Recent content by Jobsworth

What use would a spare loco and driver have been if the hotbox had been on one of the sleeping cars?

Having been involved with the APT project briefly in 1977, once the problem of 2-pan pick up had been identified, the option of running with one power car was seriously considered. The limiting factor with train length in this configuration was Shap and if memory serves me correct, it would...

FGW's contribution from the provinces is 1K71 0520 Bristol TM to Paddington via the Berks and Hants which was initially advertised as terminating Theale. It was advertised as such so as to direct Reading and Paddington customers to 1A02 departing 10 minutes later and running by the faster Box...

There's a real problem here with optional bike reservations. What happens if you reserve but all the spaces are already taken by non-reserved bikes when you try to board? Compulsory bike reservation would seem to be the obvious solution but when you are a commuter, can you guarantee to be on...

Roy Cropper (Corrie) at Paddington -mannerisms just like his character. Think his real name is David Neilson. Norman Bowler aka Frank Tate (Emmerdale) at Bristol TM John Redwood & Glenda Jackson on Bristol - Padd trains. Once sat behind the Princess Royal - a regular train user...

Don't confuse managers with directors. They are different animals. Managers are employees whereas directors are board appointments on different terms and conditions. Not sure if they are covered by TUPE in any form but I suspect not.

Did someone say a few pages back that the FGW fleet was in pretty good order? What day was that then? Around the Bristol area, dmu reliability is crap and HST's follow on a close second. Ask anyone who was stuck on 1C18 at Bath Friday afternoon, then when they eventually got to Bristol were...

Zoe = That was when Paddington was being remodelled. I travelled from there one night when the empty stock was badly delayed from Old Oak Common. Not a very customer friendly experience with constant harrassment by the local down and outs from cardboard city

I thought this started out as a thread on railway jargon not spotters jargon. Sometime back, somebody queried Temporary and Emergency Speed Restrictions. The ESR is fairly self explanatory. It will be communicated verbally to crews on a train by train basis until it can be published as part...

Here's my sixpenny worth! Railways didn't become boring in the last decade. That happened 30 odd years ago. There was a brief respite pre EWS days when we had some exciting new freight liveries. And some of the post privatisation liveries made a refreshing change until they became familiar...

If memory serves me correct, set 24 was partially destroyed at Southall (coaches F/G/H). It was reformed then ironically went on to be largely destroyed at Ladbroke Grove. Set 06 was destroyed at Ufton Nervett. Not sure how many individual coaches survived but the set itself was disbanded...

You need extra long reach fuel hoses on the depots for these short formations!

East end of Temple Meads is the better option because the local services between Westbury and Gloucester reverse at this end and a lot of these are 150's. If it's Sunday, some services ex Taunton and Weston reverse at the west end. There are new signs near the end of the platforms warning...

They definitely work coal out of Portbury from time to time but I've yet to see one in Bristol West Depot Freightliner Yard

I am 6 feet tall and avoid 153 seats unless I can use the block of 4 with the table in between. At least if it's diagrammed to be a 153, it won't turn up short formed unless it's cancelled altogether.