Riding the Ruggex - report by Stephen Hughes

[merlodlliw]

story in this weeks http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm

Again ATW operate a class 53 Rugex to Cardiff without even advertising its running.

Seemingly no one in ATWs Cardiff HQ speaks to its media division anymore?


Bob

 

[4SRKT]

I see that the formation had 5 mk II coaches in it and no mk III restaurant car. Did the Friday evening WAG-Ex run from Cardiff like this (thus annoying any Assembly members expecting a chow-down), or did it head north as a 6 car set with the restaurant car being removed at Holyhead? Why two locos?

 

[andypops]

This was answered in this thread:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=56280

I asked the same question - was using Friday's WAG1, I didnt understand why there were 2 extra MkIIs and 57314 DIT stuck on the back

Andy

 

[4SRKT]

Thanks. Still none the wiser about the need for two locos though. One 'snatcher is way more than enough for 5 coaches.

 

[andypops]

I'm not sure the route it was following - if it came south Via Wrexham I guess it would have had to reverse, and so maybe top-n-tail is quicker / easier than a runaround?

 

[ainsworth74]

Perhaps they wanted to avoid running around the set at any point?

 

[Drimnagh Road]

Both via Crewe.

Any time I've done the Rug-Ex it's been via Crewe and top n tail.

The trains going down in the morning do be light but the return does always be full and standing out of Cardiff, the queue system works well at Cardiff. They know that the next train waiting to head towards the Marches and beyond has "x" number of seats, and that amount of people are allowed onto the platform and onto the train.

 

[4SRKT]

Both via Crewe.

Any time I've done the Rug-Ex it's been via Crewe and top n tail.

The trains going down in the morning do be light but the return does always be full and standing out of Cardiff, the queue system works well at Cardiff. They know that the next train waiting to head towards the Marches and beyond has "x" number of seats, and that amount of people are allowed onto the platform and onto the train.

Presumably this means a crank who turned up at the wrong point could get bowled.

 

[merlodlliw]

I see that the formation had 5 mk II coaches in it and no mk III restaurant car. Did the Friday evening WAG-Ex run from Cardiff like this (thus annoying any Assembly members expecting a chow-down), or did it head north as a 6 car set with the restaurant car being removed at Holyhead? Why two locos?

A.Ms don't work in Cardiff on Fridays, poor things do a Tue/Wed/Thur.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm not sure the route it was following - if it came south Via Wrexham I guess it would have had to reverse, and so maybe top-n-tail is quicker / easier than a runaround?

Only came via Wrexham once when the Kitchen Car failed, used another 175 slot on a Saturday to get the stock to Canton,this was in 2009.

Bob

 

[Welshman]

Whether it's full on the return journey or not, I find it incredible in these days of stock shortages that ATW runs an extra service with no advertising whatsoever, stations, website, or anything.

I only came across it by accident the night before when I was looking on the NR website journey planner for services from Rhyl to Newcastle and found a 0927, changing at Crewe and Manchester, and thought "Hello, what's this?"

Are such additional services advertised internally in rugby publicity?

Are they chartered by some Rugby Union Association, and so ATW don't care whether anyone's on it or not?

 

[83G/84D]

story in this weeks http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm

Again ATW operate a class 53 Rugex to Cardiff without even advertising its running.

Seemingly no one in ATWs Cardiff HQ speaks to its media division anymore?


Bob

Class 53?!