GWR Gloucester depot routes and traction.

[new2this]

Hi,

I am doing some research into the above mentioned depot as interested in applying for a drivers position, is there anyone that could help with some details such as:
Routes.
Links.
Tractions.
FD pattern.
In general just a bit about the depot to help with trying to make a decision as to apply or not.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Gloucester has two main links - the main link and the "HST" link

Main link sign 2+4HST, 165/6, 158+150
Routes are Gloucester- Great Malvern, Bristol, Taunton, Westbury, Severn Beach, Swindon via Kemble and Cardiff. They also sign Westbury-Swindon via Melksham, Swindon to Bristol both ways (Box and Hullavington) as diversions and Newport-Gloucester via Lydney. No depots are signed by Gloucester, only the stabling sidings adjacent to Gloucester station.

HST link sign the above but additionally 800s, and also sign Swindon-Reading, and Paddington from May(ish)

New starters don't initially sign Westbury, Cardiff or the diversions via Box and Hullavington, Melksham and Lydney. But, there's no separate link.

RD pattern is the usual 4day week 3 week cycle - with the rolling rest days giving a 5 day weekend every 3 weeks. There is a booked Sunday approximately every 3-4 weeks and currently this is committed overtime. Work ongoing between GWR and ASLEF to see Sundays come inside the week.

Overall it's a good depot, it's got good staff and good management. Nice messroom. Decent place to work.

 

[new2this]

Thanks for that, one of the big worries was it just being a kind of like suburban depot, the stop start stuff, and not having much variety but, that doesnt really seem to be the case by the sounds of it, is there a big difference for the HST link, is that a years and years away wait to get into?

Gloucester has two main links - the main link and the "HST" link

Main link sign 2+4HST, 165/6, 158+150
Routes are Gloucester- Great Malvern, Bristol, Taunton, Westbury, Severn Beach, Swindon via Kemble and Cardiff. They also sign Westbury-Swindon via Melksham, Swindon to Bristol both ways (Box and Hullavington) as diversions and Newport-Gloucester via Lydney. No depots are signed by Gloucester, only the stabling sidings adjacent to Gloucester station.

HST link sign the above but additionally 800s, and also sign Swindon-Reading, and Paddington from May(ish)

New starters don't initially sign Westbury, Cardiff or the diversions via Box and Hullavington, Melksham and Lydney. But, there's no separate link.

RD pattern is the usual 4day week 3 week cycle - with the rolling rest days giving a 5 day weekend every 3 weeks. There is a booked Sunday approximately every 3-4 weeks and currently this is committed overtime. Work ongoing between GWR and ASLEF to see Sundays come inside the week.

Overall it's a good depot, it's got good staff and good management. Nice messroom. Decent place to work.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Thanks for that, one of the big worries was it just being a kind of like suburban depot, the stop start stuff, and not having much variety but, that doesnt really seem to be the case by the sounds of it, is there a big difference for the HST link, is that a years and years away wait to get into?

Erm, no not really. Everyone is paid the same and it may not be before long that everyone signs everything anyway.

It's a nice depot. There is some start/stop but it's mainline start stop. The Beach line is a stopping branch line but other than that, even the "stoppers" you'll hit 80-90 before shutting off and braking, so a decent run

 

[new2this]

Brilliant, thank you for your help and info, going from a very very busy inner London depot which was primarily stop start and only hitting 40 to then an outer London one which is qute nice and varried with some start stop but hitting 100, I dont want to go back to where I was with regard to the route, again thanks for the info, just need to start the whole application process, give myself half a day for that

 

[new2this]

Hi
tiptoptaff,

if you get this, just one more question if you can answer this, is it full DOO on all routes or some or none?

Many thanks

 

[tiptoptaff]

No DOO west of Didcot.

 

[tiptoptaff]

So as a Gloucester driver you won't have to worry about DOO at all (for the time being on current routes), as anything you'd work towards Paddington would be a HSS service and so would be guarded anyway

 

[tiptoptaff]

Spoke to a Gloucester driver this morning in the messroom, and their trainees won't have 2+4 work in their link upon passout. So that would lead me to believe the link structure has changed a bit. At a guess, a newbie link with just core routes and units in it