you know he ‘chose’ to be at the front? There are certain reasons, outlined in the Railway Rule Book where a second competent person must accompany the driver in the front cab, defects with certain safety systems is one of those.
That’s a very bold statement to say the guard should have been at the back when you may not understand the full reasons of what was going on and frankly as others have pointed out of what relevance is this to you? Whilst guards do carry out revenue duties there are other duties which are higher up the list of requirements from time to time.
The relevance to me is that as a passenger I want a staff member of a two-person crew to be at the back to cover the train correctly (as is required). However, of course, you are completely correct that I don't know what may have gone on behind the scenes, but all seemed to be normal (on time, lightly-loaded, etc.). In any case, all this doesn't change the fact that the line is a (bad) joke from a management point of view.
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They should just declassify the route and be done with it, if only to put an end to complaints like this. I don’t also think it’s for you to dictate “where he (the guard) should have been.”
Three of my last four trips on the NDL have been on 2-car 165s, including a Gatwick to Reading today which was full to standing! Very poor, and seemingly getting worse. On the way back, it was a three car, and pretty empty but the guard chose to ride with the driver instead of at the back where he should have been and I heard him telling some passengers that the first class is declassified on this line! Just in case the May timetable had removed first class again, I checked the current timetable and no, every train on the route is shown to have first class. Can't necessarily blame the staff because the situation has been farcical. Hopwood will be getting another letter!
The 2 cars on the Gatwicks is poor, makes more sense to shortform the Redhill stoppers instead as these are slightly quieter and don't have passengers with luggage
The 2 cars on the Gatwicks is poor, makes more sense to shortform the Redhill stoppers instead as these are slightly quieter and don't have passengers with luggage
As per last Sunday, 166220 is currently shown on RTT allocated to 5A90 2325 Swindon - Reading TCD tonight. Meanwhile, 165109 (yesterdays 3C88 0726 Reading TCD - Swindon) is shown on 2O89 1142 Swindon - Weymouth.
Is this just Deja-Vous and there will be a swap later?
As per last Sunday, 166220 is currently shown on RTT allocated to 5A90 2325 Swindon - Reading TCD tonight. Meanwhile, 165109 (yesterdays 3C88 0726 Reading TCD - Swindon) is shown on 2O89 1142 Swindon - Weymouth.
Is this just Deja-Vous and there will be a swap later?
As it stands, 165109 will be stabled in the sidings at Weymouth for the 0733 Gloucester tomorrow, but the only logical way I can for a swap now is that 166212 remains stabled in the sidings at Weymouth from yesterday and 165109 comes back out later for the 1753 Bristol. However, normally that unit then goes into SPM so a second swap would also be required with 166220.
I don't know what normally works these services but looking at the Southbound trains at Castle Cary today they are all 2 or 3 car Turbos, so that doesn't look like strengthening.
I don't know what normally works these services but looking at the Southbound trains at Castle Cary today they are all 2 or 3 car Turbos, so that doesn't look like strengthening.
2 days running 1C70 cancelled from Reading. Something really wrong??
2T07 school train only 2 cars. 200 pupils squashed in there and they will be identifying themselves not as cats but cattle. Two other short forms as well.
166218 was operating 2T04. I suppose it will be changed over for an IET but can a 166 go on to Cardiff like the castle set yesterday.
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