Cornish Coastal Pullman Tour

[1369]

This Saturday (29th May 2021) the Blue Pullman HST is running the 'Cornish Coastal Pullman' tour from Eastleigh to Penzance and return.

Times

Eastleigh to Penzance www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U54562/2021-05-29/detailed

Penzance to Eastleigh www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U54557/2021-05-29/detailed

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Who is arranging that?

 

[MiNi]

Who is arranging that?

LSL

 

[3973EXL]

STP 28/05

Realtime Trains - 5Z58 1023 Crewe H.S. to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg)

STP 29/05

Realtime Trains - 1Z60 0600 Eastleigh to Penzance
Realtime Trains - 1Z62 1600 Penzance to Eastleigh

STP 30/05

Realtime Trains - 5Z64 1254 Eastleigh Arlington (Zg) to Crewe H.S.

 

[nanstallon]

Does anyone know what motive power, please?

 

[ainsworth74]

Does anyone know what motive power, please?

the Blue Pullman HST

 

[nanstallon]

Thanks for the info.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Looking at possibly seeing this at Melksham, when was the last time a charter picked up here!?

 

[43 302]

Does anyone know what motive power, please?

More specifically 43046 and 43055.

 

[AnthonyRail]

Just seen it go thru Taunton. Not sure what I think of livery it's certainly different but it's still a HST looked fantastic

Picture

 

[BrianW]

Just seen it go thru Taunton. Not sure what I think of livery it's certainly different but it's still a HST looked fantastic

Picture

Lovely picture- looks like the driver has hung up his ice cream hat and coat?

 

[Cowley]

Just seen it go thru Taunton. Not sure what I think of livery it's certainly different but it's still a HST looked fantastic

Picture

Thanks for posting that Anthony.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

That looks great, excellent photo, thank you for sharing. It looks to be a very long train, does anyone know how many coaches? it is all first class with included catering? Nice to see a 125 that has been saved.

 

[_toommm_]

That looks great, excellent photo, thank you for sharing. It looks to be a very long train, does anyone know how many coaches? it is all first class with included catering? Nice to see a 125 that has been saved.

Looks to be either 2+8 or 2+9.

 

[ExRes]

That looks great, excellent photo, thank you for sharing. It looks to be a very long train, does anyone know how many coaches? it is all first class with included catering? Nice to see a 125 that has been saved.

It's 2+9, not surprisingly there are stacks of pictures on Flickr

 

[David Goddard]

Lovely picture- looks like the driver has hung up his ice cream hat and coat?

They have taken inspiration from Prince Philip's reaction when he rode in the original Blue Pullman and was offered the uniform, to which he replied along the lines of "I don't want to look like a bl**dy milk man!

 

[geoffk]

Looking at possibly seeing this at Melksham, when was the last time a charter picked up here!?

Presumably it has SDO to call at Melksham's three-coach platform.

 

[Glenn1969]

How come this train picks up at Tilehurst, Reading West and Melksham but NOT Reading ?

 

[D6130]

How come this train picks up at Tilehurst, Reading West and Melksham but NOT Reading ?

I would expect that it was to avoid reversal in the extremely busy station at Reading (General, as was) and also to save time. Passengers from the Reading area could easily join the train at Reading West or Tilehurst....although I'm not sure what the parking situation is at those stations.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

They have taken inspiration from Prince Philip's reaction when he rode in the original Blue Pullman and was offered the uniform, to which he replied along the lines of "I don't want to look like a bl**dy milk man!

ha Ha, like it. He came out with some great phrases etc. RIP.

 

[David Goddard]

I would expect that it was to avoid reversal in the extremely busy station at Reading (General, as was) and also to save time. Passengers from the Reading area could easily join the train at Reading West or Tilehurst....although I'm not sure what the parking situation is at those stations.

That was what I assumed as well, however a single call at Reading with reversal would have taken up about the same time as the two stops at West and Tilehurst, thanks to the three minute booked stop at each, and a further allowance on the West curve.

