FGW HST Diversions - December 2010

[Aictos]

Well if anything, it's a chance to get some rare traction over Southern tracks so really looking forward to the works,

Reh The Planner, look forward to your reply on Tuesday, would appreciate the routing gen as would others.

 

[turbo mick]

Network rail is building a temperorary platform at theale on the goods line for turning trains around.
FGW drivers are going to be piloted around the newline from banbury to padd.Dont know the southern diversions probably exeter drivers

Ive been in the tvsc at didcot very impressive currently lavington to theale in operation.next bit is moreton to pangboure in july

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

I personally think it's foolish to build these places because it only needs a fault/weather related problem/fire etc in the immediate locale and you blank such a wide area.
Whereas if you have smaller boxes like you used have to you can easily bypass a single signalbox, it's far more difficult to cause disruption via any of the above means.

I also wonder how much redundancy has been built into the system? Knowing today's penny-pinching bureaucrats, very little or none at all.

 

[The Planner]

You can only bypass a smaller box if it is capable of being switched out or have some sort of degraded or ticket working. Boxes that could traditionally switch out tended to be mothballed or closed and block sections became longer to save cash. Id find it hard to believe that the TVSC is in a position or doesnt have back up systems for it to fail completely or have to be closed.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

Terror threat?

 

[Techniquest]

Reverse at Westbury then via Salisbury, Basingstoke and Surbiton. Im sure there is one day (27th ??) where they are going via Chertsey, Staines and Hounslow. I'll double check that on Tuesday.

Excellent, already planning to do that then. Shall also be looking forward to your reply tomorrow.

Going to be busy this fall, shall have to do a spree at Dilton Marsh for the lineside shots, at least one round trip to scoop the Chilterns and Waterloo > Westbury via Salisbury in, with a possible photting spree on the Chilterns too.

Less than 7 months to go and I can't wait already!

 

[TGVDUDE]

Less than 7 months to go and I can't wait already!

same here

video for the occasion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDda20IBGDA&NR=1

 

[The Planner]

Double checked the email and it is the intention to run via Chertsey and Hounslow on the 27th Dec. After that via the fasts through Surbiton.

 

[Matt Taylor]

FGW HSTs were bookied to run from Reading to Waterloo during a blockade on the GWML a few years ago, I think it was summer 2002 or maybe 2001, in addition GNER, VXC and FGW used to run HSTs into Waterloo in the mid 1990s after the opening of the channel tunnel, at least one used to run to Edinburgh I seem to recall.

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks for that confirmation The Planner. Going to be a great end to the year!

 

[thefab444]

FGW HSTs were bookied to run from Reading to Waterloo during a blockade on the GWML a few years ago, I think it was summer 2002 or maybe 2001, in addition GNER, VXC and FGW used to run HSTs into Waterloo in the mid 1990s after the opening of the channel tunnel, at least one used to run to Edinburgh I seem to recall.

I believe those Eurostar feeder services had been pulled by 1997.

 

[adc82140]

Are the WoE services running in the paths of existing SWT Salisbury trains, or being slotted in as extras?

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

The question being even though they're routed via Salisbury, Basingstoke & Woking will they call at any of them?

Woking maybe because of the Heathrow connection, but Salisbury and Basingstoke are busy junctions so the pathways for calls my not exist, which could result in so quite spirited running.

 

[Zoe]

So there will be no direct South West to Swindon trains at this time then?

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

You'll have to wait and see as there's a timetable change in the meantime.

I was told by a crew member today that the WoE services will call at Westbury,(No Salisbury) Basingstoke (for Reading) & Woking (for Heathrow), possibly Clapham Junction, I hope that they've cleared the loop at Clapham Junction for HSTs, because if they stop on the mainline platform there's on hell of a drop from the train to the platform due to the cant of the track. :eek:

 

[455driver]

because if they stop on the mainline platform there's on hell of a drop from the train to the platform due to the cant of the track. :eek:

Its only about 18 inches (or whatever that is in euro's)

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

45,75cm or thereabouts for you old gits.

 

[thefab444]

Dispatch from Clapham Junction could be interesting, there's usually only one member of staff on platform 7/8. Is the platform even long enough? A 9 car 159 won't fit in, so I assume a 2 + 8 HST won't either - this applies to platform 9 heading out of Waterloo as well. Would be good if they did though.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

They'd have to use selective door opening in that case.

 

[thefab444]

Is that permitted? I know there was a lot of froth about Grandfather Rights on the Cotswold Line.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

I'd say it was, otherwise SWT are going to be in the manure, because they've been doing it for years with both 442s & now Desiros and 158/9's.

Unless of course the H&S lot say that they haven't got a safety case, which will be a bit bizarre considering the number of stations on the FGW patch which need it.

 

[thefab444]

What was the froth about HSTs being permitted to stop at with short platforms only because of Grandfather Rights then?

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

Can't remember now. Senility setting in. [Sigh]
Anyway what are the precise dates involved here, just so I can check my diary!

 

[Aictos]

Dispatch from Clapham Junction could be interesting, there's usually only one member of staff on platform 7/8. Is the platform even long enough? A 9 car 159 won't fit in, so I assume a 2 + 8 HST won't either - this applies to platform 9 heading out of Waterloo as well. Would be good if they did though.

I'm confused here, let me explain:

Quail Maps quite clearly state that Platforms 7 and 8 can take a 9 carriage train.

Network Rail's Rules of the Plan 2010 however state that Platform 7 is only 186m in length and Platform 8 is only 183m in length.

Now by looking at the maths, I can't see how any 9 carriage train can fit in the platforms and a HST certainly is too long for the platforms.

So that being said, I guess the only solution is to use SDO which should be fitted on all HSTs as the FGW ones have or use the East Coast one which is just to advise passengers to move down a carriage or two and advise that the platform might be shorter then the train.

 

[The Planner]

Quail maps are far from gospel on subjects like that.

 

[Mojo]

What was the froth about HSTs being permitted to stop at with short platforms only because of Grandfather Rights then?

That was a few years ago, before the FGW HST fleet was fitted with SDO. At stations which fell under the "grandfather rights," all doors were released on the train, even if they were not alongside the platform. Following the new timetable in December 2006, and subsequent revisions, a number of HSTs started calling at stations with short platforms which they had not called at before meaning they did not have "grandfather rights" and thus SDO had to be used to ensure that only doors alongside the platform were released.

 

[Zoe]

I believe that once the HSTs were fitted with SDO they lost grandfather rights for all stations. If for any reason the SDO were to fail then coaches would have to be locked out of use if the train was going to stop at any of the stations in Cornwall with short platforms even though grandfather rights were held for many of these stations.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Interesting...I assume there is training runs or pilots for the Waterloo runs? I remember one time they were going to go to Waterloo (in MTU days) but went out the window?

I wonder if they have the stock for it too, and as it has been pointed out will SWT also run to Exeter?
If all the stock is jammed down in the west country trying to fit between 159s, then I guess there's not much left for the Swansea stuff...

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No!

It's The Planner....

I'm on the grog tonite!!

 

[Techniquest]

Would look rather funky if they do go non-stop through Salisbury. The way diversions should be, none of this stopping at 10,000 intermediate stations!

6 and a half months to go, at least there's a ton of time for me to save up for the ching!