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SWT 159s Guildford

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ste2912

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I was at guildford train station at 13.15 when 159016 (with blackpool pleasure beach what I no some drivers do cuz they can) and 159018 turnt up on platform 6. Does any one know why, 159s are never that way unless a stock movemeant from fratton but it came down from woking. I asked the platform staff and they said it was the 2nd one of the day and believed it was going to reading on the fgw network. But it was a swt driver what are not route trained on that route past wonborough.
 
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heart-of-wessex

heart-of-wessex

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159's have been to Guildford before on diversions, terminating at Guildford instead of Waterloo, but that's usually on a Sunday, not the reason today.

There is a 13xx Woking to Southampton route learner that comes through Guildford at around 1315, but I believe that's a 444/450 anyway. Only other thing I can think of is it might be route learning for the Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV) which are used for sanding and jetting the railheads. SWT drivers are being trained up to drive these due to DBS loosing the contract to run them. Salisbury drivers have already started theirs as the same 159 (016) recently visited Weymouth on a MPV route learner.
 
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TEW

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They are being used to allow SWT drivers to learn more routes as SWT have won the contract to operate Network Rail's MPVs.

159s did operate in service to Guildford one Sunday afternoon back in February because of engineering work.
 
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ushawk

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heart-of-wessex said:
159's have been to Guildford before on diversions, terminating at Guildford instead of Waterloo, but that's usually on a Sunday, not the reason today.

There is a 13xx Woking to Southampton route learner that comes through Guildford at around 1315, but I believe that's a 444/450 anyway. Only other thing I can think of is it might be route learning for the Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV) which are used for sanding and jetting the railheads. SWT drivers are being trained up to drive these due to DBS loosing the contract to run them. Salisbury drivers have already started theirs as the same 159 (016) recently visited Weymouth on a MPV route learner.
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Looks like it was this - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O19286/2013/09/19/advanced.

So a SWT 159 has been back up to Reading again !!

Looks like the 159 was commandeered after it arrived at Waterloo after working 1L14 0543 Salisbury to London Waterloo then ran empty as VSTP to Woking where it started as route learners via Guildford and Reading. Should have ran ECS to the sidings at Basingstoke.
 
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swt_passenger

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There are a number of 5Z4n services in sequence starting at Woking, that particular STP schedule has been operating on and off since early August, using the 6.159 that normally stables inter-peak at Basingstoke. In addition to what has been mentioned, SWT drivers will also be covering those parts of the 'Wessex' NR area that only FGW normally serve, eg the route via Dorchester West, and the North Downs line via North Camp. I did hear they will be doing RHTT as far as Redhill as well, but haven't heard if they've trained along there yet?

A RTT check for North Camp shows four passes through the station:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...9/0600-2000?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=SW
 
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tsr

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455driver said:
Thats going to be news to a few people selected for this but not route learned yet!
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I did think it was a bit odd. Perhaps they meant that there are now sufficient numbers of drivers to be able to run the first of their autumn treatment trains, or something. I'm sure you can enlighten us if you think that could be the case!
 
tsr

tsr

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455driver said:
I cant help much as my depot isnt doing the MPV work.
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I see - fair enough! Well, I shall be looking forward to seeing what happens. As long as the trains actually vaguely run (and Autumn/Winter 2012/13 was a shocker for leaves & ice causing wheelslip and thus delays on the North Downs, so if we have a repeat of the conditions, they'll be needed!), I'm happy...
 
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Matt Taylor

Matt Taylor

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455driver said:
I cant help much as my depot isnt doing the MPV work.
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Take a look on 'The Platform' and see the situation for driving turns at FR.;)


Still got a number of Fratton drivers route learning, and more vacancies for the MPV link were recently advertised although I think they are pretty much up to quota. Fratton will be doing the Westbury-Weymouth route MPV work too.
 
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RobShipway

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tsr said:
SWT inform me that route-learning is complete.
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Well, the route learning was still going on last Friday at 8:30am as the two Class 159's went through Wokingham on route to Reading.
 
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