For example:
The service was booked to arrive Reading West at 0654. Going to Reading General would have seen an arrival there at 0657.
The service was booked to depart from Tilehurst at 0707. Coming from Reading General it would have had to leave there at 0703.
Therefore a six minute call and reversal at Reading General would have caused no penalty.

Reading West does not have a car park, but Tilehurst does with 114 spaces, so that would have been no problem at 0700 on a Saturday morning.

 

[CW2]

That was what I assumed as well, however a single call at Reading with reversal would have taken up about the same time as the two stops at West and Tilehurst, thanks to the three minute booked stop at each, and a further allowance on the West curve.

For example:
The service was booked to arrive Reading West at 0654. Going to Reading General would have seen an arrival there at 0657.
The service was booked to depart from Tilehurst at 0707. Coming from Reading General it would have had to leave there at 0703.
Therefore a six minute call and reversal at Reading General would have caused no penalty.

Reading West does not have a car park, but Tilehurst does with 114 spaces, so that would have been no problem at 0700 on a Saturday morning.

But the same logic doesn't apply on the return journey, when there is no pathing time on the West Curve, so running via Reading would cause later arrivals all the way down the route. Obviously you need to pick up and set down at the same locations "because that's where I parked my car".

 

[David Goddard]

But the same logic doesn't apply on the return journey, when there is no pathing time on the West Curve, so running via Reading would cause later arrivals all the way down the route. Obviously you need to pick up and set down at the same locations "because that's where I parked my car".

There was two minutes pathing, and actually point to point (arrival Tilehurst to departure Reading West) was booked for a minute longer (2154-2208) so there would have been, subject to platform space in Reading, time to do the same in the evening.

I very much doubt that LSL needed help filling this train, if people from the Reading area wanted to go on it then they would bear with any inconvenience of getting to Reading West or Tilehurst to join.

 

[BrianW]

I imagine LSL would have liked Reading (General) as more folk would have then seen this magnificent-looker, so must be a good reason. Maybe some passengers dislike being changed from 'facing engine' to 'back to' -I do; and crew too.

Does anyone know how well loaded the train was?

 

[Train Boy]

I imagine LSL would have liked Reading (General) as more folk would have then seen this magnificent-looker, so must be a good reason. Maybe some passengers dislike being changed from 'facing engine' to 'back to' -I do; and crew too.

Does anyone know how well loaded the train was?

I was onboard and have to say it was an excellent experience, it was fully booked in relation to social distancing (which was generally 50% to 66% capacity per coach depending on the bookings), how social distancing seating works can be seen roughly half way down the page here: https://midlandpullman.com/covid-19/

 

[AnthonyRail]

Thanks for posting that Anthony.

Return working

 

[Crewe Exile]

Apologies for deviating from the subject of the thread, but when did non yellow fronts become allowed on the national network?. It always used to be compulsory. Sorry for my ignorance on this, I only occasionally visit this site and my interest in railways isn’t what is used to be

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

Apologies for deviating from the subject of the thread, but when did non yellow fronts become allowed on the national network?. It always used to be compulsory. Sorry for my ignorance on this, I only occasionally visit this site and my interest in railways isn’t what is used to be

For as long as steam has run...
In all seriousness I think it was a few years ago, and there are now quite a few trains without yellow fronts, e.g. the 345 for crossrail. I imagine it was deemed not to make a significant difference in visibility/safety, although I don't know if there was any research done. I'd be surprised if there isn't a thread on it somewhere.

 

[XAM2175]

but when did non yellow fronts become allowed on the national network?. It always used to be compulsory. Sorry for my ignorance on this, I only occasionally visit this site and my interest in railways isn’t what is used to be

... I imagine it was deemed not to make a significant difference in visibility/safety ...

The new technical standards allow for trains to enter service without the yellow warning panel on the front if they instead use high-intensity headlights and an upper marker light. You can see on the Pullman HST that the main headlights have been upgraded and that an upper marker light has been installed above the windscreen.

 

[Crewe Exile]

The new technical standards allow for trains to enter service without the yellow warning panel on the front if they instead use high-intensity headlights and an upper marker light. You can see on the Pullman HST that the main headlights have been upgraded and that an upper marker light has been installed above the windscreen.

Thanks for the replies - most informative