Does anyone have a pre WW1 GWR timetable?

[Snapper]

I see Nigel Farage is claiming Paddington - Penzance services were quicker before WW1 than they are now. Does anyone have an old GWR timetable that would allow his facts to be checked?

 

[richa2002]

The Cornish Riviera in 1922 (so not pre-WW1) took 6 and a half hours, stopping at Plymouth only, so that does sound like a rather questionable claim. I find it hard to believe that it was an hour and a half quicker before the war...!

 

[Senex]

In April 1910 the Cornish Riviera Limited left Paddington at 10:30 and reached Penzance at 5:5, so 6 hours 35 minutes.

 

[krus_aragon]

Down services in my copy of the January-April 1902 timetable:

5:30am departure calling at Reading, Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth, Falmouth and Penzance, arriving 4:58pm. Journey time ~11 1/2 hours.

Penzance Corridor Express Departing 10:40am, calling at Bristol, Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth, Falmouth and Penzance, arriving at 7:10pm. Journey time 8 1/2 hours.

Plymouth & Penzance Corridor Express Departing 11:45am, calling at Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth, Falmouth and Penzance, arriving at 9:23pm. Journey time ~9 1/2 hours.

West of England Corridor Train Departing 10:00pm, calling at Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth, Falmouth and Penzance, arriving at 07:30am. Journey time: 9 1/2 hours.

Sleeper Train Departing midnight, calling at Windsor, Swindon, Chippenham (1st set down only), Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth, Falmouth and Penzance, arriving at 11:02am. Journey time: ~ 11 hours.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What route would have been taken to allow trains to call at Falmouth, then Penzance?

 

[30907]

Through coaches, ditto for Torquay.

 

[krus_aragon]

Yes, an occupational hazard when looking at old timetables is forgetting that through coaches are often inferred rather than explicitly noted. (Slip coaches, on the other hand, are specifically listed on the original timetables I quoted from.)

 

[Bevan Price]

Yes, an occupational hazard when looking at old timetables is forgetting that through coaches are often inferred rather than explicitly noted. (Slip coaches, on the other hand, are specifically listed on the original timetables I quoted from.)

Yes, Bradshaw in particular often fails to distinguish between through trains and connecting services.

And in the days of multi-portion trains, some "connections" might have actually been a through portion. For example, Penzance - Paddington services often had a Kingswear portion attached at Newton Abbot.