First Great Western Diversions spring 2013

[adamcoppard]

Mod Note: Duplicate thread merged into main thread

Have just noticed that FGW are planning on running services into WAT [London Waterloo] over Easter, because of the engineering work going on over Reading.
Does anyone know if the trains that FGW run between the West Country and Waterloo will be formed as per the normal West Country -> PAD services.
Physically where are the trains going in WAT around all the normal SWT services (and is anything moving for them?).
Finally - does anyone know where we go between Westbury and Basingstoke, do we go via the curve between Reading and Basingstoke and do some reversing or something else?

Cheers

 

[Lrd]

Finally - does anyone know where we go between Westbury and Basingstoke, do we go via the curve between Reading and Basingstoke and do some reversing or something else?

Non stop via Salisbury.

 

[swt_passenger]

Physically where are the trains going in WAT around all the normal SWT services (and is anything moving for them?).

Platform 11 - with about 40 mins turn round between arrival and departure. SWT services will be re-platformed elsewhere as necessary, but will run as normal.

The FGW service is only hourly, and is also only running on Good Friday and Easter Monday, and on the first Saturday and both Sundays of the blockade period, so they are not a problem to fit in as additionals.

 

[BestWestern]

Regarding formations, one interesting point is that specific rakes of coaches need to be marshalled due to MK3 stock having a mix of 'long swing link' and 'short swing link' bogies. Only the short variety are permitted over third rail lines due to clearance issues, but standard FGW rakes generally contain a mix of both types.

 

[fgwrich]

FGW will divert Bristol and South Wales HST services via Foxhall Jn, Oxford, Banbury, High Wycombe and Greenford to Paddington on a half hourly basis. West of England services will operate to and from Waterloo but via the main line between Basingstoke and Waterloo as LSL swing-link coupling issues have now been cleared on the route, these will operate hourly.

Regarding formations, one interesting point is that specific rakes of coaches need to be marshalled due to MK3 stock having a mix of 'long swing link' and 'short swing link' bogies. Only the short variety are permitted over third rail lines due to clearance issues, but standard FGW rakes generally contain a mix of both types.

Last time it was managed rather well by FGW, and indeed a few rakes still remain SSL. But, as released by the FGW Staff bulliton, i presume LSL rakes have now been cleared on the Southern as well then.

 

[gswindale]

Hi,

Only partially related, but I'm trying to locate some timings for the Dec 2010 services (WTT would be good).

This is primarily so that I can create replica activities for MSTS as these services make a change from the usual.

I'm fine for this Easter thanks to Realtime Trains etc, but googling back is not proving too successful.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BestWestern]

Last time it was managed rather well by FGW, and indeed a few rakes still remain SSL. But, as released by the FGW Staff bulliton, i presume LSL rakes have now been cleared on the Southern as well then.

Ah, fair enough then, I wasn't aware of that. Presumably it was one of those nonsense restrictions then which, with a little putting together of heads, can magically be lifted!

 

[Zoe]

Last time it was managed rather well by FGW, and indeed a few rakes still remain SSL. But, as released by the FGW Staff bulliton, i presume LSL rakes have now been cleared on the Southern as well then.

When this was discussed elsewhere it was pointed at that the LSL restriction applied to all of the third rail network and not just the Bournemouth Main Line between Woking and Waterloo and this wasn't the reason for the routing last time as the first post in the topic implies as LSL sets wouldn't even have been allowed between Salisbury and Woking. I haven't seen anything officially confirming that this policy has been changed.

 

[swt_passenger]

That's my understanding as well.

There were always two fundamentally separate issues. LSL bogies are barred from the entire third rail areas, however HST power cars were also barred from certain routes due to other physical gauging issues, mainly to do with power car steps fouling platform faces.

The routeing via the Windsor side last time was due to these physical gauging restrictions on the direct route via Wimbledon, and nothing to do with whether or not the bogies were LSL or SSL.

The implication of the change of routeing is that they have gauge cleared the power cars at the offending stations on the mainline route, but that certainly doesn't imply that LSL bogies have also been cleared. I'm pretty sure that the quoted information in the first post of this thread is based on someone's misinterpretation of the reasons for the previous routing at Christmas 2010, indeed if you follow the wnxx thread though this point about SSL/LSL is all thoroughly debunked...

 

[hstforever81]

Not sure if the domestic platforms are long enough to accommodate the sleeper. The international station would with room to spare, but apparently it needs work doing to it before its ready to serve passengers once more. There was talk of basing both sleepers out of Waterloo at one time but that's all it's been to this point, talk.

The domestic platforms are long enough at Waterloo for the GW sleeper. but they have no run around facilites and nowhere for them to have a shunt loco stabled , unless one was to run in from old oak.
Its only the caledonian sleeper that wouldn't fit in waterloo. Our train runs in a 16 car formation. (i work the sleeper)

 

[anthony263]

As you say, 150001 & 150002 Will be doing the Didcot - Cheltenham shuttle, and will likely work alongside 150921 & 150927. As for the Turbos, they are cleared to run along the Berks & Hants - a trail was run yesterday with 166211 to Castle Cary and back to Reading, this for a combination of future services.

Night Riviera will unfortunatly be formed of a HST and will run from Waterloo.

This I think will explain why 150001 & 150002 are being fitted with larger fuel tanks and are supposed to being realocated to St Phillips Marsh from what is being speculated on other forums.