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Carriage X on FGW

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simonm

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Was on the 15:07 ex PLY today. Service from Newquay to PAD. Announced as 9 carriage train. At front beyond H was a locked out of use carriage labelled X. Paper label said "Baggage for Paddington". Surely a waste of a carriage??

How often does this happen?
 
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starrymarkb

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On certain summer services there a problem with excess baggage (esp Surf Boards), some goes in the Power car with the rest in the locked out coach...
 

David10

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Coach X is in effect a baggage van, usually added to the consist on the Summer Saturday Newquay services. Have also seen coach X on the Night Riviera when an extra seating coach has been added in front of coach A.
 

David Goddard

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Coach X is in effect a baggage van, usually added to the consist on the Summer Saturday Newquay services. Have also seen coach X on the Night Riviera when an extra seating coach has been added in front of coach A.

What sort of coach was it?
 

jon0844

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Was on the 15:07 ex PLY today. Service from Newquay to PAD. Announced as 9 carriage train. At front beyond H was a locked out of use carriage labelled X. Paper label said "Baggage for Paddington". Surely a waste of a carriage??

How often does this happen?

If it's an extra carriage, why is it a waste? Just imagine it isn't there!!
 

louis97

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All FGW HST services to/from Newquay on summer saturdays have an additional TGS (coach X) between First Class and the London end power car, this is because of the extra luggage and surfboards of which these services carry. These do also work other services before/after operating to/from Newquay.

Coach X is also used when transporting another carriage in the formation of a HST set, this can be any coach.
 

HSTEd

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On a peripherally related note, why do EC,( and GNER and East coast assigned BR before them) HSTs have coach letters different from those on Great Western, Cross Country and I think Midland Main Line sets?
 

LE Greys

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On a peripherally related note, why do EC,( and GNER and East coast assigned BR before them) HSTs have coach letters different from those on Great Western, Cross Country and I think Midland Main Line sets?

Two reasons. Firstly, commonality with the MkIV formations, which have nine passenger vehicles and used to be A-B-C-D-E-G-H-J-M or A-B-C-D-E-H-J-K-M depending on the number of FOs. With GNER, MkIVs used to have smoking facilities in coach A, so that wasn't included in HSTs. When smoking was banned, coach A disappeared (becoming the luggage compartment in the TGS). The other reason is to avoid having a Coach I, in case people think it's Coach 1. Everyone else stuck with 2+8, so the Coach I issue never came up. I believe there was a Coach X when NER (as was) borrowed some WR coaches because WR had a lot of traction motor failures. WR also had 50s on MkIII formations for a while, not sure how they handled the incompatible ETS,
 

David10

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The other weird one is why CrossCountry label 1st class as Coach A, would be far more sensible if on they were F, and G on HSTs.
 

MCR247

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Is the trains performance noticeably different with the extra coach or do the runs the trains work (ie Newquays) have extra slack in?
 

David10

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There is a bit more dwell time to allow for a higher than usual proportion of passengers travelling with luggage, but otherwise sector times appear consistent.
 

gazthomas

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Two reasons. Firstly, commonality with the MkIV formations, which have nine passenger vehicles and used to be A-B-C-D-E-G-H-J-M or A-B-C-D-E-H-J-K-M depending on the number of FOs. With GNER, MkIVs used to have smoking facilities in coach A, so that wasn't included in HSTs. When smoking was banned, coach A disappeared (becoming the luggage compartment in the TGS). The other reason is to avoid having a Coach I, in case people think it's Coach 1. Everyone else stuck with 2+8, so the Coach I issue never came up. I believe there was a Coach X when NER (as was) borrowed some WR coaches because WR had a lot of traction motor failures. WR also had 50s on MkIII formations for a while, not sure how they handled the incompatible ETS,
Not sure the ETS was incompatible, as there are two types of Mk 3's - those for HSTs and those for locos. Latter would have been used.
 

D6975

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HST Mk3s dont have buffers, I wonder if these were borrowed LM sets designed for cl.8x haulage.

No this was a regular HST MK3 set, barrier vehicle at one end, generator coach at the other.
Was frequently used on the Fridays Only turn to Bristol and back when HSTs were in short supply.
 

Slinky

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Coach X is used for reading and paddington only on the Newquay service.
 

David Goddard

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TGS 44059 was marshalled between Coach H and the rear power car on the 0736 Paddington to Newquay today. For completeness, 43136 was at the head with 43145 bringing up the rear.
 

sprinterguy

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Not sure the ETS was incompatible, as there are two types of Mk 3's - those for HSTs and those for locos. Latter would have been used.
As D6975 says, no it was an HST mark 3 rake, with a mark 1 barrier vehicle at one end and a generator coach to provide train supply at the other.
 
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