FGW vs Cross Country!

[ollyrogers]

Interesting "race" going on out of Reading today between the Wales bound HST and the CX train pulling out at the same time. We (HST) overtook the CX, they came back, we overtook again, they came back and eventually pulled away.

My question is, was this meant to happen or was it a case of competing drivers being funny? It certainly amused our carriage!

 

[Ferret]

Interesting "race" going on out of Reading today between the Wales bound HST and the CX train pulling out at the same time. We (HST) overtook the CX, they came back, we overtook again, they came back and eventually pulled away.

My question is, was this meant to happen or was it a case of competing drivers being funny? It certainly amused our carriage!

Drivers, I would imagine, are concentrating on what they are doing without worrying about the adjacent train!!! Probably one running on adverse signals at some point....

 

[Minilad]

As someone who has this as quite a regular occurrence I would imagine adverse signals were playing a part here.
Given both trains had greens the Voyager would accelerate much quicker and the HST would only catch up because the Main is 125 but the Relief is 100 so eventually the higher maximum speed allowed would see the HST overtake. In my experience this would be sometimes not until Cholsey or thereabouts

 

[LexyBoy]

See it all the time - 0741 departures to Cardiff and Newcastle. Voyager accelerates like mad, then slows down for the pointwork outside the station, then accelerates again, coasts a bit and accelerates to linespeed. HST keeps up a sensible acceleration as befits a train and overtakes, usually about half way to Didcot.

Sometimes you do get side-by side running for a while which is amusing. On an up train once my HST was joined by an HST from Oxford coming off the avoiding line at Didcot, and we stayed pretty much parallel all the way to Reading!

 

[ollyrogers]

As someone who has this as quite a regular occurrence I would imagine adverse signals were playing a part here.
Given both trains had greens the Voyager would accelerate much quicker and the HST would only catch up because the Main is 125 but the Relief is 100 so eventually the higher maximum speed allowed would see the HST overtake. In my experience this would be sometimes not until Cholsey or thereabouts

If it helps I know we were slightly behind at Tilehurst then pulled back ahead sometime before Pangbourne...

 

[Minilad]

See it all the time - 0741 departures to Cardiff and Newcastle. Voyager accelerates like mad, then slows down for the pointwork outside the station, then accelerates again, coasts a bit and accelerates to linespeed. HST keeps up a sensible acceleration as befits a train and overtakes, usually about half way to Didcot.

Sometimes you do get side-by side running for a while which is amusing. On an up train once my HST was joined by an HST from Oxford coming off the avoiding line at Didcot, and we stayed pretty much parallel all the way to Reading!

In my experience the Voyager will leave platform 7 at a steady speed. Once off the 25 will accelerate to line speed of 75 until passing the 100 board at Tilehurst. No speeding up, slowing down, accelerating, maybe a touch of coasting, due to linespeed. The HST on the other hand is allowed 'sensible acceleration' because the linsespeed rises to 125 shortly after departing Reading. Nothing really to do with it being a sensible train.

I would assume in the second tale the HST on the Main was knackered then as line speed is 125 compared to 100 on the relief so you wouldn't expect parallel running for very long at all

 

[LexyBoy]

Thanks for the info XCdriver- i guess it just seems like the Voyager is decelerating due to the contrast with the acceleration. Didn't mean to suggest that the HST is a more sensible train necessarily- just that I like my trains to feel like a train rather than a bus/car/rocket

Up FGW trains are often a bit slow in the evening if there's congestion, probably what happened. Maybe not all the way to Reading, but certainly a home stretch.

On a tenuously related note, an XC HST just left plat 3 at Didcot... Never seen one of those before! Was pretty packed too.

 

[Minilad]

Thanks for the info XCdriver- i guess it just seems like the Voyager is decelerating due to the contrast with the acceleration. Didn't mean to suggest that the HST is a more sensible train necessarily- just that I like my trains to feel like a train rather than a bus/car/rocket

Up FGW trains are often a bit slow in the evening if there's congestion, probably what happened. Maybe not all the way to Reading, but certainly a home stretch.

On a tenuously related note, an XC HST just left plat 3 at Didcot... Never seen one of those before! Was pretty packed too.

Are you sure about that ?
I can't think of any reason to have one there

 

[LexyBoy]

Are you sure about that ?
I can't think of any reason to have one there

Yep, I was pretty suprised! It was stopped there for 5 mins or so (maybe more- was there when I arrived) with the doors locked, then headed out northwards. Are there any problems on the Bristol-Birmingham route? FC was at the Bristol/oxford end if that helps...

Edit: seem to be big signalling problems between Cheltenham and Bromsgrove.

 

[Minilad]

Yep, I was pretty suprised! It was stopped there for 5 mins or so (maybe more- was there when I arrived) with the doors locked, then headed out northwards. Are there any problems on the Bristol-Birmingham route? FC was at the Bristol/oxford end if that helps...

Just had a quick look at our sets and nothing suggests any of them would be at Didcot. will have another look

 

[All Line Rover]

Yep, I was pretty suprised! It was stopped there for 5 mins or so (maybe more- was there when I arrived) with the doors locked, then headed out northwards. Are there any problems on the Bristol-Birmingham route? FC was at the Bristol/oxford end if that helps...

Edit: seem to be big signalling problems between Cheltenham and Bromsgrove.

Yes, all trains suspended between BHM and BRI/CDF. I imagine the HST is being diverted because of the chaos that would ensue if it was cancelled.

EDIT: I completely changed my plans in the end because I'd already missed the Arriva Premier Service! Oh well, I'll feel better if I get some compensation!

 

[Minilad]

Have had a look again and I can account for all the HST sets and none seem to be diverted. One set got terminated at Temple Meads and one at Gloucester but can't see any on diversion

 

[route:oxford]

Yes, all trains suspended between BHM and BRI/CDF. I imagine the HST is being diverted because of the chaos that would ensue if it was cancelled.

I was stuck at Gloucester for over 1 hour earlier, just before all trains were cancelled. EVEN MORE COMPENSATION!!!

Good job the driver still knew the route!

Or would a member of FGW staff have assisted as far as Diddyland?

 

[Class172]

Couldn't CDF-BHM trains go Cardiff-Hereford-Worcester-Stourbridge-New St or would it be stopped by a lack of driver knowledge on parts of the route?

 

[Minilad]

Couldn't CDF-BHM trains go Cardiff-Hereford-Worcester-Stourbridge-New St or would it be stopped by a lack of driver knowledge on parts of the route?

No XC driver signs Hereford

 

[Class172]

No XC driver signs Hereford

Thought not, though it would be a logical diversion.

 

[Minilad]

Thought not, though it would be a logical diversion.

Could create possible pathing problems on the Single line section though

 

[Class172]

Could create possible pathing problems on the Single line section though

Especially between Shelwick Jct - Malvern Wells

 

[fgwrich]

Have had a look again and I can account for all the HST sets and none seem to be diverted. One set got terminated at Temple Meads and one at Gloucester but can't see any on diversion

Well, Diversions seem to be in place - from a contact in FGW, Even came with the pictures of one of your HSTs in Didcot!

Diverted 1S59 Plymouth to Edinburgh via Bristol Parkway, Didcot & Oxford

‎1V62 also been diverted via Oxford 1059 Glasgow to Penzance.

If only the hst's would be diverted that little bit more at Birmingham & Didcot, towards Reading & Basingstoke!

 

[TEW]

1S59 was set swapped at Bristol Temple Meads. The voyager was swapped off, and the HST off 1S55 which terminated at Bristol Temple Meads was swapped on.