Recent content by DavidGrain

The Marston Vale 230s were withdrawn because the maintenance was with Vivarail and there was no one to certify them for service. WMR were short of stock so had no alternative but to provide a long term bus replacement. Eventually they sourced some 150s.

It is a few years since I read Adrian Shooter's book abut his time running Chiltern, but one point I do remember is that his policy was not to employ anyone as a guard. They were Customer Care Assistants (I may have the title slightly wrong as it was several years ago), who were trained to...

I agree. The article is in error saying that Nuneaton to Walsall is electrified. The only way that route could be run under the wires would be if it ran via Birmingham New Street which is not going to happen and even if it did there would still be a gap in the electrification between Birmingham...

Grey was the worst colour imaginable. The only reason I can see my bus arriving against the dark background is the light of the destination board. The short time I had a grey car was my worst time for other people running into me. There are still a few buses around from 20 years ago in the red...

These days for my Birmingham to Oxford journeys, I travel via Worcester. Often cheaper but sometimes I get caught with an hour between connections but Worcester is always worth a walk around.

Don't doubles require 2 guards? So back to the train crew situation.

Just to clarify as I understand it The Class 730s in WMR livery currently working in London are 730/0s and just operate the Tring/Milton Keynes and possibly Northampton services. This was always understood to be a temporary measure. For a few months last year 730/2s operated the Birmingham to...

Yes, you can eat a pizza with your hands. You can tear it into smaller portions. I know many people who live on prepared meals including some expensive bands like Charlie Bingham but you still need cutlery. A canteen of cutlery was a common wedding gift at one time but I doubt if that is still...

I think 009,010 and 0[11 are Chiltern units currently with WMR. However, remember that the Chiltern units have to return to Tyseley periodically for such maintenance that cannot be done at Bletchley. There has been some chatter that the service could be starting at last on the Oxford to MKC...

Not disappearing but now under new ownership is M & S Bank which under a court approved restructuring has been absorbed into HSBC. Customers will still keep their credit cards, accounts, insurance policies and shopping loyalty points under the M & S branding but they will now be customers of...

I have not carried cash abroad since I started travelling again after Covid. So far this year, I have had 2 trips to Germany within the past month. No problems on a trip to Saarbrucken (flying to Frankfurt and then train) but on a trip to Hamburg returning last week, I twice had a problem in the...

That's observant of you.

With discontinuous electrification they have obviously calculated that Parkway to Bicester and Bletchley to MKC will be sufficient to recharge the batteries to enable trains to run the remainder of the Oxford to Bletchley section. This means that they can spread the capital expenditure over a...

It made sense to use a 2 car unit on the route learning as that would use only half the amount of fuel that a 4 car unit would use. WMR used a Chiltern liveried class 196 for the route learning as these Chiltern 196s are not in use a present as we are still waiting for the services to start on...

According to a comment on FaceBook, the Union has been advised that the 3 Class 196 leased back to WMR will be used on the Leamington-Coventry-Nuneaton Line. https://www.facebook.com/groups/954843288350285/permalink/2377462599421673/ 196009 so far has been used most days on route learning on the...