Class 180 to Hereford

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I am on the 1322 at Reading going to Hereford via Didcot Parkway - 180102!!!

180s don’t usually go to Hereford do they? Or is there a diagram for them to go there?

 

[Darandio]

Pretty sure it is diagrammed for a 180 on Sundays.

 

[SprinterMan]

Pretty sure it is diagrammed for a 180 on Sundays.

Are they ?! News to me :P Do you have the diagram for 180s on a Sunday so they can go in the Diagrams thread?
Thanks

 

[sufian123]

Pretty sure it is diagrammed for a 180 on Sundays.

Not that in aware off? I’ve been to Worcester lots of times on a Sunday.

 

[PHILIPE]

I didn't think that the 180s had any weekend diagrams at all. They do stand in on occasions though.

 

[12CSVT]

To see which services are booked for 180s just look at the GWR timetable E5, where the 180s are indicated with a green dot (due to bike reservtions being compulsory.

No sheduled 180s on a Sunday but quite a few Mon-Fri (0547, 0652, 0922, 1422, 1522, 1622 departures from Paddington, 1057, 1227, 1428, 2006, 2057, 2253 arrivals into Paddington).

One diagram on a Saturday
0922 Paddington - Worcester FS
1206 Worcester FS - Paddington
1522 Paddington - Great Malvern
1835 Great Malvern - Paddington

 

[Darandio]

Are they ?! News to me :P Do you have the diagram for 180s on a Sunday so they can go in the Diagrams thread?
Thanks

For some reason I could have sworn it was. Obviously not.

 

[TobyH]

I'm on it on the return. Departed Platform 1.

Might just be me but I have seen them more often at weekends recently in the area and have seen a couple on Hereford services too.

 

[cactustwirly]

I am on the 1322 at Reading going to Hereford via Didcot Parkway - 180102!!!

180s don’t usually go to Hereford do they? Or is there a diagram for them to go there?

Think it should be a HST. However RTT seems to suggest that it is booked a 180.
I think it went to a 180, to free up a HST set to go off lease.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm on it on the return. Departed Platform 1.

Might just be me but I have seen them more often at weekends recently in the area and have seen a couple on Hereford services too.

I didn't think they ran on Sundays at all, although this year a Saturday diagram was introduced!

I wonder if you have the same guard as I did? He's brilliant, gives me discounts on first class upgrades.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

There are definitely weekend diagrams in the permanent plan for this Autumn, this is partly where Turbos have been released from for the West and for related mods. However due to the particularly specialised form of traction a 180 is, GWR have endeavoured to find HSTs for the diagrams on a week by week basis which may have become available depending on what else is happening that date and the rolling fleet / traincrew situation. This is why it has been a bit hit and miss if you're anxious to get 180 weekend mileage before they leave the GW for good.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There are definitely weekend diagrams in the permanent plan for this Autumn, this is partly where Turbos have been released from for the West and for related mods. However due to the particularly specialised form of traction a 180 is, GWR have endeavoured to find HSTs for the diagrams on a week by week basis which may have become available depending on what else is happening that date and the rolling fleet / traincrew situation. This is why it has been a bit hit and miss if you're anxious to get 180 weekend mileage before they leave the GW for good.

Oh well it was very weird because I just hopped on the first service from Reading to Didcot and a 180 trundled up! You can imagine my surprise - they’re hardly regular as it is, let alone on Weekends, let let alone on Sundays, let let let alone working to Didcot!!!!! Never been to Didcot on one before, nor seen one there.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Oh well it was very weird because I just hopped on the first service from Reading to Didcot and a 180 trundled up! You can imagine my surprise - they’re hardly regular as it is, let alone on Weekends, let let alone on Sundays, let let let alone working to Didcot!!!!! Never been to Didcot on one before, nor seen one there.

It's a fair point, and Sundays are the only day of the week when the fast Oxford services generally call at Didcot (ignoring late evening / early morning when the service is less regular), so there is logic to your rather good fortune!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Are the 180s on that diagram for good until their departure in December? Z

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

No, it depends on the diagramming situation week-by-week as to whether any spare HSTs or Turbos are available.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

No, it depends on the diagramming situation week-by-week as to whether any spare HSTs or Turbos are available.

Ew, Turbos to Hereford. Disgusting idea! Ok then though!

 

[Starmill]

There is a Turbo to Hereford every weekday!

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Ew, Turbos to Hereford. Disgusting idea! Ok then though!

It isn't quite that simple, as a spare Turbo might release an HST off purely Oxford / Great Malvern work which can then be deployed to Hereford. Or might involve partial diagrams and swaps at Paddington. The options available to the timetable planner are many and varied

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

There is a Turbo to Hereford every weekday!

I know. A ridiculous practice! A 180 is far more suitable for the role!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It isn't quite that simple, as a spare Turbo might release an HST off purely Oxford / Great Malvern work which can then be deployed to Hereford. Or might involve partial diagrams and swaps at Paddington. The options available to the timetable planner are many and varied

Ah, ok then, cool! Z

 

[FGW_DID]

Spare Turbo

 

[JN114]

Spare Turbo

No, no I did see those two words in the same sentence aswell...

***

The turbo to Hereford isn’t bad. Last time I went on it there were 11 people on the train on departure from Hereford - Driver; Guard; Myself (shadowing the Guard); Catering and 7 passengers.

The passengers were travelling to Colwall (2), Great Malvern (1) and Worcester Stations (4). While we picked up more enroute the first with a ticket for a destination beyond Oxford boarded at Evesham. It may not be a great choice of train for long journeys; but very few use it all the way from Hereford to London. The journey via Newport is often faster and certainly more comfortable.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

The passengers were travelling to Colwall (2), Great Malvern (1) and Worcester Stations (4). While we picked up more enroute the first with a ticket for a destination beyond Oxford boarded at Evesham. It may not be a great choice of train for long journeys; but very few use it all the way from Hereford to London. The journey via Newport is often faster and certainly more comfortable.

Historically it has also been a lot cheaper to travel via Newport, by dint of the Intercity-type Advance fares that apply to the Newport-Paddington journey. Hereford-Paddington via the North Cotswolds was always counted as a Network SouthEast (!!!) route and therefore did not have any Advance fares available. I have no idea if GWR have / plan to alter this rather bizarre arrangement.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Advance fares are now available on the Cotswold Line. Unfortunately GWR took the opportunity to crank up the off-peak ticket restrictions at the same time. So a 21.36 arrival at Hereford requires a peak ticket, while the morning up trains - which were always full with walk-up and season passengers beforehand - are now busy with regular commuters who know when the Advance tickets go on sale. I have no idea what GWR's yield management people are smoking.

The Cotswold Line was not always an NSE route - it was transferred from Regional Railways (north of Oxford, obviously) in the early 90s. AIUI, this was part of a stock swap in which RR 158s went to the Waterloo-Exeter line (as 159s) and NSE deployed an expanded order of Turbos on the Cotswold Line in exchange. Before my time, though, so I may have misunderstood!

 

[Tw99]

There's a 180 out today on a diagram that's not listed in the usual diagrams thread. 1w13 to Great Malvern.

 

[Parallel]

There's a 180 out today on a diagram that's not listed in the usual diagrams thread. 1w13 to Great Malvern.

Cool, I might try to catch this today. Are you able to post the rest of the diagram today please?

 

[Tw99]

Cool, I might try to catch this today. Are you able to post the rest of the diagram today please?

I just saw it out of the window and thought others might be interested... I guess you can look at RTT as well as I can to work out where it might turn up next.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I just saw a 180 too in the Reading area it might have been the same one!

 

[Parallel]

I just saw it out of the window and thought others might be interested... I guess you can look at RTT as well as I can to work out where it might turn up next.

Yep, I think I’ve worked it out. Fingers crossed anyway, I don’t usually get chance to ride one due to their lack of weekend work on GWR. Fingers crossed a Turbo doesn’t turn up instead.

 

[SWTrainspottin]

Class 180's are leaving GWR this month. Have been advised it's final diagram with GWR service will be on Sunday 17th December, working:

1W03 1242 London Paddington - Hereford
1P73 1634 Hereford - London Paddington